Bristow Manor Golf Club

Bristow Manor Golf Club, opened in 1993 and named one of Golf Digest’s Top 100 Golf Courses to play in the late 90s. It has that colonial charm combined with some of the best course conditioning in Northern Virginia. The Zoysia-grass fairways, bent greens, and the signature 467-yard seventh hole earns it’s No 1 Handicap rating. 

Located just outside of Washington D.C. this Par 72 Championship Golf Course tops out at 7,102 yards. There’s a tee for every level of play! Have fun – or bring your gutsy self and work it from the tips! 

Bristow Manor is the tale of two nines that are quite different in difficulty. The front 9 is more challenging with water coming into play on 5 of the nine holes. The two par 3’s on the front nine were favorites. The 3rd hole is a 142 yard hole with all carry over water. Number 8 is a long par 3 which was a 212 yarder with a back flag into a breeze.The back 9 is more open and allows the golfer to relax a bit after the front. Very challenging Par 4 18th hole that requires an accurate tee shot and difficult 2 due to water and sand protecting the green. Par is a good score. 

What sets this golf course apart was the zoysia fairways. During the heat of the summer while other courses are fighting to keep the fairways green, Bristow Manor is unaffected and remains green and playable. The zoysia fairways clearly enhance the play of the course – especially in hot, dry conditions. 

The course has a nice variety of open, tight and shorter, longer holes. There is good use of doglegs and hazards to add to the need for accurate placement of both tee shots and approach shots – especially on the front 9. The #1 rated Par 4, 7th is particularly interesting as the golfer can choose to cut off more or less on the tee shot over water still leaving an approach over hazard area to the elevated green. Several golfers were seen playing right of the water, leaving a shorter approach requiring a high shot over trees to get to the green.

Favorite Holes Noted: Hole 10 – a fun relaxing hole to get started (we started on the back nine!) 

Be sure and tell them Virginia Golf Course Reviews sent you! 

Bull Run Golf Club

Virginia Golf Course Reviews arrived at Bull Run Golf Club on a cool, breezy, and just slightly wet Monday (March 11) to review Rick Jacobson’s designed public golf course. It was early spring – but, this course played well in these early spring conditions. There were only a few areas of the course that were a little wet, otherwise the course drained really well. The greens were firm, rolling exceptionally well. As Mr. Jacobson describes, Bull Run is “a course where you can spray it a little and not be punished too severely.” Fairways are wide enough and forgiving. As you approach the green, there are often bail out options to play it safe. This course is walkable, even with the distance from the 9th green to the 10th tee box!

Some holes of note: Hole 1 – out of the gate, you have water! Hole 6 – a short Par 3 with bunkers protecting both sides of the green. Hole 8, a dogleg right down to the water. Big hitters have a chance to cut the corner. But, don’t get too greedy. Hole 9, a beautiful, over water, front nine closing hole. A favorite of ours. Hole 13, a slight dogleg right hole with a fairway bunker at the right spot to keep you from danger on the right! Hole 14, a long par 5 with a 240 yard carry from the tips to the fairway. Hole 16 – another favorite Par 3 over water! And, finally, hole 18 – a downhill par 5, with the green reachable in two, across the water – if you dare. We noted the curbing around the greens, to keep the carts on the path. Mike Tate, GM, has assembled a great team to manage the golf course. With a background in the hospitality industry, he is oriented to how people experience the whole place – special events, proshop, clubhouse and the golf course. Give Mike a call – set up your next round of golf!

Creighton Farms

Virginia Golf Course Reviews was hosted at Creighton Farms by Director of Golf, Robert Blumer. They can’t stop talking about their experience. Creighton Farms is a special Jack Nicklaus designed course, offering incredible experience. No two holes are the same. Bunkers are strategically located to make you think about every shot. From every aspect of the golf experience – this is one of the best! The course is challenging, but fun and fair. Practice facilities prepare you for the round like few courses do. Selecting the right tee box is important or this course will make it difficult. From tee to green and back up the fairway – beautiful views. The front nine is carved out of farmland – the back nine out of forest property.

Robert Blumer and the staff at Creighton Farms hosted Virginia Golf Course Reviews team members at Creighton Farms. This is one of the top private courses in Virginia. The Jack Nicklaus design is exceptional. The six tee box choices give any level golfer a challenge. The greens roll true, the bunkers are well placed presenting challenges off the tee and on approach shots to the green. Favorite holes: No 3, No 7, No 9, and Nos 12-14. Each hole is unique, appealing to the eye, and, of course, challenging. You wouldn’t expect anything less for a top-notch golf course. Creighton Farms is one of the best courses we’ve played this year!

Old Hickory Golf Club

Old Hickory Golf Club is an enjoyable design by Tim Freeland, that players of any skill level can play – from skilled to less skilled players. But, like a fading, hard living, down-on-their-luck movie star, it is showing it’s age and diminished condition. It is a part of the Raspberry Falls management group. Doug Walczak is the GM of this course, as well as Augustine. 

The management group is committed to both Augustine and Old Hickory. In the case of Old Hickory, there are numerous issues at hand, none of which involve the clubhouse and restaurant. They are in a solid, comfortable building that can accommodate more than just golf. Although the locker rooms aren’t to the standard they could be, the bones are solid. 

The staff couldn’t be nicer or more forthwith about the issues identified. 

The front and back nines also couldn’t be more different in design or amenities. The front has full housing development around a strategically laid out course. The course winds through, somewhat directionally confusing, but sensible. The beginning set up is unique. The first tee box is also proximate to holes four and five, with a usable snack shack, restroom facility, and putting green. The starter, Bobbie, is stationed here and is more than helpful and upbeat. Housing on the back only encroaches on a couple of holes; however on hole 14, after finishing, the cart path comes directly back in the line of fire from approach shots from groups approaching the green; a dangerous and poor design. 

The finishing holes on nine and eighteen are both very worthy of their spots on the card. Strategic and difficult, as well as scenic.

Potomac Shores Golf Club

Potomac Shores is one of the finest, unknown courses in Virginia. A hidden gem that you’ll want to play again and again. The course was in excellent shape, and never detracted from a tough, strong Nicklaus design.

Opened in 2014, this course only gets about 23,000 rounds per year. Potomac Shores is a public course with just 35 members and reasonable NOVA rates. Unlike most courses that come back to the clubhouse after nine holes, Potomac Shores does not. In spite of this, the course has received many accolades from GolfWeek through the years.

Virginia Golf Course Reviews spent some time there and discovered a great Nicklaus layout and a great team. Our favorite hole – No 8 – a sharp dogleg right Par 5 with a bunker at the turn and an approach with trouble to make you pick your shot carefully.

Our review team would like to come back again! If you go, tell them Virginia Golf Course Reviews sent you.

Raspberry Falls Golf & Hunt Club

Raspberry Falls Golf & Hunt Club meets the definition of a great course – execute flawlessly, you get an outsized reward; hit a good shot, leaving some challenging work. but if you miss your target, you are penalized. Willy August Lutz and his team at Raspberry Falls have the right mix to create the best golfer experience.

Our favorite holes on this review session: Hole 9, Par 5 – 531 yards from the tips, 392 from the forward tees that zigzags past fairway bunkers, over a small stream to the green. The green is tucked to the right and protected by a left greenside bunker. Hole 10, Par 4 – 460 yards from the tips, 286 from the forward tees with water down the left side of the fairway, bunkers on the right, toward an intimidating approach shot to the green protected by a pot bunker!

If you’re looking for something Raspberry Falls needs to improve – maybe adding family tees for young players would be helpful. There’s not much hear to complain about. Raspberry Falls is an amazingly well-designed Gary Player course with the stacked sod bunkers to emulated Irish courses. Of the courses in the Raspberry Falls Golf Trail – don’t miss experiencing this course.

Prince William Golf Club

Opened in 1978, the course was designed and built by a group of farmers. Prince William County Parks now owns this course, but it’s managed by Troon Golf. Dan Wagner, GM, and Mark Murphy do a great job of managing this NOVA treasure. Touting several youth programs, Prince William Golf Course offers a great experience. While it’s not your elite golf course, it’s a well-kept, well-managed, affordable, public golf course. Prince William County also hosts Forrest Greens and Lake Ridge Golf Courses. A par 70, the course plays 6266 yards from the tips (blue tees) with a 70.7 slope/132 rating. The course plays fair and there is enough variety to keep all levels of play satisfied while particularly offering novice golfers a track to hone their skills. 

As 7 and 18 handicap reviewers played the course, fresh off a rain shower and cart-path only instructions, the course to be in good shape. Recently punched greens on the front nine and dressed greens on the back nine made us want to come back after the seasonal maintenance.

The course handles about 45,000 rounds of golf a year on a walkable, junior friendly course. The team knows golf carts are the next investment and then the club house, but their care for the grounds and playability was their first priority. The greens are poana grass, and the fairways are bentgrass .

We counted only two fairway bunkers (Holes 10 and 18) and determined the signature feature was the clean bunkers that usually came front left and front right of greens approach. Some had one, others had three, but mostly two green side bunkers on each hole. The sand, wet from a recent rain, was fun to play out of. No signs of pooling or drainage problems, the bunkers had a light-colored sand that sprayed a light dusting onto the green of successful shots. Greens were good sized and frequently offered slight breaks that required consideration.

As we finished playing the 18th hole we could hear good energy and laughter coming from near the club house. Young voices chanted “USA! USA!” As we got closer, we saw a youth putting clinic and these future golfers, inspired by the Olympics cheered each other on as they practiced putting drills. 

If you go to Prince William – tell them we sent you!