LANSDOWNE RESORT IN VIRGINIA: ESCAPE WITH EASE

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45 Holes of Championship Golf and So Much More

Seeking a weekend getaway within driving distance, while taking in some historic sights, sipping wine, and teeing it up? Consider Loudon County, Virginia, and its abundant vineyards, picture-perfect scenery and glorious views.

Twenty-five miles from Washington, D.C. awaits Lansdowne Resort, which boasts three of the region’s finest courses open to the members and resort guests. Here, 500 perfect acres overlook the Potomac River Valley. The golf is not only good but offers great variety, thanks to two of the more imaginative architects working today. Then, assuming you can pull yourself off the courses, there’s much, much more to entertain!

The Robert Trent Jones Jr. course makes the most of the area’s rolling terrain, bringing elevation, water, and mental challenge into play. For example, the par-3 13th hole drops some 50 feet from tee to green and requires carrying a creek as well as a stone wall that was built when Virginia was still a colony. The mix of classic and risk/reward holes will keep golfers or all skill levels engaged from start to finish.

The Greg Norman course, designed by one of the game’s best-known stars, is flatter, playing along the Potomac, through hardwood forest, and past rocky outcroppings, and includes a four-hole stretch at the end that the Shark himself labeled “the hardest mile in golf.” But power isn’t the only prerequisite as the golfer will have to make plenty of strategic decisions and make careful club selections into the mostly raised greens.

Both courses offer a choice of tees, making them suitable for all. New or non-golfers, as well as juniors, families, and really anyone else, will have a blast on Norman’s “Sharkbite” course, nine entertaining holes with enough charm and challenge to guarantee a good time along with stunning river views.

If you’re looking to learn or improve your game, check out The Lansdowne Golf Academy. Instruction is available one-to-one, in groups, and with a range of programs for juniors from 4 through teens. The Academy is one of the few facilities in the region with advanced biomechanics systems to capture and analyze every component of the swing.

Golf is hardly the only recreation on property. There are two lighted tennis courts and three pickleball courts, where both equipment rental and court time are complimentary. The Fitness Center offers much more than your neighborhood gym, with the full range of machines as well as weights, suspension systems, group classes, and indoor heated pool and hot tub, access to hiking and biking rails (they’ll even lend you the bikes), and an outdoor basketball court. Then dive into the Aquatic Complex, where you’ll find three outdoor pools, both a waterslide and waterfall, the privacy of plush personal cabanas, and pool-side dining and drinking.

Far less rigorous activity can be found in the exceptional Spa Minérale, where the mind and spirit receive as much attention as the body. A long menu of treatments is available, along with steam rooms and dry saunas, whirlpools and salon services, and full-body experiences. Combination spa packages are available, as are packages for golfers, couples, and groups of all sizes.

Having made sure you’ve worked up an appetite, the resort offers dining from gourmet to casual, with regional cuisine and tavern fare, as well as poolside and by the golf course. Check the resort calendar for special wine dinners and live entertainment. And when it’s finally time to rest, luxurious guestrooms and suites feature the latest in style and amenities, swaddling guests with intimate elegance and comfort.

The website features seasonal packages and special offers. www.lansdowneresort.com

Lansdowne Resort

44050 Woodridge Parkway

Leesburg, VA 20176

Golf: 703/729-4071 

Resort: 877/509-8400 or 703/729-8400