By Robby Osborne
Golf is often considered the sport of leisure, but its also has a reputation as the crossroads of business, where titans of industry can comfortably craft deals away from the boardroom.
With such nuanced negotiations afoot, it’s important to on top of your game. Here are two public courses to sharpen your skills on the links.
Herndon Centennial Golf Course
With undulating greens and gently rolling fairways, this par 71 course is something special. The grounds include a driving range full of 14 hitting stations, a 11,000-square-foot putting green and a full set of target pins in the chipping area.
Herndon Centennial recently completed an extensive renovation, with retooled sand bunkers, an improved the driving range and made the course overall better suited for rain. If you find that 18 holes works up an appetite, there’s award-winning food and beverage service provided by JJ’s Deli.
Herndon Centennial Golf Course
909 Ferndale Ave, Herndon/herndongolf.com
13 miles outside Fairfax; $33 on Weekdays, $47 on Weekends
While a par 72 championship golf course may seem intimidating to first-timers, the Gauntlet presents a fun challenge, regardless of skill level. The course itself was designed by P.B. Dye, who has crafted more than 30 courses.
Most of the holes are target-oriented, rather than straight forward, so spending time on the driving range and mastering that hook shot would be time well spent. The signature hole (No. 4) is considered unforgiving with a green ringed by water hazards.
Fore!Golf Interactive (iOS/Android)
This app is a must-have for golfers, as more courses catch up to the 21st century, so must golfers. This app acts as a digital yardage book, includes a built in digital score card, sends news, events and promotions, and depending on the golf course, allows you to set up your tee time directly from the app.
