Bristow Manor Golf Club

I struggle with the question to recommend this to a friend. I answered yes only because the greens and fairways are in fantastic shape. However I want to caveat that with the course design, layout, and lack of optional for purchase yardage book as Big reasons to say no. Really one of the least enjoyable on course rounds I’ve played in recent memory. Think Pete Dye, but with less logic. The two front 9 par 5’s have a hazard at about 235yds that extends to 340+. Your 200yd layup off the tee leaves you ~300.to the green. Never seen this before. If you want to test my ability to hit a target area at 200-225, do it on the par 3’s. Then there’s the finishing hole which is the worst I’ve ever played in my life. Again, another 190-210 us layup off the tee leaves you...190-210 into a green on a hole that bends left the whole way bounded by water all the way to the green.

Another thing that really disappointed was lack of sand on the tee boxes, carts or par 3’s. I like to do my part to keep a course in shape and they don’t seem to desire that. I also think it’s completely unacceptable to have no restrooms anywhere except at the turn?

Bottom line, if you can get a deal and want to really work your 190-220 shots out there and play great greens and fairways, this is your course, but be prepared to flex all your patience.

The conditions of the tees, greens, and fairways on this course are consistently amazing. The tee boxes are well-groomed, fairways are lush, and the greens are soft enough to hold a shot without being slow. The greens are kept in a way that makes repairing pitch marks really easy. I've played it twice in prime time over the last month or so, and have finished it on pace each time. The layout is challenging because of the forced layups, but if you accept that the layout will cost you a couple strokes, you can enjoy the great conditions. In addition to the great conditions, they apparently got new carts in the last year or so.

This was my second time playing the course, the first being about 25 years ago. I enjoyed the layout then, and enjoyed it again. There is a creek that runs through the front nine, and it would be helpful if tee markers indicated distance to reach and clear the hazard. The morning that we played, tee's were being cut, so there were no markers physically sitting on the tee's, whether they had been cut or not. Tee boxes in many instances were burned out and overtaken with weeds.

The Zoysia fairways, while uncut for several days, were in great shape. Sandtraps in many instances needed to be raked, but sand was adequate and surprisingly easy to hit from. Greens had high levels of thatch and were quite soft, but putted true and had decent speed. Cartpaths could use a refresher, and work has been done in some spots.

Overall, this is a fun layout and worth playing. Conditions in early August are typically indicative of the stress of summer heat and humidity, and it takes a sizeable budget to manage grasses this time of year.

One odd note from the round. We played early, and there were several singles in front of us. We play quickly and as a twosome often play 18 holes in 2 1/2 hours or less when the course is open in front of us. On the 13th hole, we caught up with a single woman. From the time she took off on her cart, we played our approach and putted out. As we approached the 14th hole, she was hitting her tee shot. No look or offer to play through. On 15, she was pulling away as we approached the tee. We then waited for over 5 minutes as she drove back and forth on the left side of the fairway, into the fairway, into the rough, and then repeat. At last we thought she was moving on and hit our tee shots, just as she headed back into the fairway. Luckily she picked up the pace after that and we could finally get on with our round.

This was my first time playing at this course. I was able to match up with a very nice couple from Erie, PA, and their son which made the day quite pleasant.

The course conditions were a mixed bag. The greens were in very good shape, a bit slow but consistent. Bunkers were filled with the coarsest sand that I've seen for quite awhile. Fairways were in consistently good shape and obviously irrigated regularly. But the rough was so dried out that the ground was not able to support much grass. Finding a ball was never an issue, but the lack of grass meant that you were hitting from almost bare ground or in a clump of grass roots. Tees seemed to have a lot of weeds but at least were relatively flat and mowed.

The course layout was also a mixed bag. The front 9 had several holes that just went back and forth across the same creek, meaning that too many holes just looked the same. For the most part the fairway landing zones were fairly generous, so for straight hitters the threat of rough that is difficult to play from isn't a big issue. The back 9 is more interesting with a nice variety of holes and elevation changes. I wasn't too impressed though with one hole that had several large mounds in the fairway.

The golf course seemed to be understaffed. There were two friendly people in the pro shop, but there was no one at the bag drop, no beverage cart, and no marshall on the course. With fairly hot weather and a forecast of afternoon thundershowers pace of play wasn't a problem with few people on the course. The ONLY restroom on the course is in the clubhouse, so this is NOT a course to play if you have a bladder problem.

Ok, so to get the bad out of the way first. I couldn’t even stomach to finish the round. I left around the 13 hole and at that point I was about 4.5 hours into the round. There was zero accountability for pace of place which is arguably golfs biggest challenge to keep players and attract newcomers. A Saturday afternoon you know you are going to play for 4-4.5 hours. This was at a 6+ hour pace. Unacceptable and it shows the staff had little concern since there was no marshal, the pro? Was sending anybody out to the tee haphazardly with the amount of mixed groups bogging the pace down (singles, doubles back to back to back). No grouping to make foursomes. It will ruin anyone’s round when your waiting 10-15 minutes on every shot and tee box. It’s bad when the nice cart girl is saying this is the normal pace.

That is the only bad.

Great course overall. The layout is very fun, makes you use all irons in the bag. Not so much for shaping shots but for varying forced distances. Greens rolled great, held up very well for mid afternoon. Bunkers were well maintained and played well out of (unfortunately found a fairway bunker and 2 greenside) but were a good to hit out of. Fairways were all in fine shape. Greenside there was no complaints. They just need to get it together with their pace of play or I’ll never be back.

Only complaint I have is the other patrons not the staff or the course. Only reason I bring it up is that they were members and their sub par behavior would make me consider not playing there again.

I try to enjoy every golf course I play, but I found it hard to today. To start off everyone at the Course was nice, I had no issues with anything external. The course conditions were decent for this time of year, not the best but could’ve been a lot worse. The layout was likely my least favorite I’ve played. There were forced layups off of the tee on far too many holes, fairways that were weirdly small, and fairways that were split so a perfect long drive down the middle would end up in the rough. Just not great in my opinion. I also played really poorly just as a disclaimer. The pace of play was bad as well. When we made the turn and got to the tenth tee, there were two groups ahead of us waiting. Overall it was a nice experience, but I’m not going to go back. It just wasn’t for me.

Great course! Really nice layout with true greens. Highly recommend

Bristow is putting a lot of money into their course, new carts, new paths, updated lounge and new patio, awesome to see, best value for the money in northern VA

This course is beautifully maintained. It is immaculate and was quite a treat to play on a beautifully sunny afternoon. It is challenging and has some really creative hole designs.

This would be a 5 star review except for the snarky starter. He seemed irritated at us that the clubhouse guy gave each guy in our foursome a cart while he was off someplace else. As if it were our fault.

The course was fun. Especially challenging if you're having a hard time keeping it in the fairway like I was. You will use all your clubs. The layout was nice and the course was in great condition. Play moved along very nicely for a Saturday afternoon. Will definitely be coming back.

I normally play Twin Lakes, Prince William, and occasionally a few more private courses. The Bristow course was pristine, carts were immaculate, never delayed on rate of play, friendly staff. I'm going back. Often.