Usually it's only the new courses that get all the hype, the courses with tricked up multi-tiered greens, split fairways and $120 dollar greens fees.

Hey, we all like to play those courses but if we played them every week we'd be broke.

That's why the majority of my rounds are played at classic venues close to home. These courses have stood the test of time providing a solid layout, good conditions and friendly service.

Fairfax National Golf Club in Centerville Virginia sets the standard for this type of course. Steeped in American history the course sprawls over 350 acres of Virginia countryside and borders the Manassas National Battlefield Park.

Each of the three nine holes courses are named after Civil War battles fought on or near the same land where the course resides. What you notice on the course are the number of large hardwood trees lining every fairway. One of the best things about most classic venues is the natural defense a course adopts over time. Fairfax National has cultivated a large number of hardwood trees that make for a great fairway defense of wayward shots.

If you tend to slice or hook the ball more than not your only option will be to simply get the ball back to the fairway. If you feel the need to pull off the heroic shot from the trees, just remember a golf ball never goes exactly where you want it to go.

Playing smart at Fairfax National is always the best option to minimize damage to your scorecard. Another great quality of Fairfax National is the perfectly maintained small greens. You just don't see greens like these at the new courses being built today. You have to make good iron shots and have your wedges dialed in.

They were soft and receptive to good shoots but once on the green they rolled at a quick true pace.

Amigos Favorite Hole: Our favorite hole at Fairfax National was 496-yard par 5 number-1 of the Bull Run course.

This risk-reward par 5 provides a great birdie opportunity with a well positioned tee shot.If cut off the left side hole and cut the corner with a good tee shot, then you should be left with a middle iron to a small green. The green is protected on both sides with water on the right and a strategically placed bunker on the left Like many of the greens at Fairfax National this one slopes slightly from back to front.

So remember, stay below the pin for a reasonable run at Eagle. If you can't reach the green in two then the best call is to lay up on your second shot for a short wedge or chip shot to the green. With trouble lying right and left on this green the hole can turn to bogey or worse in a hurry if not careful.

Remember if you can manage your game, keep the ball below the hole on the green and hit your tee shot straight then you should have a good chance to post a good score at Fairfax National. With all the new courses in the Mid-Atlantic area, it's nice to know classic venues like this course are still around and open for play.