Bull Run has hosted Waggle outings over the years and had been a partner with Waggle until it changed hands a handful of years ago.

The course had slowly dropped off the radar for many golfers as service and course conditions became spotty at this once popular track.

Recently BR Investors, LLC announced their purchase of the property and the signing of Raspberry Golf Management (RGM) to a 10 year management contract for the course.  RGM currently operates Raspberry Falls and Old Hickory golf courses in Leesburg and Woodbridge.  These outstanding “country club for a day” properties are the models for the new Bull Run.  The track record of RGM tells us that vast improvements are in store for Bull Run and we look forward to its return to glory.

We will keep you posted!

Bull Run Golf Club – Haymarket, VA – www.bullruncc.com

The sister course is Bowling Green South and is adjacent to the North course. While the South course is good, the North has much more character and is always in very good condition.

If you play Shenandoah Valley Golf Course next door, you get a nice view of the North from one of the tees.

Lots of local outings are played at the North course due to the low pricing for groups, so call ahead to check availability of this popular course.

Using the Waggle Golf Pass on the weekends is a terrific deal for a round of golf and cart. It is well worth the hour drive west of the beltway on a weekend afternoon.

On a mid May trip we ventured over to Ocean Pines, one of our long time favorites. The established community of Ocean Pines has 8,000 homes with much water access to the local OC bay. An active community association supports the residents with concerts, golf, trips, and all types of fun. Seemingly no two homes are alike in this eclectic collection of human expression in architecture. Even the popular storage sheds are carefully manicured to the owners’ tastes. Fortunately for visitors this nice private club offers public play.

The golf course has homes on most of the holes, but none intrude into the aesthetics of your round. Designer Robert Trent Jones put his care into the tract when the community was on the drawing board, so the residences fit nicely into the layout. That does not mean they are not hittable from the tees, however.

Five sets of tees adorn the course, and we recommend you carefully select the proper ones for your skill. Playing this tight tree lined gem from the tips will cost you many Titleists for sure. Think Hilton Head when you step to the first tee before you move to the back tees. Lots of mature overhang trees, canals, ponds, wildlife, and bunkers will give even a single digit handicapper a challenge from the blues.

Course conditions were excellent on our visit. The range was closed for major renovation, but a very nice chipping green was open. The staff was one of the friendliest to be found in the OC area. The bag boys had our clubs as soon as they spotted us, and then regaled us with welcomes and course advice.

Ocean Pines is located in Berlin, Md. Just across from OC near the OC Expressway, Route 90.

Oak Marr was the lovely scene for a nine hole walk in the park-like setting managed by Fairfax County. Unlike many par three courses, Oak Marr has sand, water, woods, and elevation changes. While no one hole stands out as a #17 at TPC Sawgrass, the holes offer enough challenge to sharpen your skills. Bring your sticks as the average hole length is over 160 yards from the blue tees, with one hole playing over 200 yards.

Pace of play is well regulated so expect to breeze around the loop in under two hours for sure. We made it in one and a half hours!

The practice facility is one of the best around. A large decked driving range is well paired with perhaps the largest practice green in the area. It even has a bunker.

Play Oak Marr after work and take advantage of the offer in your Waggle Golf Pass.

As you approach the course the new residential development of condos and town houses will surprise and impress you. Fields and marshlands have been replaced by residences that brought an “I could live here” reaction to my lips as I got out of the car. The facility is managed by Billy Casper with all of its customary excellent customer service. The new clubhouse is now comparison to the old temporary one of years past. But, most importantly the course is TERRIFIC. It is a well maintained new design that places a premium on intelligent shot making. If you resist the urge to blast away, your scores will be rewarded. Bring your driver out too many times… and I hope you brought some extra balls. The distance of the course looks short only on the score card, so choose your tees wisely.

I have no complaints about my new friend the Ospreys, and I even drew a random foursome of great partners. It seems like there are a lot of weekday regulars who have discovered this gem. Discover it for yourself, and bring your Waggle Golf Pass so that the fee is only $25!