Twin Lakes Golf Park consists of two vastly different 18-hole courses. They have contrasting playing styles and differing levels of playing difficulty. The Lakes Course is the original course on the property providing a straight forward and open layout.

In 1998 the Fairfax County Park authority opened the top shelf Oaks Course. It offers a championship caliber design rivaling other high end daily fee courses in the area. Together the two courses provide an ideal venue for all levels of playing ability.

Appropriately named, the "Oaks Course" is layered with many hardwood trees throughout the layout. The course provides a variety doglegs both right and left with trees guading both sides of the fairways on a majority of the holes. The course isn't overly tight but any wayward shot into the tree line will more than likely cost you a stroke.

The routing of the course makes it a memorable golf experience. You rarely see more than the hole you're playing as you wind your way through the course.

The hardwood trees unveil each hole as its own challenge, one at a time, giving you that true sense of escape from everyday life.

But don't get too comfortable with the cozy natural surroundings. The course provides ample tests and requires good course management skills to maneuver and post a good score. The layout definitely favors the good shot makers over the long hitters.

The Par 5s on the course are best played with a three shot approach and some of the Par 4s require you to leave the driver in the bag. A comfortable distance with your approach shot to the green is more important than distance off the tee. With tree lined fairways and perfectly placed bunkers guarding against over aggressive play, the course makes you think and perform on each and every shot.

All in all, regardless of your handicap, everyone can enjoy a round at the Oaks Course. The lush natural parkland surroundings in the middle of suburbia, makes it a great escape from the daily grind.

Amigos Favorite Hole: Our favorite hole at the Twin Lakes Oaks Course was the 530-yard Par-5 No. 1.

It seems odd to choose an opening hole as our favorite, but the starting hole at Twin Lakes sets the tone for a great golf experience. The hole begins with a downhill tee shot favoring the left side of the fairway.

Beyond the hill and your eyes view at the tee, the fairway slopes from left to right so any slice or wayward shot to that side will most likely end up in the Oak trees guarding the right side of the fairway.

Depending on your length off the tee you have to delicately choose your second choice. There is a hazard running across the fairway at about 140-yards from the green placed right before a severe dogleg left. If you hit a good drive you can get over the hazard for your lay-up shot but the prudent play is to lay-up in front of the hazard leaving a short iron into the green.

The difficulty is choosing the right club to lay-up with. Judging a downhill lay-up shot for distance on your second shot of a round is a tough call.

Once around the dogleg and on the green, you'll find two bunkers guarding the front and back of the green sloping diagonally away from you.

A par on this hole is a great start to your round and should set the tempo for a great day of golf. But, if you start out with a opening hole blemish there’s no need to fret. The Oaks course gets your attention quick but then offers ample opportunity later on to get a stroke or two back on the remaining seventeen.