By Elke Thoms
Summertime means freedom from the cold weather dinner-and-a-movie staple, and for golf lovers, it’s an excuse to spend time with the person you love and the sport you love in the same evening. However, unless you happened to meet in the tee box, chances are your partner isn’t as big a golf fan as you are (and maybe that’s putting it nicely). Still, there are several nearby golf courses that promise to let you work on your swing, while providing enough entertainment for your significant other to forget that you’re actually golfing. The challenge is selecting the perfect golf course.
Neil Sagebiel of Floyd, Virginia, is the blogger behind Armchair Golf Blog. When asked what to look for when selecting a course for a golf date with someone who isn’t an experienced golfer, three aspects come to mind.
“First, I’d look for a golf course that is no more than average in in difficulty. Golf is hard enough without facing a stern layout. Second, a course that isn’t too crowded. Lots of people around can make a less-experienced golfer more nervous. Plus, romance and fun are often aided by more solitude. Third, a scenic golf course can only enhance the golf and date experience.”
“Courses that make golf intimidating,” Sagebiel says, are to be avoided.
So, are baby steps required to get your partner into golf?
A driving range, Sagebiel says, is an excellent choice. “Everyone, it seems, like to hit balls, or at least try. There’s less pressure at the range.”
For the significant other who responds best when promised food, Top Golf, with locations in Ashburn and Alexandria, offers a variety of creative house made burgers, sandwiches and desserts. Injectable donut holes, where the customer chooses and fills the inside of their doughnuts with chocolate, raspberry jelly or cream is a highlight that will make celebrating (or apologizing for) the evening all the easier.
If your guy or gal is an artistic type and are only going to enjoy themselves if they can squeeze a few selfies and #nofilter shots in your outing, Virginia Oaks Golf Club in Gainesville provides a coursewith a beautiful Lake Manassas backdrop.Even if your game winds up being pathetically high-scoring, at least it’ll be easy on the eyes.
The most important thing, Sagebiel concludes, is to remember that having fun is the key. “It’s okay to pick up on a hole and not finish. It’s okay to not keep score. It’s okay to have a laugh together when a shot doesn’t work. The key is just to enjoy yourself, the other person, and being outside on a beautiful landscape.”