East Potomac Golf Links - Blue Course

I am guessing a lot of my problems have to do with "winter" conditions. But this has to be one of the worst conditioned courses i have ever played.

The greens were all torn by what looks like someone took a shovel every green. The course is COVERED in Goose droppings. I get that it's nature and that the course is on an Island in the middle of the Potomac, but come on...

Pace was great as no one was there, the grille was still running so the burger was delicious. Staff was perfectly polite. Great deals at the pro shop.

Ill come back later in the year hoping that some fixes have been made.

After all, you can't really complain when you are golfing in February.

I played this course while I was on vacation in DC and to be honest I was excited. But for a $30 round of golf there had to be a catch. When you hit the first tee one thing stood out the most, the amount of geese dung that covered the majority of the course like a minefield. Luckily I left my golf shoes at my hotel because if I would have worn them then they would have been ruined. Other than that the holes really don't have much variety and is fairly bland. If you choose to risk this course don't dress in your nicest clothes because you may ruin them.

I don't know how many times I've played at East Potomac's Blue Course. But there's probably only two or three courses in the world I've played more than this course. Commonly called Haines Point, this course is one of three golf courses within the District of Columbia. All of them are public, and run by the National Park Service.

East Potomac is the definition of "scruffy Muni." It's cheap, draws all types of golfers, and the conditioning can be spotty - I remember one year where they misapplied weed killer instead of fertilizer to the greens, killing almost all of them. It is just above the water level of the Potomac River, built on landfill, so it can be very wet, and drainage has been a problem.

However, this year I've noticed that the conditioning is the best its been.

Throughout, there's some interesting holes, and a some great views. You're always a part of the city - and there's no where else where you can say "Aim at the Washington Monument!).

As we finish off our round, you should feel happy to have played a historic course in the nation's capitol. As its flat, you should have walked 18 - and you've earned your pitcher of beer in the clubhouse. Chances are, you'll feel pretty good about your score, as its reasonably hard to lose your ball. Enjoy your time at Haines Point - I know I've had many good memories here.

Read the rest of my review, with details on individual holes at: http://dcgolfer.weebly.com/course-reviews/east-potomac-blue-course

I have played at East Potomac at least ten times and its a good course. The course is in Washington DC and centrally located near the monuments. The course is managed by Golf Course Specialties for National Park Service. At the facility there are three courses. The blue, white and red. The blue is the full 18 holes that is more of a regular course. Whereas the White and Red are more for the beginner and are 9 hole courses.

The course is a good layout with fairly straight forward golf. The course is not long so if you want a true test play from the back tees are you are a good golfer. However, if you are not capable of scoring less than 80, play it forward for pace of play. The course is one of the most played in the country with over 100K rounds per year. The facility is very busy on the weekend and expect a longer than normal round.

The proshop has a good selection of gear and is well priced under retail pricing.

The dining and great and offers a good selection of food and drinks The sell great hamburgers and beer so enjoy one after your round.

The course is fairly wet due to the proximity of the Potomac River so expect average conditions. The course gets tons of play but is a good course. There are resident red foxes that live on the course and you are more than likely to see one. The course is easy to walk so I recommend most to walk and either carry their bag or use a push cart.

Make an early tee time to miss the crowds.

East Potomac Park Golf Course could be so much more than it is, but for a variety of reasons it is a pretty average to downright bad golf course.

East Potomac Golf Course is a must for any local golfer. The course has a very nice driving range structure and three different courses so that all types of players are able to get out and enjoy a round. Some of the scenery on the course is excellent (e.g. teeing off on 16, I think, you just aim for the Washington Monument.). It is also one of the few places in DC where you get a good breeze in the summer months too! Once you get beyond these two items, however, the course rapidly loses its appeal.

The course conditions are below average at best. Due to the course's location out on East Potomac Park (which itself is basically a low-lying island), the course suffers from poor drainage throughout the year, a problem only exacerbated by heavy rains. When the Potomac River and Tidal Basin rise after it rains, the course becomes downright unplayable as water fills low-lying areas on the course, including cart paths, bunkers and even forming large pools in the middle of fairways.

Not only does the course suffer from poor maintenance, but the range at the driving range is in absolutely terrible condition. The driving range complex (the area you hit from) is a wonderful, two story structure open longer than nearly any other I've been to. The bays are excellent and provide users plenty of space. The range itself (the area your ball lands) is atrocious! Picture, if you can, indoor/outdoor carpet torn up and folded on top of itself by ball retrievers and windy conditions. The range is in such terrible conditions the ball retrievers wouldn't even go to ever area to retrieve balls.

All in all, the course is cheap and playable. If you have access to a car, however, why not get out and try the dozen or so other municipal courses withing a 30 minute drive in the same price point.

Im partial to the course because I play here all the time. It's usually in good shape for the amount of traffic it has and the staff is great. It is BY FAR the cheapest golf around the District and has reasonably priced beer and snacks. My only concern is that the rough gets to tour condition length and makes it hard to find your ball. This results in pace of play issues in addition to drainage issues after heavy rain. Sometimes it gets backed up on weekends and after work but that's to be expected for its location. Overall, it's by far the best value in the area. It's not the most challenging of courses but offers some outstanding holes. For instance, you actually aim your 15th tee shot directly at the Washington Monument. It is also very walker friendly.

In addition to the 18 hole Blue course, there is an executive 9 hole course and par 3 Red course available.