Potomac Shores Golf Club

First time to Potomac Shores today and I was blown away.

Course: Conditions are gorgeous, even though it's peak winter time. It's incredibly challenging with rolling greens and tough pin positions so if you're a decent golfer, you'll have your work cut out for you.

Views: Gorgeous. It's Raspberry Falls/Blue Ridge Shadows level.

Service: A++ - great people.

I will be back despite living 50 mins north in DC.

This course is in fantastic shape, from tee to green. Challenging layout but the sights and course conditions are second to none!

Best public course in northern VA. Challenging and very much a thinkers course. If you play a fade like Jack, this fits your game. Greens are very hard. So much fun to play. Will definitely go back in the summer.

As for the course itself, this is a classic Nicklaus course - lots of variety, requires some thinking and shotmaking, and it has undulating greens. The course is carved out of very hilly, wooded terrain near the Potomac River south of DC. I played it in mid-November on a day when it was cloudy and in the 50s, with enough wind that you had to factor it in. The bent grass greens were nice, but the fairways were also bent. They were beautiful, but you have to be on your game with irons because the ball will not sit up like it will on bermuda, so you have to clip it clean. I loved the course, but had but one complaint - my Bushnell GPS NeoWatch did not pick up the course, nor could the GolfNow GPS on my smartphone. I am hoping they will get the course in their systems, because I had a hard time with some yardages. There are a number of carries across ravines, and that can throw off your distance perception, so the watch would have been handy. Bring your Bushnell range finder, I guess.

Now, for the best part - I have never had as good service from the pro (I believe his name was Tim Taylor) as I had there. He asked if I had ever played there, and when I said no, he proceeded to give me a description of a number of the tricky holes. He also explained that the 9th doesn't bring you back to the clubhouse and apologized that the grill wasn't operating so I couldn't grab some food to take out with me. I had brought snacks but made sure there was water on the course. There wasn't, so he ran in and got a bottle of water for me. After my round, I was in the parking lot putting away my clubs, and he was out there helping someone else. He called across the lot to me by name, to see how I liked the course. Besides the already excellent service, the fact that he had committed my name to memory from 4 hours earlier was extremely impressive. I told him I would be back and will bring some buddies with me.

This is the best layout in NoVa, by far. It has everything and you'll need a high level of execution on each shot. From blind tee shots, to narrow landing zones and slick greens, Potomac Shores has it all. I play a lot of golf and this course is at the top of my list. Staff is friendly and helpful too.

Condition-wise, i would say A-. Only a few bare spots in Fairways 8,9 and 14 which should grow in this Fall. Also need a few more stations to refill sand bottles. Greens are A++, super fast and true. Best in the area.

Its worth the drive down 95, i look forward to playing there each and every time

Great layout and challenging course. Several blind shots off the tee which made it interesting the first time playing this course. Had a great online price (more than 33% discount) that I booked couple hrs before I played and included practice facility and cart. Staff was very pleasant and helpful. I was playing as a single on weekday and play was about 3 1/2 hrs and that was after joining another single that was ahead of me.

Would play this course again since I now know the layout.

My wife and I took a Friday afternoon off and decided to play this course for the first time. The cost of it during regular weekdays and weekends gives the impression that it is an amazing layout, and in great condition. I will say the course is clearly a Nicklaus designed layout with room for tee shots and is definitely a second shot course. My issue were the course conditions. There are 30 golf courses in the area in better condition than Potomac Shores, that you can play for $60 and under... on weekends. The greens are in average condition and run at average speed. There are large areas where the fairways are bare or in distress. The reason given was a problem with being watered...but honestly, it looked more like over-watering than under-watering. Regardless, the conditions don't match the cost. The rough clearly hasn't matured yet, and is very spotty. Nice layout, but I'd wait to play it again until the conditions improve and it matures.

Right now, it's a $60 per round track by comparison for the area.

Lots of fairway undulations and blind flags. Definitely don't expect to just walk up to the tee box and hit towards what you see. A short hole study is recommended but once you get it there's nothing else like it in Northern Virginia.

Staff definitely makes sure that you're taken care of.

Food is great, clubhouse in nice conditions, and the driving range is on real grass, not pads.

Will play again soon.

I’ll preface this review by pointing out this was the first time I had played with accompanying media and, despite my protestations that it shouldn’t matter who you play with, it was an interesting experience because of that. He was there reviewing the course as well, my story was in addition to that, so I wasn’t the complete focus like later rounds, but still, it was something different and probably effected my overall experience moreso than my play.

We played the relatively forward silver tees which were well under 6000 yards and rated at 68.9 which was the lowest course rating of the 51 rounds I played on this trip. None of this contributed to a good score however, and I barely managed to stay below the mason Dixon line of 90 (carding a dog-fight-grind of an 89).

While I didn’t have many shots to write home about my best shot of the trip was on the par four 12th; a 188 yard 7 iron through a tiny gap in the trees onto the green. Which brings me to my first point about Potomac shores, there is no shortage of opportunities to make a phenomenal shot. Many holes offer risk/reward options and very often a so-so shot can be made up with a fantastic one. Having said that, it is worth noting that attempting that fantastic make-up shot can be particularly damaging to your score here, as there are a lot of areas where you simply aren’t getting your ball (or much distance) back if you fail to make the shot and a blow-up hole can quickly ensue.

Potomac Shores is a shot makers dream, and I’d love to play again (in fact I plan to play again) when I’m actually striking the ball well. I believe there is a real opportunity to post a low score here. The greens are generally well protected; both by approach angles as well as bunkering and elevation change.

The signature par five 10th hole is a beauty and a Nicklaus classic with an island of trees and long grasses splitting the fairway on your downhill approach shot. Placing your tee shot well is critical to having a reasonable second shot and setting up your approach. On a positive note, this hole is as scenic as it is challenging and, visually, you will love it the whole way. I was there in the spring, I can’t imagine how pretty it is in the fall.

Arguably my favorite part of Potomac Shores is that it is a trail of holes (one hole simply leads to the next) that progresses in a giant loop. There are almost no holes side by side, and even the few that are close don’t create a presence that is felt at all. I felt alone on the course all day. There are some long jaunts between holes and, as such, the course requires players to ride in a cart. As much as I prefer to walk, this is a good decision as it would simply take too long for groups to walk from one hole to the next in certain places and really effect pace of play.

Another unique feature is that the 18th and practice greens are on the same putting surface. From the 320 yard silver tees I played, your drive will probably get you close enough that you won’t feel intimidated by people warming up on the green you are hitting into. However, if I had been faced with a longer approach shot (e.g. from the 400+ yard back tees) this may have given me a moment of pause. For me, hitting a little wedge shot from about 85 yards, it was fun.

I found the staff very friendly and helpful all around, the only thing that I thought could really be improved was signage on the course. I picked up a yardage book in the clubhouse and it helped a bit; however, without it I think the decision on which way to drive after the first hole would have been a coin flip at best. Overall I thought this was a very nice course that played a little tougher than its rating mostly because the cost of an error is a little steep for a 68.9 (although, to be fair, this is probably adequately represented in the slope of 132).

I’d recommend this course to anyone in the area and intend to visit again when I get the chance.

Always fun to play a Nicklaus design ... nice elevated tee shots ... difficult approach shots to many elevated greens. Was surprised that front nine yardage is approx 400 yards shorter than back nine. Very solid par 4's and good par 3's; par 5's a bit shorter than normal requiring strategy and placement and target golf. Greens were terrific and very true. Staff at the course were very professional and provided a country club atmosphere ... nice job!! Will definitely play again!!

Long round, not a marshal to be seen all day, course was crewed up, and rock hard greens. At one point 3 there were groups on a par 3.

For the cost you would expect more attention to the golf course and pace of play. Would have been nice if the staff acknowledge this at least. The group behind us called it quits after 12, I would have headed in but wanted to play all 18 on such a beautiful day.

We really enjoyed the challenge of the course. We judge a course by the fact that it makes you think. This one certainly does. The comment made by a golfer earlier that it would be good to have some knowledge of each hole so that you know where the trouble is and the distances from you is very valid. I don't know whether the Pro Shop sells yardage charts as first time golfers at this course certainly need that advice. The course was in good condition considering the recent rain and the Greenstaff on course and the lady on the drinks cart were extremely courteous. The lady at the bag drop and the gentleman in the Proshop were also extremely courteous and very helpful when we arrived. The indifference of the person in the restaurant when we went in for a bite to eat before playing golf and the abruptness of bag drop man when we left somewhat soured the day but we were there to play golf and our visit to the golf course itself was well worthwhile.

Played with a buddy and a couple guys they grouped us with, thankfully our playing partners were familiar with the course and landing spots to guide us. I expected gps on the cart for the price.

I also was quite miffed when we finished and we're going to go hit some balls to work out our kinks and help a newer golfer sort through his swing, staff said we weren't allowed. I had just handed the staffer 5 bucks for cleaning up the sticks and seemed odd.

I promise it's never worth $117 for a Saturday morning round given the many other options around the area.

I give credit to the course design and conditions but left disappointed based on cost and them not letting us go hit more range balls. Also didn't see the cart bev service much and their is not a halfway house.

Last thing, left my # at pro shop bc my putter cover fell out of the cart and no call back.

My hat is off to Jack for the design of this course! Every hole presents a new challenge whether it is lie angle, bunkers and any other thing you can think of. Unlike other courses in the area, the challenges are perfectly placed to come into play for almost all skill types. This course forces you to be a better player regardless of the tee box. Love it!

Course is on its way to being one of the best tracks open to the public in NOVA. Excellent layout that rewards well executed risks and punishes poorly executed ones. I played on 6/3/17 and the course was in rough condition- sand everywhere, airated greens, flooded bunkers etc. received a $25 voucher to replay(unprompted). Glad I returned. Course is in fantastic condition after only a few weeks.

My only heartburn is with the grounds crew. Both times it seems that they like to hang out on the tee box or down by the green of the 15th hole(short par 3). Now the course is spread out over a pretty big area. So big it's not walkable. You would think if you're going to take a break you'd do it somewhere more discreet. Nope, 15 yards right of the green with a big utility cart or on the tee box. There were several flooded bunkers on the course with feet of water in them, maybe break near those? If management tweaks the etiquette of its employees it would go a long way.

Pros- challenging course with a majestic view. Several large elevation changes that are uncommon for the area. Course has grown in well, previous complaints about turf/green condition have been remedied. Clubhouse is fantastic, cart girl is considerate and attentive.

Cons- not cheap, pace of play can suffer due to difficulty. Would never attempt this course on a weekend. Many bunkers were placed without drainage in mind and are now small lakes. Millennial grounds staff with nothing to do will likely be your gallery at some point during the round.

At the end of the day I'll play here again. If you shoot over 90 on a good day at a municipal course, you may want to save your money on this beast. Hitting anywhere on the green here isn't good enough. If you're on the wrong side for the hole location, a bogey or worse is likely. If you're an advanced to intermediate golfer looking for a challenging, scenic and fun track, this is the course for you.

Had the most fun on a golf course for the first time in a long time! Had heard this course is very challenging so my group decided to tee it forward today as to keep pace somewhat as best we could. We thoroughly enjoyed every minute of our round. The greens, tees and fairways are in immaculate condition! Staff were extremely friendly from the man at bag drop to the lady on the bev cart everyone greeted us with a smile. Would highly recommend this course to my friends and colleagues.

Will be back!

This is a very good and very scenic golf course. It's a Jack Nicklaus design and is very challenging. It's a shot maker type course as there are several carries over trouble, and almost every green is elevated and well protected by sand bunkers. I happened to have a pretty good round, and truly liked the course and the challenge. When we played (Sunday, May 28, 2017) the course was in reasonably good condition, although the greens had many not-repaired ball marks and sand traps were not well sculpted. Some were not raked. However, the fairways and roughs were in good condition and the cart paths were well maintained. Our biggest issues were lack of adequate signage between holes, and even some confusion on the location of the 1st hole. We got lost between the 2nd and 3rd hole (no signs) and had to ask the group behind us for directions (there are long distances between holes). We let that group play through so we had someone to follow....which was a good thing as there were other opportunities to get lost. Another issue is shot placement. There were no aids to indicate the best place for a drive, or how to play the hole. Given the price for greens fees there should be at least a map, and probably a book for player guidance. As these should be easy fixes our conclusion was that this course has a possible management issue.

Visited May 2017

Beautiful course with a layout that can be compared to no other. While the hole-by-hole layout is splendidly conceived by Mr. Nicklaus, the hole-to-hole layout is quite strange with walking the course an impossibility. Elevation changes are rampant throughout. If you move the ball from left to right you'll love the course as 8/18 holes are dogleg right.