Golf Courses Suited to a Tee Washington Area Offers Some Outstanding Clubs by Alan B. Nichols An unusually rainy spring has kept the number of golf rounds down considerably, but with summerís arrival and the golf season beginning in earnest, there is a tee at any number of outstanding local golf courses just waiting for golfers with cabin fever. The golf industry and particularly golf course management companies know very well how competitive their industry is, but even so, there is always room in the market for exceptional venues that offer an enjoyable round of golf on a fun and interesting course, complemented by good service. That is especially true of the select list of public and private golf clubs described here. This list by no means exhausts your possibilities for good golf in the Washington, D.C., area, but be assured, you wonít go wrong playing these layouts and enjoying their ambience. Heritage Hunt Heritage Hunt, a gated golf and country club community located just off I-66 in Gainesville, Va., is marketed as an active adult community, meaning that residents (home buyers) must be 55 years or older. The club offers various categories of membership to both residents and non-residents alike. Although many homes have already been built and purchased, the overall development plan calls for additional separate family homes and condominium units on the golf course that you may want to look into buying. U.S. Home, a division of Lennar Corp., is the communityís development company, and the golf operation is managed by Western Golf Properties, which also manages Stonewall Golf Club nearby. Heritageís 750-acre site sits on former farmland. It is close to the Virginia Piedmont where the air is fresh, scented wildflowers abound, and the views are attractive. The land rolls moderately with some hardwoods, a few pines, several ponds and a creek that meanders through portions of the golf course. The course was designed by famed architect Arthur Hills, whose portfolio includes Blue Mash and Waverly Woods in Maryland and the River Course at Lowes Island Club near Leesburg, Va. Hillsí signature trademark of mounds is stamped on this layout, which features a string of three holes on the back nine called Arthurís Alley that are as challenging as they are scenic. The best of these is number 14, a stunning hole lined all the way on the left by a ridge of thick woods. The tee shot must carry an upland marsh, and the fairway bends noticeably to the right and is dissected by a creek. Bent grass maintained to exacting standards assures you of excellent playing conditions. Practice facilities include a fine short game area. Heritage also has two clubhouses, one of which includes a splendid fitness center and an indoor and outdoor pool. The main clubhouse, designed in a southern ante-bellum style with a second-floor verandah, has in addition to the golf shop, a first-rate restaurant featuring a great Sunday brunch, a 340 person-capacity banquet room, and card and pool rooms. Heritage Hunt Golf and Country Club 6901 Arthur Hills Drive Gainesville, Va. (703) 743-1000 www.heritagehuntgolf.com Whiskey Creek Golf Club One of the most scenic and well-maintained daily fee golf courses in the metro area is Whiskey Creek. Located about eight miles east of I-270 and 10 miles from Frederick, Md., Whiskey Creek was designed with PGA pro Ernie Els serving as consultant. The course sits on what was formerly a wheat and barley farm settled by German immigrants who used to distill whiskey there. Ruins of an old farmhouse sit in the middle of the 18th fairway some 275 yards from the tee box. Situated in the Maryland Piedmont, the land rises and falls, sometimes dramatically, creating excellent vistas of the surrounding countryside and rock outcroppings. The contours of the site also made it possible to create some holes with sharp elevation changes. For example, the 404-yard fifth hole falls about 100 feet from the tee box to the fairway, while a slightly shorter drop marks the dramatic 14th hole, which includes a lake lining the left side of the fairway. The most dramatic hole is the 425-yard 12th hole, which starts from an elevated tee. The drive must carry a deep ravine to a rising fairway, which dips sharply down to another ravine that must be carried to reach the green. It is one of the most beautiful and treacherous holes in the Washington area. The upscale Whiskey Creek is among the top daily fee courses in the area and is definitely worth a visit. While it is testy, it is also fair, with wide fairways. The par threes are excellent, topped by the stunning 11th hole, a 200-yarder over an upland marsh to a green guarded by a long bunker on the right with woods further back. The clubhouse is cozy and is designed in a ski chalet style with a restaurant and other golf amenities. Outings are welcome. Whiskey Creek Golf Club 4804 Whiskey Court Ijamsville, Md. (888) 883-1174/(301) 694-2900 www.whiskeycreekgolf.com Little Bennett Golf Course Little Bennett is one of half a dozen courses under the wing of the Montgomery County Department of Park and Planning. It is located in Clarksburg, Md., not far off exit 22 on I-270 in Little Bennett Regional Park and a few miles from Whiskey Creek. Designed by Michael Hurdzan, who is fast becoming a widely recognized name in the golf architecture field, the course is one of the hilliest in the metro area. It is also one of the best-maintained courses. The course sprawls over hills and down dale, through trees, over and around ravines, and up steep slopes. Some holes are lined with trees while others are quite open, and no two holes are alike on this visually interesting site. Holes of note include the short par-three sixth hole, which drops some 100 feet over a ravine into a two-tiered, severely contoured and sloping green. The 425-yard ninth hole requires a very long second shot over another steep ravine onto a well-bunkered green. One of the most dramatic holes is the 570-yard 10th hole, requiring a drive over yet another ravine to a fairway that slopes continuously upward to the green. Usually played into the wind, this hole is unreachable in two strokes for all but the mightiest hitters. Little Bennettís fees are among the most competitive in the area. The clubhouse is spacious and inviting with a snack bar and golf shop. The service is very friendly and informal. Outings are invited. Little Bennett Golf Course 25900 Prescott Road Clarksburg, Md. (301) 601-9209/(800) 366-2012 www.mc-mncppc.org/parks/facilities/bennett.shtm Old Hickory Golf Club The centerpiece of the new community of River Falls in Prince William County, Va., is this breathtaking layout designed by Tim Freeland. Formerly the lead architect for Gary Player, who designed Raspberry Falls Golf and Hunt Club in Leesburg, Va., Freeland is now on his own, and Old Hickory is his first signature course. Set to open July 1 and located just off Prince William Parkway in Woodbridge, Va., this semi-private golf club is particularly convenient to those near the I-95 corridor and golfers living in Prince William and adjacent counties. It is also one of the few daily fee courses in the county. Old Hickory is a testament to stunning design work, featuring holes with dramatic elevation changes in a thickly wooded setting. The generally wide fairways are framed thoughtfully by large bunkers and mounds or high banks. The fairways pitch and roll to photogenic green complexes with hardwood backdrops. The course makes you think: On more than a few holes, success depends on what side of the fairway you place your tee shot. Some holes, including the par-five third hole, featuring two large bunkers that split the fairway just in front of the green, present interesting risk-reward decisions. Yet, for all its mental challenges, the course is fair. Relatively little earth was moved to create a course that lays out both naturally and beautifully. Featuring some of the best, most visually exciting par threes you will ever play, Old Hickory has greatness stamped all over it. Managed by the same group that manages Raspberry Falls, Old Hickory promises to be one of the top-maintained, best-serviced courses in the metro area. It features bent grass throughout and includes state-of-the-art A-4 bent on the greens. Unlike most golf course communities, the development plan at Old Hickory is driven by the golf operation. Freeland had wide latitude to route a course exactly as he envisioned it. The dev elopers are including some of the top names in the industry, and their plans call for a restricted number of luxurious brick homes on fewer than half the holes. For the most part, these homes will have generous set backs from the areas of play. The clubhouse is scheduled to open in the late fall of 2003, but the practice range and instruction classes are now available. Old Hickory is a regional headquarters of the PGAís new Link Up 2 Golf program, which is designed to introduce new golfers to all aspects of the game. The program includes lessons on golf swings, dress and etiquette, and on-course clinics. The program is open to anyone interested in starting golf. Old Hickory is also distinguished by a 19th holeóa par-three ìmatch breaker.î Old Hickory Golf Club 11921 Chanceford Drive Woodbridge, Va. (703) 580-6348 www.golfoldhickory.com Lowes Island Club Lowes Island is bounded on the west by the Potomac River and is separated from the mainland by a small tributary of Sugarland Run. The tributary winds through the valley and empties into the river in Potomac Falls, Va. Deer, fox, heron and other wildlife roam in abundance in this secluded and serene spot. It is also here where two of the top golf course designers in the worldóArthur Hills and Tom Fazioócreated two delightful golf courses. Thanks to these two gems, the Lowes Island Club is arguably the finest double golf course-private club in the area, with the possible exception of Congressional Country Club. The River Course, designed by Hills, is the newer of the two courses and is largely a treeless, windswept, links-style layout with water on most holes, some of which run directly along the river. Although the land is flat, Hills has created a masterpiece that is enhanced by some of the finest turf conditions of any local club. The equally well-conditioned Fazio-designed Island Course is slightly more traditional, with more elevation changes and a few holes that are carved through woods in the upland region of the property. Both courses have hosted major local tournaments. The large Cape Cod-style clubhouse sits on a bluff overlooking the dramatic first hole of the Island Course and includes a gourmet restaurant with indoor and outdoor patio seating. The club also has a large outdoor swimming pool and tennis courts within easy walking distance of the clubhouse. As you walk the plush carpeting and observe the woodwork inside the clubhouse, you get an unmistakable sense of luxury and pride. The club, which is owned by Chevy Chase Bank, currently has some 700 members and is aiming for about 900. Lowes Island Club is very much a family-oriented club with active programs in tennis, swimming and golf for members of all ages. Noteworthy to the diplomatic community: Half of the initiation fee is refunded upon a memberís resignation from the club. Lowes Island Club 20391 Lowes Island Blvd. Potomac Falls, Va. (703) 444-4801 www.lowesisland.com Alan B. Nichols is a freelance writer in Bethesda, Md. He has reviewed golf courses and resorts in the United States, Great Britain and the Dominican Republic.