If you take the first exit after merging from the beltway onto I-95 north you will find the home of Cross Creek Golf Club, a new Ault, Clark & Associates design.

The course opened in late August 2002 and has "tremendous design features". Once matured the course should become one of the most popular daily fee clubs in suburban Washington. From narrow tree lined fairways, well guarded nature preserves and a few blind tee shot, this course is very challenging and will certainly test any golfers game.

We recommend you treat you're first trip to Cross Creek as a "feeling out" round. Some tee shots can get you in trouble real fast if your not careful. With a 90-degree dogleg bend to a fairway that narrows to less than 30 yards directly in the middle, we highly recommend a course guide. But don't let this scare you away either, even though the course is extremely challenging, it also one of the most visually appealing treks in the area.

Amigos favorite Hole: The hole that we liked best at Cross Creek Golf Club was the Par-4 457-yard number 14. Built atop an old quarry the outcroppings of large stones along with the barren terrain beyond the rough presents the impression of playing a desert course out west.

This unique design change is a drastically different in feel from the classic east coast style on the front nine. The distinct change in flavor makes Cross Creek more than worthy of a visit to play a round.

From the tee you can barley glimpse the green in the distance from the holes slightly elevated tee. The main part of the fairway narrows immensely to an area that couldn't be wider than 30 yards across.

On both sides midway down the fairway are hills of stone outcroppings that guard the approach to the green. If lucky, your tee shot will land perfectly in the middle of the two hills that will give an unobstructed view for your approach to the green with a driving iron or fairway wood.

On a beautiful clear Saturday "Dos Amigos" had good drives but only one was able to stay clear of the two large hills flanking the narrow mid landing area of the fairway.

With an excellent second shot fairway wood, one Amigo was able to close out the hole with a Par while the other had to chip back to safety before his approach to the green and ended up with a bogey.