A friend and I kicked off the holiday weekend with a couple baseball games at Nationals Park and of “course” we included some golf. Even though I don’t follow Major League Baseball like I used to, I still enjoy seeing a new ballpark whenever I can!

I was in charge of the tee times and thought that it would be a great experience to golf in Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Maryland all on a Fourth of July weekend. My friend agreed and I picked 1757 Golf Club in Northern Virginia as our first stop, after finding a discounted time for $55 per player.

The first thing that you’ll notice about 1757 is the location of the course. The course has a wetlands feel to it, but is in an urban area. Even though the course is surrounded by warehouses, roads, and power lines it has a secluded feeling. Most holes are tree lined and many hazards come into play. Broad Run, a tributary of the Potomac River, runs through the course and is one of those hazards to avoid. Playing here almost felt like playing somewhere in Myrtle Beach.

I’ll add that if you like airplanes then you’ll definitely want to put 1757 on your list of courses to play! You can see and hear the massive jets as they either land or take off from Dulles International Airport. The setting here isn’t as nice as Bull Run or Raspberry Falls for example, but 1757 isn’t a course with homes on every hole.

David Heatwole designed the course and he is a name that I haven’t seen before. Apparently, he worked with Nicklaus Design before splitting out on his own, so most of his work seems to be hidden under Jack’s name. The land isn’t ideal for golf as the property is small, however Heatwole did a nice job of using what he had to squeeze in a course.

The 6th is an almost ninety degree dogleg and the 10th has a fairway that pinches a lot (the weird holes), but I didn’t think that there were any horribly designed holes – I know some would disagree. The course is short as it maxes out at 6,623 yards from the tips. It is a par-70 though which makes it play longer.

We played the blue tees which are 69.9/140/6105 and the one thing that you need to know, as evidenced by the slope, is that the course is tough! I think it will even be downright brutal for higher handicappers. I’m about a 5 handicap right now and I hit a lot of good shots that weren’t rewarded. The course is a Mid-Atlantic version of target golf.

We paid $55 and the conditions were well worth that, especially in a major metropolitan area. The course appears to get a lot of play based on the number of divots on the tees and in the fairways. That’s my only complaint, but I was out there hacking it up too. I ended up with great lies in the fairways as my ball avoided the divots. The greens were quick and rolled pure.

I’m pleased with my pick to play 1757 (especially for the price), but the course may not be for everyone. We caught a low humidity day and ended up in a pocket without anyone around us. We played in 4 hours and 15 minutes and didn’t see a group in front of us nor behind us, until we were pushed the last few holes.

If you are debating on playing 1757, then know that it is a polarizing course. The final thing I’ll mention is a bit of trivia for the nerd in you! The golf course is named after the year that Loudoun County was established.

Course Pictures (click any picture to scroll through the gallery):