Pinecrest Golf Course
Location » Alexandria, Va.
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Phone » 703-941-1061
Fees » $21 Friday-Sunday; $17 Monday-Thursday
Par/Yardage/Rating/Slope
35/2462/64.9/103
Description » Executive, nine-hole, Fairfax County Park Authority course dotted with hills and water hazards. Replaced Pinecrest’s original full-sized course, which was reconfigured in the early 1980s to build single-family homes, townhouses, and condominiums.
No. 8 » Par 5 » 450 Yards
» Funky hole designed to be a three-shot par-five, but can be reached in two with power (a huge drive past fairway bunkers), height (a second shot from left side of fairway that clears tall trees), or creativity (using the ample parallel fairway on No. 1). Go ahead and take your best shot. This is by far the largest green on the course.Course rating
Conditions » 2 out of 5Layout » 1 out of 5Facilities » 2 out of 5Value » 3 out of 5
For more courses you can play, check out the Fore! page,
Thursdays in The Examiner.
Reasons to play » Convenient, uncrowded. At the intersection of Braddock Road and Little River Turnpike, this is one of the D.C. area’s few public courses inside the Beltway. Most afternoons, players can get in a quick nine holes in less than two hours.
Best hole » No. 1 » Par 4 » 370 Yards
The only legitimate par-four hole on the course. Requires two solidly-struck shots to reach green on this dog-leg left. With wide fairway, good hole for that first creaky swing of the day, a 3-wood or 5-wood for most players to the 150 stake.
Worst hole » No. 6 » Par 4 » 315 Yards
Requires a fade from the tee and a shot of nearly 200 yards to a narrow fairway to get in position for second shot. Many players will be forced to lay-up after drive, pitching to the right side of the fairway to avoid a formidable tree that overhangs the left side of the fairway. Hole is pretty, but requires too much precision from tee.
History lesson » Players from Northern Virginia over age 40 might recall two Pinecrests in Northern Virginia. Pinecrest No. 1 was an open, 18-holer, the forerunner of the current Pinecrest. Pinecrest No. 2, formerly located on land now occupied by Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax, was a 9-hole course better known for its busy driving range. When the mall was built, Pinecrest No. 2 was replaced across Route 50 by Penderbrook.
Huh? » You’ll do a lot of head scratching at Pinecrest. An example is No. 4, a 336-yard par-five! Forget a birdie opportunity, this is a chance for an eagle. With a solid drive most players will have a wedge to the green on this dog-leg right.
Ill-conceived » This is a decent piece of property for a golf course. But the available land doesn’t support a par-35. Pinecrest could have been a quality par-three course or perhaps a par-32.
