Four Itchy Feet

October 15, 2025. Reston, Virginia.

Today we played a round of golf at the wonderful Reston National Golf Course. As one of the busiest courses in Northern Virginia, a tee time should be booked well in advance. We’d wanted to play here for a while, and the stars finally aligned for our first round.

Reston National is a well-established course that opened its doors in 1970. It is a classic Northern Virginia course, designed by the famous golf architect Edmund Ault. The course is characterized as a regulation-style layout set on gently rolling, mature land. The design utilizes the natural topography and features tall trees, giving it a truly classic Northern Virginia feel.

The course is a certified Audubon International Cooperative Sanctuary, reflecting a commitment to environmental stewardship and wildlife preservation. In fact, we saw a fox stroll across the number one fairway as we started our round! The course’s layout is notably woven around several residential clusters in Reston, including Hunters Green and Golf Course View, making it a prominent feature of the community landscape.

Reston National has survived 55 years of urban sprawl and development. This 168-acre course has been the subject of several land-use disputes over the years; as one of the largest privately-owned land resources in Reston, its potential for redevelopment (particularly for housing) has been frequently debated and met with strong community resistance from groups like Rescue Reston. The course was given new life in 2019 when it was purchased by War Horse Cities, a community investment company that has poured resources into making Reston National a world-class golf complex.

During our round, we were challenged by the greens, which had been aerated just last week. Reston National uses DryJect, an advanced aeration system that drills smaller holes into the green and immediately fills them with sand and other soil enhancements. The greens had recovered extremely well from the treatment and were in playable condition despite the recent work.

Overall, we had a great time at Reston National; the course is well-laid out and provided plenty of challenges without frustrating the average golfer. Care must be used when teeing off, as the fairways tend to be inclined, making precise tee shot placement a must. If you’re in the Northern Virginia area and can score a tee time, we highly encourage you to visit!