Falls Road Golf Course

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Falls Road Golf Course

If you live in the Washington, DC area, you probably already know Falls Road is the major thoroughfare servicing the rich and powerful of Potomac, Maryland.

These power brokers leave their million dollar estates, swiftly maneuvering each Mercedes or Hummer to and from their place of business, where they diligently work to decide the fate and future of working class America.

But before Potomac became the "chic" residence of choice of the Washington elite, it was first home to the Falls Road Golf Course, which opened in 1962.

The Course is run by the Montgomery County Revenue Authority and welcomes the golfing public with friendly wide open fairways, good conditions, and best of all a great price.

Last year the course opened the newly renovated front nine, and the changes did wonders for the outdated design.

New elements were added to enhance the course's visual appeal and make it more challenging. Fairways were slightly re-routed, a few greens were entirely replaced and modernized, and tall fescue grass was planted to narrow some fairways.

The course has a totally different feel in both playability and overall experience.

In addition to the changes made on the course, a new clubhouse and grill was added. The practice area was expanded and a full service driving range is available, along with a putting and short game practice area.

But with the change, some of the best aspects of the course remain the same. The location is ideal and accessible to everyone in the DC area. Even though the course is different now, the overall friendly nature of the design still shines through.

Amigos favorite Hole: We liked the 183-yard par3 number-14 as our favorite at Falls Road. The last and longest Par 3 on the course requires a very accurate iron into an extremely well protected green.

At the tee, the towering hardwoods line both sides of hole, guarding against any errant shot.

The green is protected with flanking bunkers on both sides, making an already difficult shot even more precise.

Once on the green, you will find an ample but manageable amount of break. If you can get your shot anywhere near the flag, you should have a good chance to post a birdie.

Review Date: 07/08/2005

Course review ratings are conducted on a five point scale. ( 1 = Double Bogey 3 = Par 5 = Eagle)

Tees: 3 Flag Rating, Average

The tips are just over 6200 yards, and would be the white tees for most players. It really only makes the Par 3s a bit more of a test. If you're a 15 or below handicap, move back to the tips for more challenge.

The tees were in decent shape, and spaced nicely. The medallions on each box are nice, especially the Par 3s, to gauge exact distance to the middle of the green.

Fairways: 3 Flag Rating, Average

Most of the fairways are in good shape. The Bermuda turf is easy on wear, but makes it hard to take a good divot. The course gets a ton of play and the staff does a good job at repairing divots, but there are a couple areas with visible spots of wear in different collection areas.

Rough: 4 Flag Rating, Very Good

There is one primary cut of rough off the fairway that is not very penalizing. The rough is very player-friendly and shouldn't be much of an issue. The greenside rough is thicker and makes you think more about chips. Depending upon your lie, you have to consider each chip.

Traps: 5 Flag Rating, Excellent

All the traps were in great shape with just the right amount of sand in both fairway and green side bunkers. More bunkers have also been added in the renovation to make make you think a bit more about your approach shots.

Greens: 3 Flag Rating, Average

The greens were all in relatively good shape. The course gets a lot of play, and there are some visible divots. The only real complaint is the difference between new and old greens. The old greens left behind before the renovation play slower and softer where you can attack the flag. The new greens play much harder and quicker. It's difficult to get a feel for how to approach shots. But if you play the course often you shouldn't have a problem solving this issue after a couple of rounds.

Amenities: 4 Flag Rating, Very Good

The new clubhouse is excellent and offers a great setting for after-round beverages and food. The clubhouse is fully stocked and has just about anything you might need for your round.

The range is decent with well-marked targets. The mats are very worn and need to be replaced. If you plan on warming up before your round, you will want to come a bit early as the range is very popular and busy, especially with others just working on their game.

The putting green is large but did have a couple of conditioning issues. There is nice short game practice area behind the range which is a very nice touch for any practice facility.

Staff Services: 3 Flag Rating, Average

The staff we were able to interact with was courteous and nice. It was a perfect July Sunday with low humidity, and it seems many walk-ups were trying to get on the course and play. The starter seemed overwhelmed and really needed some assistance to handle all the requests.

The beverage cart attendant made frequent stops even for a twilight round. After our round and with nearly 30 minutes of light left, the clubhouse and bar/grill area hand closed for the night. We were looking to collect on a bet for beers but had to seek our pay-off elsewhere.

Pace of Play: 3 Flag Rating, Average

Our tee time was delayed over 30 minutes past the scheduled time. It seems the course was trying to accommodate those who didn't have tee times more than the groups that did. I'm all for a course trying to accommodate everyone; but if a tee sheet is full, then it's full.

Once on the course, we started out a bit slow, but after the first three holes moved at a good pace. The entire round was just over 4 and a half hours.

Overall Average: 3.16, Par Course
OK Course, might be worth a play

The GolfinAmigos would like to thank Mr. Jon LeSage Manager of Falls Road Golf Course for allowing us to visit and review the course.

CLICK HERE for additional course information...

Location: 10800 Falls Road, Potomac MD 20854
Tee Time Phone: 301-299-5156
Course Type: Public

*The opinions expressed in this course review are those of the individual reviewer(s) and do not reflect the editorial opinion of www.GolfinAmigos.com