#Nova golf courses plus#

Course architect Michael Hurdzan, known for creating layouts as ecologically impressive as they are challenging, conjured up a real winner here. As a result, the 18-month-old facility remains wonderfully undiscovered by the general golfing public. Little Bennett excels in everything except self-promotion. The par-3 ninth hole, a 150-yarder with an island green surrounded by boulders, is the most dramatic hole on this always enjoyable course. Dye routed several holes through the woods and right along the lakeshore, and threw in some tiered greens to up the ante just a little bit more. But it is definitely a worthy neighbor: Course architect P.B. Virginia Oaks, which opened in 1995 as the centerpiece of a large housing development, shares the shores of Lake Manassas with the world-renowned-and ultra-private-Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. Best of all, it's always in excellent condition. Course designer Ken Killian created a real killer from the back tees, but the course is much more fun from the middle tees as it rambles around several lakes and creeks to large, open greens. A big minus is that it doesn't take advance tee times, causing some serious traffic jams during peak periods.īristow Manor, which opened in 1993, is flat-out one of the best new courses to open in recent years, and it now feels almost completely grown-up.

#Nova golf courses plus#

A big plus is its location-convenient to the Beltway and near USAir Arena. White, the first commanding officer of the fabled USS Enterprise aircraft carrier. A mature beauty set gently among towering trees, the course occupies the former estate of Capt. Tremendous demand keeps the place extremely busy, but it's well worth the time and trouble to play.Įnterprise is often called the Augusta National of the Washington area because its azaleas and other flowering plants light it up with color throughout the spring. Reston has dramatically upgraded its service and facilities in the past 18 months, securing its position as Washington's best public course. Legendary area course architect Ed Ault made the best of the tight-knit surroundings, serving up fairways lined with skyscraping trees and open, rewarding greens. Reston National seems to have been air-dropped smack in the midst of hectic Northern Virginia, yet it is amazingly pretty and serene. We've picked our Top 20 courses, all of which are open to the public, using an admittedly subjective list of criteria heavily weighted toward playability, convenience, value for the money and overall quality of experience. The biggest problem: Too many of them are simply swamped too much of the time. In addition, they offer an excellent, diverse mix of old and new, close-in and far-out locations, and classic and modern styles. The Washington area's elite publics are as playable and pretty as those in any major city. Green fees may or may not include cart fees, and may change without notice. Some courses don't allow walking, requiring golfers to use carts. Nationally, the slope rating of an average course is 113. Golf Association formula that incorporates 10 different factors including length and number of hazards. A course's slope rating can be used as an indicator as to its difficulty the higher the number, the tougher the course.