Off the Fringe, “Golf’s best short read.” The award winning newsletter, sent twice monthly, that provides an unconventional perspective on the golf world.
Golfer Bob
Issue
2009-01-14
$41 (cart included), played on Tuesday, January 2009 at 10am
Played here for the first time on 1-13-09, a bleak and chilly day, with temps hovering around 40 and overcast, thus, did not get to experience the course at its best. Things were pretty soggy, so it was cart-path only, and there was zero roll on anything anywhere.
Having said that, the course was in decent shape for January. Fairways are bermuda, were all browned out. Only spots of green were either weeds or putting surface!
Course is very nice: excellent layout, fully utilizing all the architects bag of tricks on a very level piece of ground. Lots of mounding, bunkers, water, and some beautiful tall older trees. Some excellent vistas of the Potomac river, as well. Absent elevation change, the architect did a very nice job in making 18 unique holes, although he did do some wierd stuff: # 6 is a longish par 5, with water down the left on the first third, more water down the left between 150 and 30 yards out from a green which sits atop an inverted water glass (seriously, it is an inverted truncated cone about 15-18 feet tall, and one foot off the putting surface the surface drops away at a 60 degree angle, all the way around: maybe the architect was inspired by a volcano?), with huge bunkers surrounding it and disaster behind. Good luck getting a longer iron to hold on that puppy! Otherwise, it is a pretty cool course: tee boxes are large and flat(and there are at least three on every hole): fairways are fairly generous in the landing area, although a few neck down sharply near the green (#9 for instance); bunkers are many, and were a little rough, but hey, it IS January: greens were medium large, not too heavily contoured for the most part, and putted fairly true, if a little slow, but again, it IS January.
Course is walkable, with only a few long distances between green and tee. Pro shop is smallish, but seemed well stocked, and the one guy working was pleasant. The restaurant is not open on Monday and Tuesday. The course is easy to find, but it is a long way from anywhere.
I paid $43 with tax, which I thought was about $10 steep for this time of year, considering conditions and its remoteness. I do plan to go back and play it later in the year.
Would travel: 60-120 Miles, Vacation Worthy
Bottom line: I would play again, Better than average course for the area
$41 (cart included), played on Tuesday, January 2009 at 10am
Played here for the first time on 1-13-09, a bleak and chilly day, with temps hovering around 40 and overcast, thus, did not get to experience the course at its best. Things were pretty soggy, so it was cart-path only, and there was zero roll on anything anywhere.
Having said that, the course was in decent shape for January. Fairways are bermuda, were all browned out. Only spots of green were either weeds or putting surface!
Course is very nice: excellent layout, fully utilizing all the architects bag of tricks on a very level piece of ground. Lots of mounding, bunkers, water, and some beautiful tall older trees. Some excellent vistas of the Potomac river, as well. Absent elevation change, the architect did a very nice job in making 18 unique holes, although he did do some wierd stuff: # 6 is a longish par 5, with water down the left on the first third, more water down the left between 150 and 30 yards out from a green which sits atop an inverted water glass (seriously, it is an inverted truncated cone about 15-18 feet tall, and one foot off the putting surface the surface drops away at a 60 degree angle, all the way around: maybe the architect was inspired by a volcano?), with huge bunkers surrounding it and disaster behind. Good luck getting a longer iron to hold on that puppy! Otherwise, it is a pretty cool course: tee boxes are large and flat(and there are at least three on every hole): fairways are fairly generous in the landing area, although a few neck down sharply near the green (#9 for instance); bunkers are many, and were a little rough, but hey, it IS January: greens were medium large, not too heavily contoured for the most part, and putted fairly true, if a little slow, but again, it IS January.
Course is walkable, with only a few long distances between green and tee. Pro shop is smallish, but seemed well stocked, and the one guy working was pleasant. The restaurant is not open on Monday and Tuesday. The course is easy to find, but it is a long way from anywhere.
I paid $43 with tax, which I thought was about $10 steep for this time of year, considering conditions and its remoteness. I do plan to go back and play it later in the year.