Need Course Recommendations Please

[player922000]

I’m looking for recommendations for the best courses with 1.5 hours or so of Baltimore County MD. I’m also interested in recommendations for long weekend golf getaways within a 4-5 hour drive or so. Any help is appreciated! 

[NewToGolf19]

Bulle Rock in Havre De Grace, MD

 

long weekends:

ocean city md

Nemacolin, PA

Crystal Springs, NJ

williamsburg, VA

[bcjim]

Worthington manor.

[jholz]

Tons of great places in that neck of the woods. For a couple of more "off-the-beaten path" suggestions:

 

For a fun and economical day trip - Manchester Links north-east of York.

 

For a fun and economical weekend getaway - Olde Mill in south-western Virginia.

 

 

[grochol17]

On 6/5/2023 at 7:08 PM, player922000 said:

I’m looking for recommendations for the best courses with 1.5 hours or so of Baltimore County MD. I’m also interested in recommendations for long weekend golf getaways within a 4-5 hour drive or so. Any help is appreciated! 

 

Do you live in Baltimore County and you're looking for places to play, or is this a trip of some kind and you're going to play once at the best course you can find?  Also, what part of the county are you in?  It's a huge county and can take an hour to drive from one end to the other...

[player922000]

14 minutes ago, grochol17 said:

 

Do you live in Baltimore County and you're looking for places to play, or is this a trip of some kind and you're going to play once at the best course you can find?  Also, what part of the county are you in?  It's a huge county and can take an hour to drive from one end to the other...

 

I live in the White Marsh area and am looking for places around here to try out. I'm also planning a weekend trip and was wondering what some good places within a reasonable drive would be that aren't outrageously expensive lol Thanks!

[grochol17]

From White Marsh google maps says it's only about 30 min to Bulle Rock, and it's arguably the best course in the area, so definitely worth playing.  If I lived as close as you do I'd probably look into being a member there.  I've also played Wyncote (outside of Oxford, PA), which is about an hour away from you.   Nice layout in very good condition the times I played it, but that was 5+ years ago at this point.

 

I used to live in Lutherville and usually ended up driving out west on I-70 toward the Frederick area (I wasn't too far from Pine Ridge... I liked that layout, but at the time rounds regularly took 6 hours on weekends).  I now live in Northern Virginia and still hit some of the same courses regularly:

 

Worthington Manor is a tough layout and usually in good shape, though they've been having some troubles this spring. 

 

Musket Ridge is a great course and also usually in very good shape, but I think their prices are a bit high, so I don't get out there often (mostly just for tournaments on the amateur tours I'm a part of).

 

Little Bennett is part of a regional park and typically in good shape.  Lots of tree lined holes and elevation changes.  I find it fun to play, but some of the greens have so much slope on them that if you get above the hole on a firm, fast day, it can be really frustrating to watch your ball roll and roll and roll away from the hole.  

 

Lake Presidential is another one that is a good layout usually in good shape, but I haven't been out there in two years.

 

Normally I'd also recommend checking out Blue Mash, but they recently were sold (along with Waverly Woods) to a new owner that jacked up all the prices and, while I really like the course, I don't think it is worth what they are charging.

 

 

For a long weekend, I don't have a ton of suggestions that are a "must"... Queenstown Harbor (just across the Bay Bridge) has two courses that are good, but not great in my opinion, though I know a lot of people that love them. 

 

Penn National (near Fayetteville, PA) also has two courses.  I really enjoy the Iron Forge course, but the Founders course is only ok. 

 

Rock Harbor golf course near Winchester, VA also has a pair of courses that are built, at least partly, on an old rock quarry.  It's got some good holes and some really funky ones, too. 

 

Also, as mentioned, Ocean City has a lot of courses.  I've only played Rum Pointe and Links at Lighthouse Sound, both of which are on the bays that are between the barrier islands and the Atlantic.  As you can imagine, they get windy.  I enjoyed Rum Pointe because it was tough in the wind, but still playable.  Links was less fun to me because it was a hard course and when the wind kicked up some holes became brutal.  Being out in Ocean City is expensive in season, but it has the benefit over the other places that I mentioned that there is more to do when you're done with golf.

[golfinbrad]

Any thoughts of coming north to PA?  Be about an hour and half up 140, 70 or 15 depending on how you go.  Several good courses and typically much cheaper than down you way.  Could even make it a weekend trip. 

Edited June 9, 2023 by golfinbrad

[Greenie]

Everyone is spot on with their recommendations. I'll add some not already mentioned.

All of these have stay and play packages:

Carroll Valley, PA

The Bridges, PA

Cacapon State Park,WVa

Shenvalee, Va

I don't know about the cost of the packages but all of these courses I can play for under $50 and are in good condition all the time. They also have other courses nearby if you want to branch out.

Mentioned above Penn National has two courses and you can bring your own beer if you are into drinking. It's a dry county. They have two courses and Caledonia golf course is down the road. It's a shorter course but it is fun to play.

 

[DoughBack18]

You’re not far from Central Pa, and there are some good public options there.
 

Dauphin Highlands

Iron Valley

Links at Gettysburg

Penn National (2 courses and lodging)

Heritage Hills (on site hotel)

Pilgrims Oak

 

Dauphin Highlands and Iron Valley are the best 2 out of that bunch in my opinion. Pilgrims is also a really good layout. Penn National has 2 completely different courses, one treelined and the other more links like. I’ve played Heritage literally thousands of times so I’m negatively biased towards it, but they do offer stay and plays and its hosted the PA state high school championships for a while. From the Baltimore area all are a reasonable drive and will be very price competitive vs what you pay down in that area.

[ll.umpire]

On the more expensive end you could do a few days in Frederick and play:

-Worthington Manor (I'm biased as I was a cart kid there during HS, but it's a beautiful course and tough track)

-Whiskey Creek

-Musket Ridge

-Maryland National

 

Each of those are $75+

 

That's 4 REALLY nice courses.

 

I'm currently planning a trip to Williamsburg, VA which also has a bunch of really nice courses (and for a lot less than Frederick area if you have the tee time book).

 

Links at Gettysburg is a really nice track with beautiful views ($33 on Tuesdays in the tee time book)

 

Penn National Founders course was nice, but I'd put it below the Frederick courses above. Haven't played Iron Forge there yet.

[grochol17]

On 6/29/2023 at 11:59 AM, ll.umpire said:

Links at Gettysburg is a really nice track with beautiful views ($33 on Tuesdays in the tee time book)

What is this "tee time book" of which you speak?

 

On 6/29/2023 at 11:59 AM, ll.umpire said:

Penn National Founders course was nice, but I'd put it below the Frederick courses above. Haven't played Iron Forge there yet.

I really like the Iron Forge course... pretty open without many trees, so you get some pretty wide open views.  Some elevation changes, too, adding to the variety.  I was not a fan of the Founders course... relatively flat and many holes lined with really tall trees makes it feel like you're in a tunnel. 

[ll.umpire]

49 minutes ago, grochol17 said:

What is this "tee time book" of which you speak?

 

I really like the Iron Forge course... pretty open without many trees, so you get some pretty wide open views.  Some elevation changes, too, adding to the variety.  I was not a fan of the Founders course... relatively flat and many holes lined with really tall trees makes it feel like you're in a tunnel. 

 It's TeeTimeGolfPass. If you go to the website and click on the mid Atlantic one, it'll let you search the courses and offers. It's normally $60 but July 1st it always drops to $35. It's a steal at $60, let alone 35. Next week I'm gonna play Iron Forge (based on what you said, thank you!) for the first time, it's in the book for $55.

 

 

I'm going to Williamsburg and playing Royal New Kent, Viniterra, and Golden Horseshoe Green soon using the book.

[IsThatGood17]

Worthington, whiskey creek, and PB Dye are all around Frederick and beautiful

tracks