The Ultimate Neighborhood for Golf Course Living: Avenel in Potomac

Avenel is a planned community dating from the 1980s on the site of a large farm not far from Potomac Village.  The community’s street boundaries are Persimmon Tree Road on the north, Country Club Drive on the east, Rock Run Park on the south, and Avenel Farm Drive on the west.  Oaklyn Drive, its main street, winds through the neighborhood with other streets like Crimson Leaf and Avenel Farm Drive branching off.  It is a golf course community of expensive single-family homes and townhomes built around TPC at Avenel, a private golf club operated by the PGA Tour. The ultimate neighborhood for golf course living is waiting for you to call Avenel home!

Some of the most expensive homes in Montgomery County, Maryland are located in Avenel.  Although the neighborhood is known for its large and stately luxury homes, Avenel is also home to Montgomery County’s example of inclusionary zoning, as the neighborhood also has a large number of smaller single family Cape Cod homes which seamlessly blend into the community. Located on Pleasant Gate Lane, these homes are approximately 1320 sq ft on the two above grade levels and offer 4 bedrooms, and 2.5 baths.  Avenel includes two communities of large town homes, one built by Mitchell and Best and the other built by Sam Pardoe.  The term town home may be slightly deceptive since they are both communities of town homes back to the fairways with more than 2700 square feet of living space.

Abbey Terrace – is a community of Georgian homes on 1/4 acre lots and larger, overlooking the 5th fairway of the golf course and just off Avenel Farm Drive, one of the major streets. The homes in Abbey Terrace have classic architectural styling and details which set them apart from the rest of Avenel.

The homes in Chartwell, built by Martens Edwards, have always struck me as being as solid as a bank building.  This is another small community of homes, described as neoclassical, located long the 6th and 7th fairways of Avenel at the far west end of the community.  The homes at Chartwell were built in the late 1980s and are off Oaklyn Drive, the main street through Avenel.   Some of the homes in Chartwell have first floor primary bedrooms, making them particularly appealing for anyone who is thinking of a home to age in place.  In 2024, homes in Chartwell sold between $1.6M and $1.75M.

If you are looking for a small community in Avenel, Deer Hollow may be just right! This community has only five homes in it!  Deer Hollow is on the third fairway very close to the Avenel Park, a community park of soccer and ball fields.

Eagle Ridge is a distinctive community within Avenel.  It is on the far south side of Avenel with a separate entrance off MacArthur Boulevard. Eagle Ridge is a heavily wooded community next to the Rock Run Stream Valley Park and the 10th, 11th and 12th fairways.  It affords very easy access to downtown Washington by the Clara Barton Parkway and the Beltway provides easy access to Virginia and further up into Montgomery County.  If you are looking for a particularly large home, you will likely find it in Eagle Ridge on a larger than usual lot.

The Gates at Avenel is an award-winning courtyard homes and single family homes clustered in brick-walled enclaves at the eastern edge of the community, nestled between the 13th fairway and the Rock Run Stream Valley Park. Built in the “Old World” architectural tradition, these homes are approximately 3500 square feet on three finished levels and sell around $1.75M. The Gates is another collection of homes perfect for someone hoping to avoid the landscaping chores and upkeep of a traditional single family home.

Oaklyn Woods is a village adjacent to the 4th and 5th fairways with homes on lots ranging from a half acre to an acre.  Homes in Oaklyn Woods offer a varied architectural style since some of them were built for specific owners or as spec houses rather than part of a larger development by a single builder.

Players Crossing  is a community of “cityhomes” or townhomes built by Mitchell and Best, a popular local builder, with many of their trademark features like screened porches and step down living rooms.  These homes have garages typically in front of the homes.  These homes are along the 13th and 15th fairways and some overlook a little lake.  These homes typically have three to four bedrooms, three and a half baths and a finished lower level.  They are between 2700 and nearly 3300 square feet.  They also typically have an enclosed terrace overlooking the golf course and a covered loggia off the main level, making you feel like the golf course is right in front of you!  In 2024, prices in Players Crossing ranged from $1.4M to $1.998M.

Players Turning is a separate village, featuring a collection of homes built between Avenel Park and the 4th Fairway. These are large homes built in a traditional style.

Pleasant Gate is a lovely collection of three level cape cods, each with a finished basement and four bedrooms.  They were originally built as moderately priced dwelling units (MPDUs), offering a chance for some to live in Avenel who could otherwise not afford the homes.  These homes are off of Oaklyn and very close to the Avenel Park. There is ample off street parking and many of the homes have small patios behind them for grilling and summer dinners with friends.

Prescott was build by the well regarded Washington builder, Sam Pardoe, as one of his last projects before his death around 1990. You can watch the golfers on the hole behind the house or the Canadian geese meandering across the course. These were very expensive and beautifully finished townhomes or single family homes on small lot sizes that were particularly appealing to anyone downsizing into a home with less upkeep.

Rapley Preserve was one of the last communities in Avenel to be completed.  With a gate at the entrance, Rapley Preserve offers a level of privacy and exclusivity within Avenel that none of the other villages provides.  These are all custom homes on up to two acres.  Since this is a closed community, you really do have the sense of a neighborhood here.  With the larger lot sizes come the larger price tags.  Rapley Preserve is one of the more expensive communities within Avenel.

Saunders Gate, one of the earliest villages to be completed,  is part of Avenel, but it is physically separated from Avenel, making it technically part of the overall community without feeling integrated into it.  It is on the northeast side of Avenel, running off of Persimmon Tree across from the Congressional Country Club golf course. These are large homes on two acres.

Willow Gate is a village along Holly Leaf and Willow Gate.  It is home to spacious single-family homes, many with golf course views along the 13th and 14th fairways, on 1/4 to 1/2 acre lots.

Here are the homes currently on the market in Avenel.  If you see one that is of interest to you, just give us a call at 240-401-5577 or email us at lise@lisehowe.com.

 

 

Life at Avenel as the ultimate neighborhood for golf course living comes with a beautiful club house in addition to a stellar golf course.  Built in 1986, TPC Potomac’s beautiful newly renovated 35,000 square-foot clubhouse serves as a welcoming focal point for dining, hospitality and relaxation. Featuring numerous members-only areas, the Clubhouse encompasses:

• Casual and formal dining
• Banquet room
• A members lounge
• A private Boardroom
• The Executive Suite
• Full-service men’s and women’s locker rooms
• An award-winning golf shop that has been named by Golf World Business among the “Top 100 Golf Shops in the U.S.”
• Expansive stone patio
• Two indoor Trackman simulators

If you would like to live in Avenel, just give us a call at 240-401-5577 or email us at lise@lisehowe.com.  There are never many homes for sale in Avenel, because very few people ever want to leave!