D.C. Area golf vacation info needed.

[IdahoG5Guy]

Hello, we're planning a trip back to D.C. this summer (hot, I know) and would like some input on which courses would be good to look out for. I'm a higher handicap (19), my wife and son are both less experienced than me, but we really want to find somewhere to play back there.
We'd also like to spend a few days over on the Atlantic coast sightseeing and playing more golf so if there are recommendations within an easy drive of the D.C. area, let us know.

We're not looking to break the bank so $300/ea green fees are out, but wouldn't mind $150 or under.

If anyone knows of a good hotel to stay at in the D.C. area, let us know too. Can always hop the metro, but the last place we stayed at there was NOT very nice so we want to be a little more cautious this time.

I plan on talking to a travel agent this week as well, but figured I'd hit the golfers net up for some advise too!

[flashman70]

Unlike when I moved to this area in 1975, there are now lots of good golf courses. Fairfax county has Twin Lakes (the Oaks course I think is the name of the better of the two) They've also opened their "premier" course in Lorton - I think the name is Beacon Hill, but you better check me on that. Brambleton out past Dulles isn't a bad muni; also Forest Greens near Quantico.

Out in VA there are several semi public courses that are challenging, but not so bad your family wouldn't have fun - Bull Run, Old Hickory, Raspberry Falls, south Riding, Pleasant Valley and VA Oaks. Augustine in Stafford is a great course, but difficult.

In MD there's Blue Mash, Whiskey Creek, Worthington Manor, PB Dye (hard) to the west and Cross Creek, South River and Timbers of Troy to the east.

I know VA better than MD, but if you want to be near town via the Metro, I'd look at hotels around Pentagon City or Ballston If you went all the way out to the end of the Yellow Line (Springfield) or Orange Line (Vienna) you'll still be OK and may find prices better.

[Q.Q.Quillume]

When I lived inside the Beltway, I usually played the public courses (Twin Lakes, Brambleton, Pohick, Greendale, Meadows Farms, etc.) but occasionally stepped up the food chain to a little more expensive course. One I like is Bristow Manor, which is pretty close to Manassas. Here is a link http://www.virginiagolf.com/web_pages/northernva.html where you can check out some of the courses flashman 70 mentioned.

Sorry, I have no info on D.C. area hotels.

[Q.Q.Quillume]

Oh, one more thing. Getting tee times at Twin Lakes, Greendale, Brambleton, Pohick and any other Northern Virginia Regional Park golf courses or Fairfax County public golf courses can be very difficult . . . tee times at these courses go very quickly.

[IdahoG5Guy]

Great info! Thanks. I think we are looking at Virginia Beach as our 2nd location to visit. Just kind of pulled it off the map. We'd like to see the Atlantic Ocean and spend a liitle time there on a beach.

I'll start checking in on those courses.

Thanks again.

[flashman70]

Re: VA Beach - I'd stay away from the Atlantic Ave. main drag. It's way over-priced in the summer and some weekends becomes a big hang out for the young hip-hop crowd and not especially family oriented. The (more residential) north end is nicer. Alternatively, south of Rudy Inlet is Sandbridge and again, it's more residential with nice beaches.

There aren't lots of great golf courses there, but Hell's Point, Honey Bee and Heron Ridge are all pretty good. I've never played the TPC course there. Across the Bay in Cape Charles is Bay Creek, an Arnold Plamer course and a new course Nicklaus did. Expensive toll for a 17 mile ttrip, but you won't find that scenery in ID.

If you drive down from DC to VA Beach you'll go past Newport News which has one of the best munis in the country - Deer Run. It's right off I-64.