[Jay Flemma]

So with Beechtree going soon, where do people traveling up and down the I-95 corridor go to get a quick round in while on their way to or from Myrtle or Hilton Head or Pinehurst?

Mayday Malone mentioned Scotland Run and Patriot's Glen.  I haven't played either.  Have any of you?  I like Bulle Rock, but $150 per gets steep quickly for many people.

I played Back Creek in Delaware, and while the $50 price tag is fine, the houses detract, and there's isn't a lot of strategic architecture.  I had mixed feeling about Wyncote in PA - $80 for a mix of holes that tyry to be "links style," but it underwhelmed often.  I like the 18th, w short par five with a semi-blind second shot should you choose to go for it, but some of the hard dog-legs were weird...

What do you think of Mayday's choices?  What about a place called Westfields?  Anyone played it?  Any good?  I know a lot of VA locals like it and some good players come out of there...

[Matt Varney]

Jay,

Westfields is a nice course with some strong golf holes.  Very pretty setting in the trees with some natural features and best of all no homes.  Fred Couples is the designer probably working with Gene Bates and the price and conditioning of the facility was superb.

We have family in NVA and when we visit in the Spring or the Holidays we try to play Westfields its very enjoyable to play.  The back tees for the better players will test you and you have some nice risk reward holes that make it really fun during the round.

[Rich Brittingham]

Played Westfields last week.  Great variety in all holes, especially the Par 4's which run between 300-almost 500 yards.  For those in the area its in perfect condition right now.

[J Sadowsky]

On the I-95 corrider, at least my section, there are quite a few decent courses.  One gem-in-the-rough is Augustine Golf Club, by Rick Jacobson.  Mattaponi Springs Golf Club is great.   Pendleton is also a cute course by Richmond.   A little off the ways is Greystone Golf Club, north of Towson, MD.  And there's still Bulle Rock.  And on 395, south of DC, is Bill Love's Laurel Hill.

Of these, only Mattaponi Springs is Beechtree's equal, but they are all good choices.

[Bob Harris]

Another option is Deerfield Golf Club, in Newark, Delaware, about 40 minutes from Beechtree.  It's the old Dupont-Louviers Course designed by William Gordon.  Fees run between $70 and $80 with carts.

http://www.deerfieldgolfclub.com/golfHome.cfm

[Jay Flemma]

On the I-95 corrider, at least my section, there are quite a few decent courses.  One gem-in-the-rough is Augustine Golf Club, by Rick Jacobson.  Mattaponi Springs Golf Club is great.   Pendleton is also a cute course by Richmond.   A little off the ways is Greystone Golf Club, north of Towson, MD.  And there's still Bulle Rock.  And on 395, south of DC, is Bill Love's Laurel Hill.

Of these, only Mattaponi Springs is Beechtree's equal, but they are all good choices.

Good one, Justin, I had forgotten Augustine, with that great first hole out of the gate.  Pic coming:

[Tom Naccarato]

Jay,
Is there positively 100% no chance that they will be able to save Beechtree, given all of the recent upheavel in the housing market?

Or is it simply that they are failing at being a golf course in these economic times?

Why is the 1st hole at Mattaponi Springs so good out of the gate?

[Jay Flemma]

Justin, here's Augustine 1:

[Don Dinkmeyer]

Another endorsement for Augustine. Played it with my kids when in the DC area and was impressed by the value for dollar spent.

[Mike Mosely]

I like Augustine as well.  I played it for $44, what a bargain.  I really like the front, but I though the back got as little to narrow for my liking.  Jay do you have any pix of the back nine?  How about some other holes?

I can't remember, but how close is it off of I-95?  How far south of DC?  I missed the Beechtree Get together, but what about an Augustine-Westfields get together?  Would people like that?

Calling Chip Gaskins!  Paging Phil Benedict!  Eric Smith and the Tennessee Mountain boys, come in, over, over!

Mayday! Mayday!  Whaddya think?  How bout you Dan Hermann?  Didn't you go to Beechtree too?

[Steve_ Shaffer]

For those driving from the north, I suggest 2 courses in Delaware:

Deerfield, a Flynn like design by Gordon:

www.deerfieldgolf.com

Rock Manor, the recently renovated by Lester George Wilmington muni:

www.rockmanorgolf.com

[Lester George]

Rock Manor is a very cool project for us.  Ya'll go play it and see what you think.  It's a lot of golf on a little site.  Fun stuff.

Lester

[CJ Carder]

I saw where someone mentioned Mattaponi Springs - can't argue with that. 

I'll put my vote in for Cannon Ridge in Fredericksburg, VA.  Deane Beamon design... really a neat and well put together course with some good shot variety and short game options around the greens. 

I think possibly only #18 is a letdown, but even it can be interesting if you're going for the green in 2 as the green is raised and OB / clubhouse is just over the back part of the green a la Royal Troon.

[Tim Taylor]

I'll throw in a vote for the University of Maryland course in College Park. Convenient to I-95/495, nice track, and priced reasonably.

Of the other that have been mentioned, I'm fond of Cannon Ridge and Mattaponi. Westfields is very nice too but it's a ways off 95/495.

Does anyone have opinions on Mountain Branch? It's a few exits south of BT and BR.

Tim

[Jay Flemma]

Nice pic of Meatwad on your profile, Tim.

Hey Tim, you don't happen to know the Occis do you?  They play out of UMd.

Guys, lets get some pix and analysis of UMd, Westfields, Mattaponi (which I've never heard of), Deerfield and cannon Ridge.  Lester do you have any of Rock manor we can post here?

I'll start with Augustine.  I agree with Mike Mosely that the front of AUgustine is great, but a few holes on the back were only good.  I like the diagonal angles off the tee of the second hole, then the approach is over water.  Does that remind anyone else of 18 at True Blue?

[Andy Hughes]

Jay, I posted some of the U of MD course a year or two ago. I am sure they are there for the searching 
The course is a nice George Cobb, in need or freshening.

[Carl Nichols]

As between Augustine and Westfields, I prefer Westfields:  Westfields has more interesting risk-reward holes; the conditions are usually better (almost every time that I've played Augustine it's been too soft); Augustine is often quite slow, particularly on the weekends; and the back nine at Augustine is, IMHO, pretty monotonous (I think there is a cross-hazard on 8 of the 9 holes).  I don't dislike Augustine, but I would play Westfields at least 7 out of 10 times.

[J Sadowsky]

Jay, I don't love the first hole - the split fairway doesn't make much sense, when nobody seems to go right anyway.

On the other hand, 2 is an excellent hole, with the creek going through the fairway:



6 is a wonderful, picturesque par 3:



And I remember really liking the green at 8, though it wasn't in great condition:

[Sean_A]

I don't have any pix, but I think Westfields is fairly good, but someone else mentioned its a hike off the motorway and I think this is correct.  Plus, I think its overpriced, but that seems to be a DC thing as nearly all the courses I have seen in the area are too expensive.  One odd thing about Westfields is that many of the fairways are built up.  This makes me suspect that the course is prone to wetness - it surely was the day I played it. 

http://www.westfieldsgolf.com/view.asp?id=134&page=2283

Bull Run is ok, not as good as Westfields, but cheaper and they often have "deals". 

Rasberry Falls has a good back 9 and a less than stellar front 9.  It too is over-priced and I think its miles from the motorway.

Bottom line for me is I haven't seen a public around N Virginia which really satisfies.

Ciao 

[Tim Taylor]

Jay, I posted some of the U of MD course a year or two ago. I am sure they are there for the searching 
The course is a nice George Cobb, in need or freshening.

AHughes, you'll be pleased to know that the  Terps course is closed for renovation, opening spring 2009.

Jay, sorry, no do not know them. I actually haven't played there in a while, since my company's office moved from Bethesda to Reston. It was on my list for this fall but, ironically, I subbed in Beechtree instead. Hopefully next summer.

Tim

[CJ Carder]

For those interested, here's a few pics of Westfields:

Par 3 #3:


Par 4 #8:


Drivable par 4 #14 (I think) - I hit driver to 6 feet and made eagle here, one of my favorite memories!

[CJ Carder]

And a few from Cannon Ridge:

The par 5 3rd from the tee:


The par 5 3rd from behind:


The long par 4 5th:


Par 4 #8:


Par 3 #11:


Par 5 #16:


Par 3 #17:

[Andy Hughes]

AHughes, you'll be pleased to know that the  Terps course is closed for renovation, opening spring 2009.

Tim, thanks. I happened to be skimming through an old Golfstyles this morning and read the same thing, that the course is set to reopen in 2009 on the 50th anniversary of the original opening.  Guess I should have waited a day to post
I look forward to seeing the course again--I like the layout and the routing, but the place just felt so tired and worn down.

[Jerry Kluger]

I really enjoyed Mattaponi Springs and it is well worth making an effort to play.

Augustine is a good course but I have always found the conditioning questionable and while it starts out very strong, I think the finish is disappointing. 

Westfields is very good and has a really nice variety of holes.  It is another high end public in the DC area and I wonder how many are going to survive if they keep their rates high. 

[Jay Flemma]

CJ and Justin, good pix.

Justin, I see people over in the right fairway a lot.  It's wider there, so the high handicapper that sprays the ball and has less problem with distance control and more trouble with accuracy, gets a decent chance to hit the green.  The left side has the better angle for the better player, of course.   But the hazard down the middle like that - you see it at 9 at Fowlers Mill and 5 at Creek Club (GA) - really makes you think.

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