Ryan N.'s Profile

You know a golf course isn't the greatest when I live along it and choose to play elsewhere. I have played many rounds here, and I am surprised with how many people  I see that drive from inside the beltway to play the Oaks. I know they advertise a lot, but people, if you are going to drive an hour this way to play golf, play Stonewall or go up 15 to Raspberry Falls for a better experience. Some of the pros here include the course is in pretty decent shape for the amount of play it gets. The greens especially are in good shape year round, but the tee boxes get pretty chewed up as you can imagine. All of the carts have GPS, and there are marshals and a beverage cart circling when it is busy.

Now for the negatives: The staff here is pretty rude for the most part. There is 1 guy and 1 girl in the pro shop that have been pleasant to deal with, but the rest are rude and/or full of themselves. The peak rates are ridiculous for a course that winds through a housing development - you only see the lake on 4 holes, the rest you see houses everywhere. The pace of play is miserable, mostly because the tight holes result in many lost balls. Finally, the layout is not for the weak - not only are the holes narrow, but the greens are tough, the hazards are plenty, and there are plenty of blind shots. My advice is play at your own risk, but for the price you can do better

This course is a great layout and usually in great shape from April to October. There is a good variety of holes and the scenery around the lake is great. The cons are the price is high and the pace of play is usually a crawl. Don't bother booking a twilight time, because it is unlikely you will finish unless you have the first one. Treat yourself to a round here once though, because it is the closest thing you can get to playing the RTJ next door.

I really try to love this course, but it is a shame that a good layout (for 17 of the holes) is wasted by poor management and maintenance. The first problem is every time I come to the course, it seems to have changed management. Also, the place is becoming more and more a bare bones golf course. The last couple times I went, the pro shop stock is minimal and the grill room had been closed. I have never seen a starter or marshal here either, so once on the course you are on your own. The second problem here is the maintenance. First they had a fairway problem. Then, the tees all burnt up and became sand boxes. Some of the tees and fairways have still not recovered and now some of the greens are getting spotty. The third issue is the price. This place prices itself to compete with Stonewall and South Riding, which is a joke for the reasons I listed above. I have never been here when there are more than 10 cars in the lot which you would think is a wake up call to the staff. Finally, the design of the 18th hole is a train wreck, it can ruin a good round because the quirkiness can punish a perfect shot. I prefer to spend my money elsewhere.

I finally got around to trying Nora this week and I am regretful that it took me so long. We were seated quickly by one of the 2 servers. For a Monday night, the restaurant was pretty steady. We were brought pita chips and yogurt sauce right away, which was very good. My girlfriend ordered the chicken kabob plate and I ordered the Ferroj Mishwi. The waiter was nice enough to ask if I was alright with the 20-30 minute prep time for the Ferroj Mishwi, which I was because I was starving. The food was delicious - it tasted fresh and was cooked perfectly. The fresh pita bread they served with the entrees was awesome as well. I plan on coming back several times, because all of this tasty food was 25 bucks with 2 sodas and tax!

This is truly a practice center. The driving range is huge, they have a short game area on the other side of it that is lit as well. The putting green is large and rolls true. Have not tried the putt putt but it looks clean and well kept. I play the 9 hole course here at least 10 times a year. During the week, it is a good place for a quick round with conditions that rival any other course in the area. Depending on the tees you pick it can be fairly easy or moderately difficult. If you are looking for upscale golf with a slope over 130, you might be disappointed. The only things keeping this place from 5 stars are the weekend prices are obnoxious for the course and some of the staff I have run into have been beyond rude, especially the marshals.

Even though this place presents itself as an upscale taste of Italy, it left me with something to be desired. The lobby smelled of soiled linen when we walked in, and after a few minutes we were seated in a corner booth away from the rest of the diners for whatever reason. The service was blunt and a bit rude, I'm pretty sure they could have cared less that we were there. I ordered the shell pasta with spinach and crab (insert 7 word Italian name for dish here). The bread that came out before the meal was bland the entree was not much better. The whole thing came in a pool of boiled water like they didn't even strain the pasta. The pasta had no flavor and the spinach was very bland and bitter. I had to push it to one side to eat my dinner. The host saw this and came over and told me I should eat vegetables because they are good for me. Well, if they didn't SUCK I would have. Overall, just not a positive experience. Not to mention the price was similar to Maggiano's even though the food was several levels below. I will keep my business across the street for Italian dinners in Bethesda from now on.

I can assure you that Bethesda has plenty of Italian eateries to go around. If you want upscale decor and white linen, pick another one. Don't be fooled by the laid back atmosphere or lack of ornate decor, because the food here is top notch. There is definitely a home cooking feel to this place, and I'll take that over 30 dollar chicken parmesan any day. We started with the grilled calamari, and this is a must try. I have never had calamari grilled but it was flavorful and tender with a great wood smoked taste. For an entree, I picked a grilled veal dish which was juicy and full of taste. They have at least 5 ways to get your chicken and veal prepared which is a nice departure from the usual scallopini, parmesan, and marsala. The service is top notch and the bread they rush to your table is a treat as well.

So many things besides the layout of a golf course make for a good round. The service in the clubhouse, the amenities of the course, and the condition of the course. Even in November, this place had all of the above. The layout is downright phenomenal. There are holes through the woods, some in open meadows, plenty of water and several holes cased in rock walls. The club pro set me up with the cart and gave me some tips on course management before I went out. While the course wet, it was in tip top shape. They had perks like knobs on the 150 marker telling you the pin position and yardage markers every 25 yards. The grill at the turn was great too - 5 bucks for a huge dog and a 20 oz bottle of coke. The pro kept asking me how I liked the course and every time I liked it more and more. Tough back 9, but very enjoyable. This is my new favorite course

If you want to get a ton of good food for cheap, this is your place. I got carry out on my way to work one afternoon and had no idea what I was getting myself into. I got a gyro lunch special with fries and a drink for 8 bucks. The owner, or at least that is what I think he is, was over at a table talking to some customers about their family and being very sociable. The food came up in less than 10 minutes and off I went. When I opened the container at work, I laid eyes on a heaping mound of food. I began to pick through the fries, which were nice and thick and cooked just right - crispy outside and warm inside. By the time I actually got to the gyro, I was already getting full. I had to pick the meat out with a fork because it was too overstuffed to pick up in the bread. I had to surrender before I even got to the bread because my gut was about to burst. All that tender juicy meat and creamy sauce filled me up and it was delicious. Next time I will know that a serving here is enough to cover 3 meals and plan accordingly. I heard from some other people the chicken here is a must try, so I think I'll have to try that next.

After being to Caliyogurt, this place is kind of a downgrade. The concept is similar to Cali, but a scaled down version. The layout is kind of funky, the machines are along the wall in a skinny corridor kind of area with small tables - kind of cramped. The toppings are few, most of them cereal. The price is still decent but place lacks any sort of atmosphere, and the service is pretty impersonal. Its Caliyogurt for me from now on.