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Welcome to the “Where I Played” series, where a GOLF employee works through the last day on a course you might play in your future. On this occasion, we play at Falls Road Golf Club in Potomac, Maryland.
From private and exclusive clubs to more comprehensive public options, the Washington, D.C. area is full of golf.
During my recent trip near the capital of our country, I not only played golf, but spent about 90% of my time on a golf course. I suppose that’s the life of someone in the golf industry, but still, it’s weird to think that if I wasn’t sleeping in or making occasional trips to Smoothie King (#notsponsored), I was absorbing the links.
And for those who live in or plan to visit the D.C. area soon, there’s a public course this member of the golf industry highly recommends: Falls Road Golf Course in Potomac, Maryland.
Now, if you know me, you know that I like to describe myself as the “normal” type. As a disabled 13 I’m good enough to shoot in the mid 80’s but I still have those days when everything seems to be working out and I’m over 90. Fair warning: You don’t want to be on a drive home with me after those rides.
Need more proof? Take a look below at a recent Instagram post where I detailed a hole I played at Falls Road Golf Course just a couple of days ago.
Sounds familiar, right?
Put a perfect drive into the middle of the fairway, drive the approach shot, get a good slice on the green, then double bogey instead of sweeping a potential par (or birdie!). usually So frustrated.
But that’s the thing I love about Falls Road—it’s forgiving, and it actually allowed me to test myself without spoiling my ride. How is that possible, you may ask? Keep reading to see the four things I loved most about playing the tournament for the first time.
4 things I loved most about playing at Falls Road Golf Course for the first time
forgiveness
Before my trip to D.C., I had the privilege of playing two distinct courses, both with distances of over 6,800 yards on traditional middle tees. One is near Seattle (hint: it hosted the US Open), and the other is an upscale golf club in Maryland. Both were amazing, but both overshadowed a player of my caliber. Not only did I feel the need to be perfect with every shot, but because of that, I was in over my head before I screwed it up.
At Falls Street, the opposite happened, with a total distance of 6,162 yards from the black tees.
Don’t get me wrong, I needed to be precise with my driving, but Falls Street was a nice break from the anxiety-inducing rides I had previously. With wide fairways and landing areas designed for golfers of all skill levels, the course was equal parts fair and steady. Very good shots are welcomed, but, even on popular people, it still allows for a fair dose of rebound.
Play fast
On some courses, it can feel like a daunting task to complete nine holes. But at Falls Road, I played nine holes in about 90 minutes—and that’s with a three-pack playing in front of me. With all the recent controversy over golfing pace, the fact that I was able to squeeze in nine holes after a day’s work was a welcome development. And there would have been more than nine holes if I had spent my time with my phone in my pocket. (Hey – nobody’s perfect!)
Sure, I sprayed some shots left, some right, and some cut 30 yards in front of me. But I still had time to take a deep breath, ground myself, and go through my pre-shoot routine without worrying about the set behind me beating me up. This helps.
Great conditioning
What does the course look like, you ask? In short: immaculate. That’s high praise, but to be completely transparent, I’ve seen some private golf clubs that lack the quality of the Falls Road Golf Course. As someone who has worked on ground staff on a highly rated golf course in both high school and college, I always have an eye for detail. At Falls Road, you can just tell that the groundskeeper and maintenance crew take great pride in keeping the course in exceptional condition.
Many public courses suffer from A/C, but not here. Falls Street was well-equipped to challenge imprecise driving with its thick rough, which gobbles up golf balls if you don’t keep a sharp eye on your shot. The greens were lush, firm and fast – and they had the beautiful diagonal mowing lines you see on postcards. Finally, the bunkers had soft sand and were well cleaned up by players who had previously hit them – which isn’t always something you see on public courses.
Price and service
On an 80-degree Monday afternoon when everyone wanted to swing a golf club, I called Falls Street at 4:37pm and was able to tee off at 6:28pm, which is amazing. From the help I received booking my tour with Ryan to the friendly conversations I had with the newbies (Chris and Alan), I felt welcome from the second I arrived at the property. Oh, and the cost of playing this beautiful, forgiving course on a wagon? $26 is cool. No, this is not a typing error!
Certainly, many public golf courses accommodate. But between my interactions with the staff to my 10-minute conversation with a regular named Don on the final hole, he made Falls Road feel like home outside.
If you’re in the D.C. area and looking to test yourself without feeling overwhelmed, head to Falls Road Golf Course. As you can see, you won’t regret your decision – I certainly didn’t!