Lives
Washington, DC
Handicap
5-9
Age
25-34
Gender
Male
Skill
Advanced
Plays
Once a week

About

Weekend player working in politics. Love a good muni and walk whenever possible.

Review Statistics

Average Rating

3.8
3.8
Total 16 Reviews

Rating Breakdown

16 Reviews
5 Stars
2
4 Stars
9
3 Stars
4
2 Stars
1
1 Stars
0
Recommended Courses
15
Not Recommended Courses
1
Helpful Votes Count
8
Not Helpful Votes Count
1
First Review
06/09/2014
Last Review
08/21/2023

Reviews Map

Reviews

3.8
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First time playing this course
Recommended
Review has

Corica Park - South Course

Played On 08/17/2023
I Recommend This Course
4.0
D C Advisor
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Windy weather
Walked

Enjoyed it!

I had not played at Corica since the renovation and was glad I made the effort to get there. Certainly worth the greens fee on a GolfNow hot deal, although the standard rates are a bit steep compared to neighbors.

Large, undulating greens ensure two putts are not a given, but overall the layout is fair and provides a challenge for any golfer. Not too many places for inexperienced players to lose balls, but the wind and many bunkers give good players plenty to think about.

The front nine has good variety including the well-bunkered short par 3 fifth hole and the drive-able par 4 eighth. I found the back nine more challenging, with the long par 3 eleventh and par 4 twelfth both requiring solid tee shots. Two short but narrow par 4s follow, before the fun par 4 fifteenth. After 15, you turn back towards the clubhouse--and in our case into a stiff early afternoon wind that made 17 and 18 play very long and required solid approach shots.

The pace was brutally slow mid-day on a Thursday, waiting on every tee box and some approaches. I'm not sure if that is a regular occurrence or if there was an outing or league in front of us.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Poor
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate

Oak Creek Golf Club

Played On 07/03/2020
I Recommend This Course
4.0
D C Advisor
Previously Played

Best shape I’ve seen it

Played Oak Creek for my first time this season and it looks better than ever before. Greens were rolling well even in the late afternoon and the chipping areas were very playable.

Hats off to the maintenance staff.

Only down side was pace. They could use one more staff member to help clean and turn-around carts, or perhaps move the starter up by the clubhouse to help send groups on their way. We ran a bit behind because everyone was waiting for carts.

Conditions Good
Pace Fair

Lake Presidential Golf Club

Played On 06/21/2020
I Recommend This Course
4.0
D C Advisor
Previously Played
Hot weather
Used cart

Much Improved

I hadn't reviewed Lake Presidential for a couple of years, but I have to report that the efforts of the superintendent have paid off. The course is in great shape with some of the best greens in the area.

Lake Pres is an enjoyable round with some truly memorable holes. It can be a beast from the Blue tees, however, even for our group of 5-10 handicap players. Many holes play uphill to the green, and on a wet Sunday we had 175-200 in on multiple par 4s after solid drives. It would be great for the management to designate a "hybrid" tee (a mix of the White and Blue) to give a break on some of the longer, uphill holes.

One note: they often switch nines on weekends to help speed up play. Be prepared to start on 10 and finish on 9, the over-water par 3.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
I Recommend This Course
3.0
D C Advisor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Walked

Best option in DC

I'm surprised I haven't reviewed East Potomac before now, but I walked away very impressed by my early spring round.

The Blue is the sort of municipal course every city should have. Affordable and straightforward but not without interest for good players. East Potomac won't swallow many golf balls (even a mid-handicapper can play 18 without losing one), but it's no slouch either, especially if some wind picks up.

On the front, some favorite holes include 6, a par 5 that veers towards the right, bordered by the Potomac up the right hand side, and 7, a very short (300 yard) par 4 with a severe dogleg left that presents many options for players.

After the turn, I enjoy the 11th, a semi-blind par 3 with a green that is larger than it appears from the tee. The next three holes play up the island toward Hains Point, with the river on the right, before turning back towards the clubhouse.

The course can get crowded and slow on summer afternoons, but we played in about 4 hours with a 9 am tee time on Saturday.

They converted the tees and fairways to bermuda last year, and I have never seen them in better shape. I can't wait to see how well they play in the heat of summer. The course used to let the rough grow far too long, I hope they keep the current look with moderate rough.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
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Commented on 04/30/2018

Fun, windy round at EP on 4/29. Greens were punched and rough needs to be trimmed (it's US Open length right now). Hopefully it'll round into good form now that spring is here.

Oak Creek Golf Club

Played On 05/20/2017
I Recommend This Course
4.0
D C Advisor
Previously Played
Windy weather
Used cart

Played here a few times before, and now twice in 2017.

Conditions are great, some of the best in the area and the nicest shape I've seen Oak Creek in over the past couple of years. I've always liked the hole variety and mix of challenge at this course.

Oak Creek presents players with some very "get-able" holes, including the par-4 1st, which requires just a fairway wood and wedge to a generous green, and the 4th, where longer hitters can cut off the dogleg to put the ball within 100 yds of the green.

But you can't sleep on this course, woods lurk on many tee shots, and greens are well guarded enough to bring bogey and double into play with poorly executed shots.

I really enjoy the back side, with three par 3s and three par 5s. The 11th is a favorite, a downhill par 3 to a large tiered green with no bunkers, just steep slopes and closely-mown grass.

The first time I played this year, everything went well. This Saturday (the 20th) the pace was abysmal--three groups waiting on some tees. The marshal drove through the course a few times, but I would expect them to have a staff member out there facilitating play (urging players to wave up on par 3s, etc.). The six-hour pace was infuriating, and I hope it can be resolved.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Poor
Difficulty Moderate

Westfields Golf Club

Played On 02/26/2017
I Recommend This Course
5.0
D C Advisor
First Time Playing
Windy weather
Used cart

First-class experience outside DC

First time playing Westfields today, but they have the "country club for a day" experience done better than I've seen anywhere else in the area.

On a chilly day, they had complimentary coffee and hot soup at a station in the clubhouse. A small touch but much appreciated by my group.

The course is fairly open off the tee, with wide fairways and not much water. Holes offer good variety, with most featuring large, undulating greens that played firm in the early spring. The front nine is fairly straightforward, but the back nine mixes in a couple of shorter par 4 holes to tempt longer hitters.

The back nine par 5s are also fairly reachable, including a fun hole in #10, a dogleg left with a large bunker short and left of a boomerang-shaped green. When the flag is on the left side, it makes for a challenging long iron for players looking to reach in two, and a smarter play may be to use the slope to run a ball from the center of the green down to the flagstick.

The other par 5, #15, plays uphill after an elevated tee shot, but the green invites a fairway wood or hybrid approach, with no trouble short.

From the giant buckets of balls on the range to the music playing out by the practice green, my group had a great experience and we know we'll be back soon.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging

1757 Golf Club

Played On 02/19/2017
I Recommend This Course
5.0
D C Advisor
Previously Played
Windy weather
Used cart

Wind-swept layout in NoVa

Played here for the second time this weekend, and was once again impressed with the conditions and hole variety.

From my understanding, they intended to acquire some more property, and had to squeeze in a few holes to make it fit on the site. That's only evident in a couple of areas, but does help explain the three par 3s in the last five holes. It doesn't feel too quirky, but could add some drama to a close match with the finishing par 3 18th over water.

It's been in great shape both times I have played, and the course provides a more open feel than many others in the area, with more water in play than trees.

The first hole is one of the more demanding tee shots, on a tight slight dogleg to the right with the approach over a stream. After that, the next stretch of holes plays around a series of lakes, with steep slopes ready to roll errant shots into the water.

Hole 4 is a fun short par 4 hugging water to the right. The landing area is quite generous (especially with a fairway wood), but a more aggressive play will yield a good look at birdie, although water lurks behind the green.

The 5th is the stand-out hole of the front nine for me, a dogleg right around the lake that usually plays down wind. A good tee shot is essential to set up an approach to a green with water short and a bunker long.

6 is a little quirky (a 90-degree dogleg), and perhaps the one hole that could have used a bit more room to breathe. 9 is a fun finisher to the outward half, a get-able par 5 with water down the right side.

Stand-out holes on the back include 12, a fun, drive-able par 4 with OB to the far left and a center-line bunker challenging longer hitters. A generous landing area with an iron or fairway wood sets up an approach to a well-guarded green.

15 is the stand-out par 5, with a straightforward drive and then a slight dogleg uphill and to the left approaching the green.

17 is a solid hole, a shorter par 4 that plays to a long peninsula-like green hugged by water on the right.

The 18th would be a fun finishing hole--the mid-iron par 3 over water--but unfortunately the tee backs up to the short game practice area, so the sense of drama is a bit deflated.

Aside from the course, 1757 boasts an impressive range and practice area. Unfortunately some of the traverses from green to tee are a little long, otherwise it would be a great walking course.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Moderate

Lake Presidential Golf Club

Played On 07/17/2016
3.0
D C Advisor
Previously Played
Good weather
Used cart

Better options for the money

I've played a couple of enjoyable rounds with friends at Lake Presidential, but cannot recommend it at the $85 rack rate, or even the modest twilight discounts.

The course is on a grand scale, with hardly any holes visible from each other, and the houses are set back a comfortable distance from the fairways, overlooking but not intruding. The layout here is more interesting than Oak Creek, and LP has a much more upscale feel (although I can't say either is worth the rack rate).

Some fun holes here. I enjoyed the first par 5 (no. 3), with a blind tee shot followed by another blind, precarious downhill approach for longer hitters trying for the green in two, as well as nice contoured fairway and some bunkering to provide a challenge on a lay-up as well. The ninth is a pretty par 3 over water heading back to the clubhouse.

I also enjoyed the par 5 13th, and the 14th (a par 4), two strong holes that put a premium on good position off the tee.

A ditch meandering through the property comes into play on several tee shots, often taking driver out of the hands of most players. The greens had a good amount of slope, and would be a nice challenge if they were rolling fast and true.

My major frustration with the course was related to conditioning. Tee boxes and areas around the greens were constantly patchy, and many holes had absurdly thick rough. I don't mind a few areas under repair, but for the price I would expect more.

Compared to area neighbors like Enterprise or University of Maryland, I don't think LP holds up, especially when price is considered. I would like to give it another chance, but it needs to deliver more of a "premium" experience to justify the price tag.

For a splurge round, I'd sooner head to 1757 or one of the daily-fee places off of I-270.

Conditions Average
Value Fair
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Average
Amenities Average
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging

Poolesville Golf Course

Played On 06/18/2016
I Recommend This Course
4.0
D C Advisor
Previously Played
Excellent weather
Walked

Country getaway

My friends and I have made the drive to Poolesville a couple of times a year for a few years now. It takes about an hour from downtown DC but is a great option when we don't make a plan in advance or want to play early in the morning but don't want to pay $70+ at closer-in courses.

The layout is fun, a nice variety of hole shapes and undulation. Starts off with a dogleg par 4 where longer hitters may need to lay up off the tee. Followed by a long sweeping par 5 to an elevated green and a long uphill par 3. Things get a bit easier from there with gentle dogleg par 4s and another par 5.

The eighth is the closest thing to a "signature" hole at Poolesville, a longer (205 yd) par 3 over a lake. There is some room short of the green, but it is an intimidating iron shot from the back tees.

The back nine has some strong holes, including number 12, a long dogleg left par 4 with a very tight landing area lined by trees. The next two holes, a good-looking, bunkerless par 3 across native grasses and a sharp dogleg left par 4, are two of my favorites on the course.

Out here feels a world away from the beltway, and the planes descending into Dulles is the only reminder that you're not in true farm country. A great relaxed vibe around the clubhouse makes this one of my favorite munis in the area. If I lived a bit closer, Poolesville might be my home course.

Conditions Excellent
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate

Pleasant Valley Golf Club

Played On 04/30/2016
I Recommend This Course
4.0
D C Advisor
First Time Playing
Average weather
Used cart

Nice option near Dulles

First time playing Pleasant Valley and I imagine I will be back. A bit of a hike from DC, but close to major highways for those coming from anywhere in the Northern Virginia area.

Very nice routing that would be quite walk-able (though cart is included). No houses or roads in sight, and the course is well laid out on rolling farmland property. Some holes run parallel, but usually have a buffer zone of high grass or shrubs.

Most holes are straightforward, with few blind shots or "gotcha" pins. It was damp when I played so the course played a little long, but landing areas were very generous. I enjoyed the variety of holes, with some nice options presented on holes like 2, 9, and 16, all short par 4s with sweeping doglegs to allow for an aggressive play. Hole 17 also has a split fairway with a wider landing zone to the left and a shorter, narrower route right of the large fairway bunker.

I also enjoyed the par 5 fifth hole, with a large bunker and tree about 100 yards short of the green to make golfers think about positioning on their second shot.

The front nine is fairly forgiving, without much trouble aside from the forced water carry on the par 3 seventh. On the back, lakes come into play on multiple holes, starting with the 10th where a lake lines the right side of the fairway and green.

The greens were in terrific shape for late April, as were the fairways. Tee boxes weren't perfect, but not a problem.

Rack rate ($88 during peak hours) is on the higher side for this area, but the course is a step above its municipal neighbors like Brambleton or General's Ridge.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate
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Commented on 08/22/2016

Played again a couple of weeks ago and conditions had suffered. Many rough patches on the greens, very unkempt tee boxes. Not crowded on a sunny Sunday and no surprise--the course was not up to par with area rivals like 1757.

Bowie Golf Club

Played On 10/04/2015
I Recommend This Course
2.0
D C Advisor
Previously Played
Average weather
Walked

A nice option in PG County

I've been coming to Bowie off and on for a few years, usually when I'm just looking for a quick, affordable afternoon round. I love that their twilight rates start early, and it's a good value to walk 18 here.

For a muni that's showing its age, Bowie offers a good layout, with a nice diversity of holes. From the back tees, the par 3s are strong, almost all requiring a long iron or hybrid, but with generous areas to miss. The 13th is probably the closest thing to a "signature" hole, an 180-yard par 3 over water with a large green. I also like the par fives, especially no. 7, where a good drive sets you up to take on the green, but water lurks on the left side. The 16th also always stands out, it's a simple 3-wood, wedge hole with a blind tee shot and an approach to an elevated green. A good drive gives a great look at a birdie, but an undulating fairway lined by trees brings bogey into play as well.

While it has good bones, Bowie doesn't keep pace with PG County neighbors on conditioning. The greens are always bumpy and very slow, and I cannot remember a time when the bunkers were all in decent, playable shape. In addition, while the fairways are often pretty good, some of the tee boxes are just awful (I do play from the Blue, and the White may be better-kept). If any course could benefit from removing some trees, particularly around the tees, it's Bowie. In addition, there's not much care to keep carts out of wet areas, and there are a few spots on the course that never seem to dry.

Glenn Dale, for a few extra dollars, offers a similar old-school feel but much better greens and overall conditioning, and Enterprise is a bit more expensive still, but the class of area munis with superior conditioning and a fun design. If organizing a round for a group of friends, I'd lean towards one of those courses, but I still come to Bowie for a quick 9 or 18.

I also would come to Bowie with newer golfers and juniors--there are few forced carries, only a couple of water hazards, and a very relaxed attitude in the afternoon.

Conditions Fair
Value Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate

Oak Creek Golf Club

Played On 08/09/2015
I Recommend This Course
3.0
D C Advisor
First Time Playing
Good weather
Used cart

Solid course in housing development

A fun Sunday afternoon round with some friends at Oak Creek.

Make no mistake: this course was built for the housing development. Homes are generally set back from play, but you'll see them from most of the holes. There are a few places where the course leaves the houses for a hole or two, but it generally winds through the neighborhoods, often with long drives between greens and tees.

Conditions are average for this area--not quite as nicely maintained as Enterprise but better than Bowie or Eisenhower. There are some bare spots, and it seems Oak Creek has stopped watering some of the rough to cut costs. The browned-out look is good for golf, but the course wasn't quite designed for it. Balls just a bit off-line will roll into the thick woods.

A nice mix of holes, with some variety in doglegs, length (one or two drivable par-4 holes and reachable par-5s), and elevation changes. I can't say that many holes will stick with me days or weeks later, but none of them baffle with silly design either. All in all a solid track for this area and one I'll come back to.

On the food--my playing partners were disappointed that the beverage cart didn't have much to offer beyond pretzels/crackers. The 9th green doesn't come back to the clubhouse, but the course was not crowded so we probably could have made a detour.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
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Commented on 04/25/2016

Update 4/2016:

Played this weekend and course is by no means in regular season shape, many bare/under repair spots on fairways and rough is a little spotty. Hopefully it comes in well.

Greens are still recovering from aeration. A little surprised they were charging full "summer" rates. Many better deals in this area, but the course wasn't crowded.

Algonkian Golf Course

Played On 07/11/2015
I Recommend This Course
4.0
D C Advisor
Previously Played

Updating with photo

Most recently played in mid-July. Here's a photo of the 12th hole--a scenic par three that plays slightly downhill.

Forest Greens Golf Club

Played On 06/13/2015
I Recommend This Course
3.0
D C Advisor
Previously Played
Average weather
Used cart

Fun hilly course off of I-95

Forest Greens is right off of the interstate but doesn't feel that way--only one hole has even a hint of a freeway view. Lots of undulation and tree-lined fairways provide some difficulty, but if you can keep the ball in the fairway you should have plenty of birdie opportunities. However, more novice players in my group struggled with the trees and some uphill or across-a-valley tee shots.

The whole place gives off a very mid-'90s vibe (opened in 1995, I believe), with a cart-oriented design. I like walking but probably wouldn't try to here.

The doglegs will often take driver out of your hands, but even from the blue tees the course does not play very long. Bermuda fairways were in pretty good shape when I played in June, and the greens were slow but true. Bunkers had a few larger pebbles in them, but fortunately I only found the sand once.

Certainly some fun risk/reward holes, including two reachable par-5s, a drivable par 4 on the 2nd hole, and some doglegs that invite an aggressive tee shot. The trees, however, are in play from most tees, and the greens are large and receptive, so conservative play off of the tee may be the best strategy.

Several blind tee shots make playing with a regular or taking a quick tour of the hold before teeing off a good idea. A rangefinder or yardage book could also help on the many holes where longer hitters will wonder if driver or even 3-wood is too much.

Staff was friendly and the starter let us off a bit early, but pace slowed down considerably on the back nine. Both times I have played here there has been a large backup at the 10th tee, partly because it's a reachable par-5, but with an uphill tee shot that causes problems for mid-handicappers.

A course I'll return to, but on par with other area courses.

Will try to update with some photos next time I play.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Fair
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
Default User Avatar
Commented on 08/13/2015

Thanks for your positive feedback. Hope to see you soon.

Algonkian Golf Course

Played On 09/07/2014
I Recommend This Course
4.0
D C Advisor
Previously Played
Good weather
Used cart

Excellent conditions for the area

A solid parkland course well insulated from roads and houses in an area regional park. It's right next to the Potomac river but no views, just a nice setting with wildlife.
Course can be difficult because of narrow fairways and thick trees lining most holes. I played in the spring and the rough was very penal but in late summer it had thinned out a bit is more playable.

Front nine is flat with a few doglegs and long par fives while the back nine has some elevation changes and a creek that comes into play on two or three holes with two reachable par fives. I particularly like holes 11-13

11: lay-up tee shot to a wide open landing area since the creek comes in at about 250 yds, then a mid-long iron approach uphill.

12: gorgeous slight downhill par -3 with a tough bunker short of the green

13: dogleg right par-5 that's very reachable with a good tee shot. A ton of room to the right of the green for the uphill approach.

These holes epitomize most of the course, need to keep it straight and long to have a good look at birdie, but there is not too much trouble to blow up your round. Expect to make some bogeys, but very few hazards or OB.

Greens were good early in summer but bumpy and slower last weekend, hopefully they are rolled/cut soon.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging

Enterprise Golf Course

Played On 06/01/2014
I Recommend This Course
4.0
D C Advisor
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Walked

Gorgeous course

A good public layout for this area that was in great shape when I played in late May. Beautiful wooded property with a fun mix of holes. I particularly liked 10-11, a dogleg par five that plays from an elevated tee way downhill and then back up to an elevated green, and a blind, risk-reward par four where an aggressive tee shot must carry trees on the left.

I’ll definitely return (great, well-priced course just a half hour outside of DC is tough to find) but there are a few areas that Enterprise needs to address to become my regular haunt. I saw zero marshals on the course, even though I played on a Sunday afternoon. I didn't expect to set any pace records, but play was unbelievably slow even though the course didn't seem all that crowded. I played as a single and was surprised at the lack of a “pace of play” culture among other golfers here—most of the munis I frequent have been preaching mindful golf practices, especially on tees and greens, for years. Hopefully this round was an exception, and I’ll give Enterprise a chance to redeem itself.

Also would be great if they allowed walkers before 1:00 pm on weekends. The future of golf is not driving carts and drinking beers. #EnjoyTheWalk

Conditions Good
Value Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Poor
Difficulty Moderate
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Commented on 05/07/2018

Still love Enterprise but I have to re-iterate my concerns about pace of play. I played yesterday behind a very slow outing of sorts, and only saw a marshal once. I think the course could do a bit more to instill an ethos of good pace.

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