Lansdowne Golf Club ~ Par 72—7,040 yards—slope 126—rating 73.3 ~Designer: Robert Trent Jones, Jr.

The championship course at Lansdowne Resort covers over 118 acres of rolling landscape in the heart of Virginia’s scenic Hunt Country, directly adjacent to the Potomac River.

The layout is one of the very few East Coast courses designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., and represents a true achievement in his wide-ranging portfolio.  According to the designer, “At Lansdowne, I first envisioned a golf course that would carefully balance the existing features of the property—namely, the use of the rock and rock walls, the densely wooded areas, and the presence of meandering creeks.  By thoughtfully integrating these characteristics into the design of the course, we have created a number of beautiful and memorable holes that require a variety of shots and thoughtful strategy.”

Four holes in particular give first-time players a true sense of the realization of Jones’ vision:
Number 3 is a par four which presents a large sloping green at the end of a 90-degree dogleg left.  Because of its shape, from the tee, the hole appears to be much shorter than the scorecard indicates.  However, a natural rock pond with cascading waterfall covers the pivot point.  The most courageous players can attempt to fly the hazard, cutting the distance to the center of the green to just over 250 yards from the blue tee.  For most players, though, the smart play is a conservative tee shot with a long iron, followed by a wedge into the green.  Once on the putting surface, though, players must still contend with a severe bisecting ridge, which, from the wrong side, can make for one of the most challenging putts on the course.

Number 5 is a long-hitter’s delight.  A par five which stretches 610 yards from the tips, it is one of the longest holes on the East Coast.  But while it may be intimidating on the scorecard, it actually offers a chance to make one of the longest birdies a player will ever record.  The fairway is extremely wide, and slopes downward for the last 200 yards to a huge green.  Getting there in regulation requires three solid shots, but it can de done.  It is the third shot which determines the final result, though, since the green is comprised of two distinct tiers, left and right.  Being on in three, but far from the flag, can mean big trouble.  Three-putts are, unfortunately, all too common on this monster green.

Number 13 gives a little taste of all the elements which make up the Lansdowne experience.  It is a 210-yard par three which drops over 75 feet from tee to green.  In its flight, the ball will cross a natural nesting area, a winding brook, and over 250 years of history—namely, an historic hand-stacked rock wall property marker which has been returned to its original condition.  This is also an area which provides the greatest opportunity to observe the large variety of wildlife which thrive in an around the course: deer, wild turkey, fox, elk, and even the occasional American bald eagle.  Lansdowne is a participant in the Audubon Society’s Cooperative Sanctuary program, signifying an ongoing effort to provide the greatest natural habitat for birds and land animals within the boundaries of the course.

Finally, number 16 is a par four where bogeys are often celebrated as victories, pars are worth shouting about, and birdies are practically worthy of national media attention.  Although not that long at just 417 yards, it is a dogleg left which twists upward to an elevated green rising almost 100 feet above the fairway.  Off the tee, the landing area is wedged between a grassy wasteland to the left, and a series of bunkers to the right.  The approach shot, if the player is fortunate enough to have one, must climb high to a blind green with out-of-bounds left, bunkers and deep rough right, and very little margin for error.  It is truly a hole to remember.

Critical reviews of the course have been strongly positive.  Tee time included Lansdowne in its 1992 list of the Top 10 Courses in the Mid-Atlantic.  Golf Digest calls it one of the top 10 “New Resort Courses in America.”  The Washington Times calls it, “a snazzy, 18-hole smorgasbord of zoysia-grass fairways, sly greens, generous spaces, and tree-framed valleys…which present a glamorous showcase of nature.”