Two Mason District park projects honored

The White Gardens

Two Fairfax County parks were honored by the Virginia Recreation and Park Society, and both of them are in Mason District.

The Indoor Valis Family Learning Center at the Pinecrest Golf Course was honored as the Best New Renovation/Addition in the Bricks and Mortar category for a population area greater than 200,000.

The dedication of the Valis Family Golf Learning Center in September 2018.

The centerpiece of the Pincrest Golf Course renovation is a TrackMan 4 Golf Simulator, one of the industry’s newest, enhanced simulators. Avid golfer and Bailey’s Crossroads resident Wayne Valis donated $25,000 for the simulator.

The TrackMan allows golfers to access 30+ data points on their swing and practice models to improve skills, and it offers golfers the chance to play virtual rounds of golf regardless of the weather.

Learn more about the Pinecrest Golf Center at the Taste of Annandale. The Fairfax County Park Authority’s Golf Program is a Gold-level sponsor, and will have representatives at the Oct. 5 community festival.

The Margaret K. White Horticultural Park Restoration project received an award for the Best New Environmental Sustainability Project in a population area greater than 200,000.

The White Gardens, a 13.6-acre park at 6711 Princess Anne Lane in Falls Church, has noteworthy horticultural resources that were cultivated by the White family throughout most of the 20th century.

Fairfax County Park Authority staff formed a cross-divisional project team to restore the property as part of its Helping Our Land Heal program. The project focused on managing invasive species and restoring the park’s grassland meadow.