Top six D.C.-
area courses challenge golfers to bring their best games with them
By Jake Schaller,
Staff Writer
(Nov. 15, 2004) - So you finally got your swing measured and had
your clubs custom fit.
You straightened out your drives, grooved your swing and cured your
yips. You even swore off mulligans and got a cool bag.
Now, armed with new equipment and at peace with your game, your
handicap is shrinking like you tossed it into icy waters.
That means it's time for a challenge. So take a break from the
course you play every weekend with your buddies and cowboy up for
TravelGolf.com's six-pack of the toughest public courses in the
Washington, D.C., area.
Bulle Rocke
Located in Havre de Grace, Md., Bulle Rock is about a 90-minute ride
from the city. Even if the course beats you up, it's worth the trip.
Start with the Pro VI balls that you hit on the range - the
range - the full service locker room and the caddies available. It
truly is a "Country Club for a day" experience.
But Bulle Rock will put your game to the ultimate test. The Pete
Dye-design has a course rating of 76.4 and a slope rating of 147. At
7,375
yards from the tips, it is one of the longest courses in the area. And
that's just the start of the difficulties you'll see. Or won't see.
Blind shots are the bane of Bulle Rock
"They've got stuff out there you can't see from the tee," said Chuck
Harris, an assistant professional at The Gauntlet, a course near
Fredericksburg, Va. "You can hit it and think you're OK, and
you're down in a gully. It tore me up when I went out there."
"Bulle Rock is No. 1, by far," said David Dorn, head
professional at Hampshire Greens Golf Course in Silver Spring, Md. "That
blows everyone away. The length, the greens' speed, the rough. It's a
U.S. Open-caliber course. It's like playing a par-76 the par-4s are so
long."
P.B. Dye Golf Club
This
course is on the list of nearly every player contacted for the article,
and almost invariably near the top. P.B. Dye, located in Ijamsville,
Md., opened in 1999 and one of the major criticisms of the course
was it was simply too difficult.
Since the opening, the course has been revamped somewhat to make it
more player friendly, but it is still among the area's most dastardly.
The course rating is 74.6, and the slope is 141.
There are blind shots aplenty, deep bunkers, suffocating rough and
plenty of forced carries.
"For the mid-handicap golfer, it's very, very tough," Dorn said. "Any
high handicap I've played with, they'll lose a dozen balls."
And then there are the greens. P.B. Dye's are immaculate and give you
a true role, but they are undulating, tricky and as slippery as a
freshly waxed linoleum floor (rolling at 10 on the stimp meter). Not to
mention that many are bowl-shaped - meaning a ball left on the wrong
side of the hole could run off the green.
"Last time I was there I hit an approach that hit the middle of the
green, and when we went up there, we couldn't find it anywhere," said
Josh Robinson, an assistant professional at Raspberry Falls in Leesburg,
Va. "If you go out there with your buddies, leave the scorecard and
bring some beer."
"That's a tough golf course, a very tricky course," said Dane
Sutherland, an assistant professional at Whiskey Creek Golf Course in
Ijamsville. "There are no real easy holes out there. Even when the hole
is short, the greens are very complex."
Augustine
As
was the case with the four other courses on this list, players talked
about Augustine Golf Course (Stafford, Va.) in reverential terms
despite calling it one of the toughest tests in the area.
Kevin Dunleavy, an avid player and a sports writer for The
Montgomery Journal, called the course the best public option in the
area. But he also ranked it No. 3 on his list of the toughest.
"With the carries and the water, it's a tough test of golf for the
average person," Dorn said.
The 6,817-yard par-71 Rick Jacobson design has a 71.9 rating and a
slope
of 130. Risk-reward choices, like attempting to reach the par-5 11th
hole's green in just two shots, dare players into mistakes.
Cross Creek
One
of the most recent editions to upscale, daily-fee golf in the area,
Cross Creek plays 6,356 yards. But don't let the distance fool you.
The par-70 course in Beltsville is tight, tricky and demanding.
Players who have occasional trouble hitting it straight off the tee
and spray the ball around likely will lose a bunch of balls at Cross
Creek.
"It forces you to be precise," said Chris Osche, sales manager at
the course. "There's not a lot of room for big misses. You miss a
little, and you'll be fine, but it's definitely a control course."
As is the case with Virginia's exquisite Raspberry Falls, Cross Creek
(71.9 rating; 129 slope) does not allow players to get in rhythm. A
variety of shots off the tee and to the green are necessary. You can't
overpower it.
The Gauntlet
Its
name says it all. Another P.B. Dye design, this course appears tame
at first glance but is a monster. The par-72 track plays just 6,857
yards from the tips but owns a rating of 73 and a slope of 139.
The front side is especially tough, and holes two through five can
crush a player's spirit before the turn. The Gauntlet's par-4 fourth,
its signature hole, is a microcosm of the course. It plays just
375 from the tips but there is a lake on your left and the fairway
doglegs left 75 degrees to a tiered green. Beautiful but tough.
"The tightness, there's lots of undulation, lots of blind tee shots
and lots of trees," said the Chuck Harris, an assistant professional at
the course when asked what made it so difficult.
Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management. The information in this story was accurate at the time of publication. All contact information, directions and prices should be confirmed directly with the golf course or resort before making reservations and/or travel plans.
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