When I got married in 2008, I promised my wife I’d shelve golf until the kids finished high school.
I knew 18 holes devour an entire day, and the practice gobbles up the rest of the week.
Fast-forward to today...
Our oldest son is a rising senior, and our youngest son is a sophomore, so I can finally start plotting my comeback to this ridiculous, wonderful, challenging game.
Cue the rabbit hole...
I found a 25-minute ranking video by MarkEresGolf that became my roadmap.
What jumped out from Mark’s video
- Scoring system → each course graded 1–5 on price, conditioning, practice facilities, layout & aesthetics, memorability, and overall difficulty.
- Sticker shock — Raspberry Falls and Westfields now charge >$145 for a prime Saturday morning tee time.
- Sleeper pick —Blue Ridge Shadows reached the top five despite being an hour from the Beltway, offering mountain-course vibes for municipal funding.
- Tight vs. bomber tracks — Penderbrook rewards accuracy; Bull Run and Potomac Shores let you swing driver on repeat.
- Practice-nerd notes — Westfields and Laurel Hill earned bonus points for grass ranges and legit short-game areas.
Interactive map & quick-reference tables
Quick-reference price tables
Need the numbers fast? First up are the four courses that just missed the cut, followed by the full Top 10. (Prices pulled for Wed Jul 16, 2025 twilight and Sat Jul 19, 2025 prime.)| Honorable Mentions — Just Missed the Cut | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Score | Course | Wed ≥ 4 PM | Sat < 10 AM |
| 3.1 | Old Hickory GC | $64 | $102 |
| 3.1 | Herndon Centennial GC | $56 | $78 |
| 3.0 | South Riding GC | $75 | $125 |
| 2.9 | Pohick Bay GC | $57 | $76 |
Top 10 Public Courses (MarkEresGolf 2025 Ranking)
These are the ten tracks that scored highest in Mark’s video. Prices are pulled for Wed Jul 16 ( after 4 PM) and Sat Jul 19 (before 10 AM) so you can size up the weekday-twilight vs. weekend-prime damage.
| Top 10 — Full Details, Pricing & Takeaways | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Course | Address | Wed ≥ 4 PM | Sat < 10 AM | Takeaways |
| 1 | Stonewall Golf Club | 15601 Turtle Point Dr, Gainesville | $72.49 | $134.49 |
Lake Manassas views; tour-level greens Watch-out: housing corridors break immersion |
| 2 | Potomac Shores GC | 1750 Dunnington Pl, Dumfries | $76 | $145 |
Nicklaus design; great clubhouse food Watch-out: misses punished; dynamic pricing |
| 3 | Laurel Hill GC | 8701 Laurel Crest Dr, Lorton | $60 | $129 |
Elite practice complex; tour-caliber test Watch-out: steep rate, busy tee sheet |
| 4 | Blue Ridge Shadows GC | 456 Shadows Dr, Front Royal | $43.49 | $97.49 |
Hidden mountain gem; dramatic elevation Watch-out: full hour from Beltway |
| 5 | Raspberry Falls G&HC | 41601 Raspberry Dr, Leesburg | $74 | $155 |
Rolling terrain; iconic 18th Watch-out: twilight can still hit $170 |
| 6 | Westfields GC | 13940 Balmoral Greens Ave, Clifton | $70 | $145 |
Pristine conditioning; Couples design Watch-out: premium fee even twilight |
| 7 | Bull Run GC | 15000 Bull Run Estates Dr, Haymarket | $69 | $131 |
Outstanding short-game area; fun opener Watch-out: weekend prime hit $120+ last year |
| 8 | Bristow Manor GC | 11507 Valley View Dr, Bristow | $58 | $138 |
Strong patio; grass range; strategic Watch-out: only a few memorable holes |
| 9 | Twin Lakes GC | 6201 Union Mill Rd, Clifton | $64 | $87 |
Two 18s; grass range; weekday bargain Watch-out: gets beat up by heavy play |
| 10 | Penderbrook GC | 3700 Golf Trail Ln, Fairfax | $71 | $97 |
Tight, water-lined holes; rewards accuracy Watch-out: no range / short-game area |
Spotted a price change? Ping me in the comments or email and I’ll update the map.
I’m planning to tackle Stonewall first—assuming the college-tour schedule cooperates. If you’ve played any of these lately, let me know how the conditions and pace look. See you out there, and hit ’em straight!
