TPC Potomac At Avenel Farm, Potomac, MD

Total renovation has created a fantastic layout with top-notch holes, shotmaking values and course conditioning (as Champions Tour members commented during the 2010 Senior Players).

Great great course -- fantastic course conditions on a fun and challenging layout (the senior tour players were effusive in their praise during the Senior Players Championship held here). Plus one of the best practice facilities in the region.

Why bother reviewing a course hardly any golfer in the world will play? Click on the big 'Book a Tee Time' button and it basically tells you to get lost. Play Golf America. You're joking.

I played this course for the first time last week and was stunned at not only how aesthetically pleasing it is, but how the redesign was truly able to capture the essence of Mid-Atlantic golf. I have played a lot of the courses in the D.C. metro area, and have never been satisfied with an entire course. A few holes from each course, yes, but never an entire 18 holes. With the new TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm I was captivated from the practice facility before our round to the draft beer at the end of our round.

I attended a few of the PGA events held here (Kemper Open, Booz Allen Classic) and heard all the gripes from PGA Tour players, but obviously never experience them for myself. They said flooding was an issue and the greens were a bit spotty. However, if there was a drainage issue, it has been completely taken care of; and the green complexes perfect—apparently they were completely redone with state-of-the-art drainage systems installed. We've had very harsh weather here in the D.C. area this summer, with a lot of heat during the day, and torrential rains in the afternoon. But the TPC Potomac passed all these tests with flying colors. I did not notice a single pool of water on the course anywhere, and the greens all rolled true.

As for the golf strategy, the course is a joy to play. No. 6, is a monster par 4 which requires two good shots to have a shot at making birdie. No. 14 is an awesome driveable par 4 (I was able to make birdie after driving the green. :) I could list every hole on here, but I won’t, you’ll just have to get out there yourself!
All that being said, I would probably not play here with a beginner because the course does a good job of penalizing bad shots. But if you want to be challenged as a golfer (I know I do), then do yourself a favor and check out a TPC that ranks up there with Sawgrass and the Blue Monster.