Course review: Hilltop Golf Club

Fees »  Weekday $25, Weekend $32; Replay $18

Par/Yardage/Rating/Slope

31/2,268/31.0/103

Conditions » 2

Layout » 3

Facilities » 3

Value » 3

— out of five

Description » Unique, nine-hole course with a Scottish flavor, built on a landfill, has four par 4s and five par 3s. With a double-decker, 68-station driving range and chipping and putting greens, much of Hilltop’s business is from lessons and practice. The range opened in 1997; the course opened six years later.

Reason to play » Convenient location, quick play, interesting layout, great and surprising views of Northern Virginia, D.C., and the Potomac River. It’s not Augusta, but this is a course unlike any other.

Progress » Construction on a Wegmans grocery store is underway off the eighth and ninth holes. The golf course was destined to become housing, but the real estate downturn gave Hilltop a reprieve for several more years.

Signature hole » No. 3, Par 4, 442 Yards

After two short, uninteresting par 3s, the climb uphill to the No. 3 tee let’s you know you’ve reached the teeth of Hilltop. The blind tee shot over a hill is intimidating but to a wide fairway with pot bunkers on the right. Equally daunting approach uphill to a green guarded by a large bunker in front and knee-high fescue right, left and behind.

Best hole » No. 7, Par 4, 340 Yards

Forget the yardage. This hole can be reached from the tee with a big drive that cuts the dogleg right and hits the alley on the hard, fast, downhill fairway, which funnels toward the green. Accuracy is a must, however, with large bunkers on the right side of the fairway and pot bunkers on the left.

Good hole » No. 4, Par 3, 178 Yards

Forget the first two par 3s, which measure 110 and 101 yards. The final three are stout. The best is No. 4, which is at the highest point of the property (240 feet). The hole runs along a berm and plays to a hard, fast green. Wind is often a factor.

Wind socks » Wind direction is never a mystery at Hilltop. There are several wind socks scattered about the property, each above a landfill ventilation hole.

Designer » Lindsay Ervin has a variety of interesting local courses on his resume — Queenstown, Woodlands, Hog Neck, Old South and Compass Pointe — each unique in its own way.

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