If you’re visiting Washington DC for a week, or even if you live in the area and are looking for a golf staycation, here’s a Monday-Friday golfing schedule for you, with courses within 50 miles of our nation’s capital, offering a different type of course with each of them, and all within a reasonable budget.
East Potomac Golf Links, Blue Course
Monday morning, get yourself out to East Potomac Golf Links, a municipal course that offers three different layouts for differing skill levels. The Blue Course is the longest and most challenging, with 18 holes over 6,599 yards and a par of 72. It has water hazards on 12 holes and some tricky doglegs and bunkers. The course is located on an island in the Potomac River, so you’ll get some amazing views of the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial and the Capitol Building. The green fee for this course is $39 on weekdays, so it’s a great value for the quality and location, and the perfect kick-off for your week.
Lauren Hill Golf Club
On Tuesday, head out to Laurel Hill Golf Club, a former prison site that was transformed into a stunning golf course. This course is a modern links-style design, with wide open spaces, natural hazards, and windy conditions. The course is a lot of fun and will test the skills of any golfer, and it also hosted the 2013 US Amateur Public Links Championship. The green fee is $85, which is a great deal for such a high-quality course.
University of Maryland Golf Course
On Wednesday it’s off to the only 18-hole public course inside the Beltway in Maryland or Virginia, and it’s a gem. The course is owned and operated by the University of Maryland, and it’s home to the Terrapins golf teams. The course was designed by George Cobb, who also designed Augusta National’s par-3 course, and it has a classic layout with rolling fairways, mature trees and strategic bunkers. The course is 6,133 yards long and has a par of 70. The green fee for this course is $49 on weekdays.
Whiskey Creek Golf Club
Now we’ve got some practice in, on Thursday it’s off to Whiskey Creek, a public course that features mountain views and diverse designs. It’s located about an hour away from DC in Ijamsville, Maryland, but it’s worth the drive. The course was co-designed by Ernie Els and J. Michael Poellot, and it has a ton of character and variety. You’ll find elevation changes, rock outcroppings, wetlands and streams throughout the course. The signature hole is the 18th, which has a stone ruin of an old farmhouse in front of the green. The course is 7,001 yards long and has a par of 72. The green fee for this course is $79 on weekdays.
Potomac Shores Golf Club
We’ll leave the biggest challenge until the end, as Friday takes us to this resort/public course that is one of the newest and best in the area. It’s located in Potomac Shores, Virginia, about 40 minutes away from DC. The course was designed by Jack Nicklaus, and it’s his only public-access course in the DC area. The course is set along the banks of the Potomac River, and it has stunning views and natural beauty. The course is challenging but fair, with wide fairways, undulating greens and strategic bunkers. The course is 7,082 yards long and has a par of 72. The green fee for this course is $99 on weekdays.
And with that, you can rest up over the weekend before getting back to the grind of your 9-to-5 – total green fees for the week are $351, a small price to pay for a week of great golf in and around the nation’s capital.
