frankrmineo

So to explain...I have golfed at most every Fairfax county course multiple times and have had issues with poorly run operations at all of them from time to time. I've spoke in person with management as well as sending emails and anything I have ever brought up is always dismissed and/or I receive no response.

I booked a tee time through THEIR online service for 6:40am. There was an accident and I arrived around 6:20am. I saw a threesome teeing off as I rushed to get inside. I am in the clubhouse at 6:25, ask the starter how I pay for my 6:40 tee time since he was the only person there at the moment. He scolds me and says "WELL YOUR FOURSOME IS ALREADY OUT ON THE GREEN". I said "Okay, I'm sorry, I booked online last night as a solo and I've never golfed here before." He grumbled and said "WELL GOOD THING YOU SHOWED UP NOW, WE HAVE A TOURNAMENT STARTING AT 7, YOU'LL NEED TO PLAY QUICK, BUT YOU CAN GO OUT BY YOURSELF".

So....Now, I wait five minutes for the cashier to get up to the counter to take my money. I'm 99% sure there is not a possibility that she could have been less excited to be at work. She literally only said $17, took my card, and gave me a receipt. I'm not sure she wasn't actually asleep.

At this point I'm irritated but I'm going to take it and stride and keep moving. After all I'm here to enjoy myself, not to be stressed. But I am still a little bitter that I'm getting scolded because he sent out my tee-time group 20 minutes early. I also remember tee times being available for 7:00am & 7:10am online when I booked my tee time the evening before. So i'm confused, irradiated, and flustered by the whole thing.

When he grumbled at me, I should have to walked away, but I didn't.

So I rush to the tee box and I'm taking practice swings and ready to tee off at 6:35am.

Then, I wait over 15 minutes while the greenskeeper changes the hole placement. Then, on hole 2 I wait another 5 minutes for another groundskeeper to mow the green (He was friendly and stopped when he noticed I was waiting, unlike the greenskeeper on hole 1).

At this point I'm starting to wonder...why in the wild, wild, world of sports am I being rushed if the staff is jumbling up tee-times, not ready to get golfers on the course, and then not allowing golfers to move through the course.

Then I notice the strangest thing. There is another solo golfer behind me! So either the starter was being rude to just me, or that solo golfer behind me must have gotten not only a stern talking to, but probably a spanking as well.

I waited at EVERY tee box. The threesome in front of me had a 40 minute headstart considering they got out 20 minutes before their scheduled tee time, and I had 20 minutes of waiting on greenskeepers on the first two holes. The gentleman behind me was waiting for me as well at about half the boxes, especially when the threesome was goofing around in front of us.

As I walked off hole nine (despite all the pace issues, it's a quick round), this so called tournament looked to just be kicking off. I think there was one group that teed off and then another that was on the first tee. If the tournament is the priority, I get it, but don't book tee times, take money, and treat customers like crap.

The course itself was in nice condition. It's not a course for just a wedge and a putter. You'll need some longer irons. I think the price point ($17) is a bit high for a weekday. The way the course is set up you could easily get most players in and out within an hour. That's a 10 dollar weekday course and 15 on the weekends. When you throw on the customer service it's a course they would have to pay me to come play again.

I was paired with a guy (Jim, i believe) that used to be the club pro from what the starter told me. He had to go to get physical therapy after hole 7 because of the slow pace of play that morning. Thankfully he left because while the pace of play in front of us was slow, there was nothing we could do, yet he was constantly throwing out advice, talking about how great he was, what people should do on a golf course, flooring the gas and spinning out every time he used the golf car, and acting like he owned the whole joint.

As soon as he left the other gentleman (that was his friend or trainee) and myself had a great time, relaxed, and played quickly without all the rushing and pressure.

On the good side, this course is one of the better maintained and even designed courses in the DC metro area, especially at the price point. I would say it could use some additional signage to assist those that aren't familiar with the course, once we lost boss hog we had to ask twice where the next hole was.

It's also really difficult for even an above average golfer (which is great), If you only play a handful of times a year this is not the course for you. The greens are ridiculously challenging, it would take a handful of times on the course to even start to really be able to understand all the complexities of those hilly greens, especially with different pin configurations.. The sand traps are really hard to get up and down from, and there are a handful of holes that have unseen hazards or hills that aren't apparent from the tee box.

The course is open enough that their are shots to be made, but you are better off laying up than sitting in the rough, at least this day. The rough doesn't look all that intimidating but both my cart and boss hogs' ran over balls and I walked on three or four. Essentially, if you aren't someone in the fairway make sure you stop for an extra couple sleeves of balls.

The Clubhouse is not much to write home about, but you are also just a few minutes away from plenty of spots to find a 19th hole or some food.

Also, the website says this is a walk-able course. While it could certainly be done, I can't imagine how slow the pace of play on the course would be with a handful of walking groups. This course is full of hills and not all that enjoyable of an experience unless you playing near a zero handicap.