Evan,

Columbia is very, very good.  Impressive land movement, and a nice variety of holes.

Andy

I've seen Congressional, Burning Tree, Columbia, Manor, Washington Golf and CC and Rock Creek Park.  I'll take Columbia but I'd add WGCC to the list, it is a very nice golf course with great topography.

I've played Bethesda, Chevy and Burning Tree.

From the sense I get in the DC area, Columbia is prob the best of the bunch, but I sure love Chevy- alot.

Even if people say art hills ruined the place, i think what is on the ground now is a very good-great, and enjoyable golf course.

chevy probably has some of the fastest, trickiest greens ever to read.

jason

I am curious to hear folks thoughts about the following:

Burning Tree
Columbia CC
Chevy Chase CC
Bethesda CC

Which is the best of the bunch?

Any insight would be helpful.

Many Thanks

Evan-

Burning Tree is wonderful.  Jerry is 100% spot-on.  Very special place.  It's a fun course, great atmosphere, total lack of pretense in the entire place.  Pro staff is very, very nice; among the best I've come across anywhere.  Total lack of 'attitude'.  

Golf course relatively short; maybe 6400 yards or so, overall small greens.  Not overly difficult, but the greens are very quick, and shortsiding oneself is suicide.  Most all holes set up for a cut.  Notice the holes, except #2, don't have fairway bunkers, for whatever reason.  Art Hills did a considerable amount of work there several years ago.
  The course was originally designed by Alison (even though people say MacKenzie)
The first 5 holes of the back nine were changed due to the addition of the Beltway.  

Columbia was very, very good as well.  Interesting mix of holes, fair amount of quirk thrown in as well.  Good routing and use of topography.  
Many uneven lies, I would say this is more of a "position" golf course than any of the others in the area due to the uneven topography.  Great greens and very tough to read and putt.  

Flynn redesigned the first two holes; Wayne could tell you more about it.  Course is Travis, with the Flynn additions to #1,2 and some Ault/Clark, I couldn't tell you what.  

I haven't played Chevy or Bethesda.  

I'm evenly split between Burning Tree and Columbia on which I'd rather play.  

Quote

Flynn redesigned the first two holes; Wayne could tell you more about it.  Course is Travis, with the Flynn additions to #1,2 and some Ault/Clark, I couldn't tell you what.  

Doug, do you happen to know what the story is with the right side of #2?  Did there used to be a line of bunkers running parallel to the fairway, or maybe in the fairway at some point?

Andy-

  I'm not sure.  Wayne might know based on if he has anything from when Flynn was there.  Craig Disher would know better than I; I've been back in NJ   for a year now.    

  I didn't know anything about bunkers on #2.  It's a position hole--whatever gets you to the crest of the hill and a (relatively) flat lie for the downhill second over the small creek, to a small green.  

Guys,
What is amazing to me on many courses is the change that takes place (independent of the big noted changes).  A guy like Ross or Flynn comes in and changes a hole here and some bunkers there.  But in between the big boys doing their thing, all kinds of other stuff (sometimes even more significant) happens.  I'm sure many of you guys already know this but it is fascinating to study an old golf course and its evolution.  Corrnish and Whitten's book is great, but there is a lot of change missing on many of the courses listed (noting who did what and when).
Mark

I've enjoyed playing Four Streams and I hope that they are able to make it financially.  My only issues with the course are the 11th hole where you have a downhill lie to an uphill/elevated green, and the par 5 18th hole with the green just over a hill.  

  Are there two nicer country clubs with really good golf couses closer together than Columbia and Chevy Chase? Both on Connecticut Ave. with their entrances no more than 4,500 feet apart.

  Play Columbia for your morning round. You'll need fresh legs for the hills and most people would say that it is a harder golf course. Take time to soak up some of the history of the club by veiwing the numerous photos in the club house and have lunch. Then head up the street.

   Make Chevy your afternoon round because it is a nicer walk and the course is somewhat less demanding. Chevy is gently rolling with nice views around the property from hole to hole. I think the front nine is harder than the back but the back nine holes are more interesting in some ways. Hopefully you'll crest the hill on #17 just as the late afternoon sun is turning a golden color. They view up to the club house from #17 at this time of day is one of the best in golf. After you finish walk over to the adirondak chairs behind the club house have a seat and order a cocktail. Enjoy the sunset.

Andy,
I haven't seen any evidence that there was a line of bunkers down the right side of the second hole.

I have no evidence either, but if you walk along the roughline as the fairway begins to descend, it feels like there was a series of 3-5 bunkers that have been wholly grassed over.  It kinda looks like it as well, but maybe its just a series of natural undulations.

Columbia CC just contracted with an architect to do work there and he is very sympathetic to the architectural evolution at Columbia and wherever else he works.

Wayne, being coy?  
Any ideas what the purpose of this new work is? I gather there's no point asking who the architect is yet?

A lone bunker was also on the left side of the 2nd fairway but a tree planted during the 40s made it redundant and it too disappeared.  

Ault/Clark were very partial to mounding and I wonder if they had a role in replacing the bunkers with what's there now.

Wayne,
The 1937 aerial shows 3 fairway bunkers, one on the left and two on the right of the fairway. The left  bunker is considerably closer to the tee than the 2 on the right.

Craig,

I must not be looking at the correct hole.  I tell you, there's one or two other holes that have some familiar looking bunkering.  We need to talk over the phone...I am disoriented, again