Rock Creek Golf Course

I played there for the first time, and I will never go back. There was no water in most of the ball washers, and the course is in horrible shape. I thought that I would need a hammer just to put a tee in the ground. I have now played all three DC public courses, and this one is by far the worst. Langston is best, followed by the courses at East Potomac.
Why doesn’t someone care more for this course? If improved, it would rank right up there with some of the best around.

Before I get into my review, a little background: I’ve been playing golf for most of my life and have seen all types of courses in all kinds of conditions. As a kid, caddied for a few summers at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis which is one of the top courses in the Midwest and been host to many PGA tournaments over the years. I grew up with a family membership at a country club with 36 holes of championship golf. On the other side of the coin, I used to regularly play a course during family vacations in Michigan which literally had a barn full of old farming equipment as it’s pro shop/​clubhouse. In other words, I’ve seen both ends of the spectrum in terms of golf courses. My wife is just now getting into golf (yesterday was the 3^rd round of her career!) and despite having been around the game for at least 20 years, I’m still probably a 20 handicap so we’re not snobs.
We are fairly new to DC (moved here about 10 mos. ago) and have just started to explore the area golf scene. We’ve played all three of the DC metro courses within the last month (Hains Point, Langston, Rock Creek) with Rock Creek being the most recent so I feel well-​qualified to review Rock Creek in the context of the two other DC courses.
PROS: Extremely convenient location right off 16^th Street. We’re pretty lucky here in DC to have 18 holes of golf so close to the city center. Some of the review I read here before we played indicated that the back 9 offered a more wooded, secluded feel and with that in mind, we asked to go off the back. The reviews did not disappoint and we were thrilled to find several holes deep in the woods with lots of shade and no way to tell that we were actually in the middle of the capitol of the world. Very courteous and friendly staff. No trace of pretentiousness to be found. As I have mentioned other golf course reviews, we like to have a few drinks during our round and had no problem sneaking in our cooler. There are several fun holes that would provide a fun challenge to even the best golfers. For the most part, the greens are in pretty decent condition. Some of the cart paths are paved, which you cannot say about Hain’s Point or Langston. We teed off around 11:45 and we pleased to find that the course was not crowded at all. A few people out, but we never waited to tee of nor did we ever feel pressure to speed up our pace of play from a group behind us. This is important for beginning golfers and duffers like me.
CONS: The course is truly in bad shape. Tee boxes are often bare and devoid of grass. Fairways are non-​existent on some holes which makes for some brutal lies and difficult approaches. The rough is very long and seems to appear randomly in the middle of some holes which means even if you hit mostly good shots, you’re still going to lose a lot of balls. Some of the ladies tees are impossible to find in the overgrown grass. I think I read on Unilocal that park regulations prohibit irrigation on the fairways. This won’t be a surprise to you as you set out at Rock Creek. Fairways are approximately 60% weeds and 40% dirt.
Now, it should be noted that we were not expecting Augusta and we still had a lot of fun despite conditions. If you’re a casual golfer looking to make a few shots, have some fun and enjoy the outdoors, this place is fine. If you’re a serious golfer or you’re looking to do some gambling on the course, stay away.

I am a beginner golfer and I started off the spring by taking the Get Ready Golf course with Coach Lester. I would say that it was probably the best $ 99 I’ve spent. Our class was about 8 people and so not many swings per class, but Lester encouraged us to practice throughout the week and continually invited us to come to RCGC to practice (clubs and balls provided if needed). He encouraged us to buy Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons book on Amazon (cheap and also considered the «Bible» of golf), and I found the book to be very helpful in retaining the skills we were learning in class. I now realize that as a beginner, solidifying the basics is really the most important part. So although we didn’t swing so much in class (the fun part), I felt like I really got a solid foundation of the basics (grip, stance, swing, putting) and I have been able use those techniques effectively to refine my swing when practicing outside of the class. I have found my game to rapidly improve– largely due to learning the basics, and then continuing to practice the new skills outside of class. I HIGHLY recommend the class to any new golfer– it is WELL worth the money. Just go into the class with the understanding that it isn’t all about swinging away, but learning the foundations of golf so swinging is more fun and satisfying when you get to it!
As for the golf course– it is a rustic, relaxed atmosphere with not an ounce of pretension. I find myself eager to go there and I feel like I’ve escaped the city for a while when I’m there. It is peaceful and I very much enjoy the natural terrain and wildlife (minus the gnats). I have also found the people who work there to be very friendly, easy to chat with, and welcoming.

There are three things you must do before playing a round of golf at Rock Creek:
1) Understand that the course is almost never in good shape.
2) Accept that the lies will be awful sometimes, even in the fairways.
3) Realize that you are hitting a ball with a stick, and no matter how good you are at hitting a ball with a stick, it’s still hitting a ball with a stick — so don’t take yourself too darn seriously.
If you do those 3 things, then you’ll enjoy yourself here, especially on the back nine. There are some legitimately challenging holes back there, and the setting is beautiful. Deer, hawks, even the occasional eagle can be spotted.
If you walk the back nine, you had better be in decent shape because it’s hilly — REALLY hilly. So why isn’t the course in better shape? If you’re interested, I have a little inside knowledge which I will share.
All three DC golf courses — Rock Creek, Langston, and East Potomac Park — are all run by the same company, called Golf Course Specialists. They lease the land on all 3 courses in only 2-​year increments from the US Park Service. That’s right — they have to renew the deal every two years, pending approval from the very standoffish USPS.
At this particular course, because it is in Rock Creek Park, the USPS does not allow fairway & tee box irrigation due to fertilizer runoff. Tree trimming is also never allowed (unless a tree/​branch is determined to be a safety hazard).
I have personally spoken to rangers about this course and they are very bullish about their policies; it quickly becomes clear that the rangers would prefer not to have a course at this location at all, but it’s been here for almost 100 years, so it stays.
Obviously, you must have light and water to grow grass, so it’s understandable why the course is in the shape it’s in. Ever-​encroaching trees = lots of shade & very little sun. No irrigation = scorched fairways and patchy tee boxes.
Any company would lose money hand-​over-​fist if they invested in this course. It loses money every year as it is. It would take millions to get it in tip-​top shape. With the lack of water and sun, it wouldn’t matter anyway; you could sink a billion dollars into it and still have the same problems, and since the USPS could deny the lease renewal at any time, it’s a no-​win situation.
Before golf became the fancy schmancy activity we know today, it was often played in conditions similar to what you’ll find at RCGC. So quit whining, hit the ball with the stick, take in the scenery, and enjoy a beer on the patio after your round.

I was enrolled in the Fall Beginners Golf at Rock Creek Golf Course. Lester was our instructor. It was an evening class. I have definitely had better.
Our first (of six) classes was a lecture in the classroom. Excuse me? He was basically telling us about his experience and how he became a golf instructor and telling us to go to the bookstore and buy this Ben Hogan book and read it. He also told us that for the price we paid, we normally would be getting one lesson. We should be glad that he is teaching us six times for the price of one lesson. Oh. Ok, gee thanks.
Our next class was out a the first hole. Oh, ok. Right in front of everyone. Gee thanks. Way to build confidence. Again, more urging to read this book. He requests a book report. Also, the available daylight is diminishing with each week of class. As it turns out, he moves the time of class up an hour without telling anyone (well, me) and I arrived as class was ending. Gee thanks.
The next week, during the waning daylight, a half herd of deer came galloping across our fairway while we were trying to hit. «Um, excuse me deer, yeah, we’re trying to hold golf class here? Yeah, if you could please not gallop across? That would be great?» But we were out in nature. So I guess we were in their way? But it was the fairway, man! C’mon man! Really!!! (At least they didn’t drop any turds…)
Each class went exactly the same way. I am so sorry. I have heard Tiger Woods and other athletes mention that they improved at their sport after repeating it at least 10,000 times. We did not even come close to hitting the ball or practicing in class with teacher support not even 100 times. Not even 50 times. I noticed more improvement when I cornered the other two lady classmates after class, insisted we meet at the student driving range one saturday, and hit balls there for two or three hours.
Not that our teacher was not helpful, it’s just that meh, I’ve experienced better.

We teed off with a couple of deer watching us 20 feet away. But that’s really the best thing I can say. The whole time we played, we all had the same feeling of «I wish someone would take care of this place». A lot of potential, great views. But the same things people complained about on Unilocal since 2010 (lacking fairways, greens that look like rough, rough that looks like a Civil War battlefield, etc.) haven’t been addressed.
If you’ve ever complained about East Potomac or Langston, go to Rock Creek once.

First the positives:
–Like most of the good reviews say, there is no wait to get on to the course.
–You are also allowed to chip onto the putting green, which is nice, since there is a serious lack of grass driving ranges in the metro area.
–Decent scenery
Negatives:
–No driving range (the website tells you the same, but still a negative)
–Course is not in good shape.
–With the exception of the 1^st, 9^th, 17^th, and 18^th, the tee boxes were baked out. You’re literally hitting out of sand from the tee which is unacceptable for a golf course.
–The fairway is filled with sand and large areas of unplayable fairway.
–No beer cart girl on the course on the weekend.
–Sand on the greens
If you’re someone shooting in the low 100s and looking for a decent, playable DC course, this is not for you. Rock Creek is definitely a place for golf novices that are just looking to hang out.
In my opinion, East Potomac makes Rock Creek look like Augusta National – and that’s saying a lot since I DESPISE East Potomac. If you’re someone that takes golf somewhat seriously, don’t let the $ 40 weekend rate trick you, you’re much better off going elsewhere.

positives: no wait, carts, beer, relatively cheap, deer, friendly staff, tight, short course.
cons: looming forest, negative greenskeeping and greens etc
overall people need to relax and be thankful, as its an inner city golf course not a country club.

The course is getting better this spring. We play this regularly. Never much of a wait and there are few people in your way when you do play. The lesson package for beginners is a bargain. Staff is very friendly and there is a free place to practice putting and short chips. The back nine is a good way to practice precision chip shots. Scoring well is very difficult and it is easy to lose balls. But the price, friendly staff, and well spaced golfers make is a regular destination.

Adventure golf! This course is on the edges of the national park and is a must play for the armature, just having fun golfer. Tate course is well laid out. Most of the first 10 holes are wide open fairways and easy to warm up on. The last 8 are mostly narrow and a great place to lose several golf balls. Bring extras because you will need them.
Now the best part. Deer are all over this course. And they do not care that you are playing; they will not move for you. In fact they may approach you and see what you are doing. One even chased my friend, who we could not help because we were not able to breath or stand because we were laughing so hard as he was chased around the green. (He did get away by running to the next tee.) I have seen deer in the middle of the fairway hit by drives and they simply stare at the golfer as he retrieves his ball, because they will not move for your second shot.
The grounds are well kept, the tees are in good shape, the greens are smooth and the holes are relocated weekly. This is not a PGA course, but it is perfect for a fun few hours out in the sun.
The club house has a pro shop, there is also a small restaurant over looking the course, and there is tons of parking.
Golf carts are available for rental, and a staffer drives around the course selling candy bars, sodas and chips, all cash only.

Easily the worst maintained golf course I’ve ever played on. Fairways are dry, hard, and baked golden brown. Do yourself a favor and head to East Potomac Park instead.

This golf course is utterly atrocious. The tee boxes are a mess, the greens are ragged, the fairways are a disaster. The use of the word «fairway» is itself generous. What they should be called are hardpan alleys with a little bit of a grass surface. Avoid at all costs.

I’ve enjoyed this course because its always had cheap green fees and its easy to scam for a free golf cart. The front 9 is wide open and fun to play. The back 9 is situated deeper in the woods and is more challenging.
I’ve played this course 5 or 6 times and always enjoyed it. I never went into it thinking it was going to play like Augusta. I played it last weekend and I don’t think I will play it again anytime soon. I think they have completely given up on taking care of the course. There is dirt and rocks in most of the fairways and the greens are in HORRIBLE condition. Its hard to believe that Golf Digest ranked Rock Creek as one of the best places to play awhile back.

Convenient Executive Course. However, this has to be the worst facility I have been to in the USA.
The clubhouse is small and limited. The Pro Shop is virtually nonexistent. There is a putting green for practice which is OK. The «Driving Range» is a mat directed at a golf net.
Condition of the Fairways is horrible, all year round. The greens are small and hard in feel; grass is in poor condition.
They use Gas Golf Carts instead of battery-​which smells horrible and is loud. The «Ranger» is rude and accused me of not paying for a Cart. I showed him my receipt and then he said «Go Ahead.». I was playing and the groundskeeper turned on the sprinklers! I was thinking «what in the world?» Talk about poor customer service! This was in 2006 — the last time I ever went back to this place.
Horrible course. Bad customer service. Substandard facility. It truly needs new management to bring this course up to «Par» because right now it’s at Triple Bogey.
There are better courses around the area to play.

Wayne is absolutely right. This course is in horrible, shameful shape. I grew up in rural Nebraska and the courses were amazing compared to this.
Park Service: If you’re not going to maintain this course, either stop charging people to play it or give it back to the forest. It’s halfway there already.

OK here is the deal. I am a golf snob. I’m sorry, but i am. This is mainly because I am about a 10 handicap. What I mean is, I have enough game that id like to be challenged and play a course with some imagination and some legnth. Neither of which this course has.
I love the game, I think everyone who wants to play it should. And a place like Rock Creek Park is great if you dont care about the overall condition of where you play golf and simply want to smack it around.
My main beef with Rock Creek Park is, honestly, the price. This place isn’t worth $ 15. There are HOLES in the fairway. The only saving grace is that the greens honestly aren’t all that bad.
But it’s a stupid layout (the back 9 is retarded, a blind douchebag laid out some of the holes) where you really cant work on your game. Again caveat, some people dont care and just want to hit some balls around on a nice day. If thats your goal whack away and enjoy yourself because the course is heavily wooded and honestly quite peaceful.
But if you can play any sort of golf at all and would like to hit driver more than once, and not play 8 par 3s, and not have your ball bounce off of exposed rock in a mud pit in the middle of the fairway, thereby turning a well struck shot into a punch out from the trees, then dont ever go here.

The very worst golf round experience in my life.
Let me start my rant:
They didn’t tell us that the back 9 was closed when we made tee times so we ended up playing only 9 holes. The price for 9 holes is $ 19 while full 18 holes is $ 23. Who wants to play crappy 9 holes twice?
No water in the coolers in the course. Ball cleaner has way too much soap in them. Slippery ball and hands is not a good combination for golf.
The worst is that there was no difference between the fairway and rough at all when we played. I had probably 3 lies from the «fairway» here that was worse than most rough in any other course.
I’m never ever going back here again. What a waste of a beautiful Saturday afternoon in March.

I suck at golf, but that’s ok, because I don’t play enough to get any better. Rock Creek is a pretty rough course, but the layout of the back nine demands precision — narrow fairways, elevation changes, and small greens. And it’s cheap as dirt. Staff is friendly, they accept tee times and it’s rarely busy. My game’s not worh a triple digit greens fee, so Rock Creek suits me just fine.

This is good. Relatively central location, easy enough to get to, very friendly staff, Robert the French starter who works weekends is a nice guy. If you are a DC golfer (and so far it seems that there are not too many on these pages) you should give it a try.
Compared to the jewel in the crown — Langston — it is shorter, with no par 5s, and the greens and fairways are a bit rougher. But there is nothing like pulling off 16^th Street and moving into another world. I love the word «sylvan» Maryam used in her review. That’s exactly what it is.
It also must be said — this golf course is one of the things that makes DC great. we have a public golf course in the middle of the finest park in our city. Suck on that New York !

This is a public course in DC with reasonable fees and relaxed atmosphere. 18 holes, par 3s and 4s, back nine more challenging than the front… Carts are available, altho the front nine is an easy walk. The food selection in the clubhouse has a lot of room for improvement tho… and since you’re out of the way in Rock Creek Park, there aren’t other options nearby.