Heading to Ocean City for vacation this summer? Don’t forget to bring your golf clubs.
Want to take a day trip to golf elsewhere in Maryland? That’s very possible.
Looking to sharpen your game before hitting the course? There’s a spot for that, too.
Be sure to plan ahead, though, because plenty of others have the same ideas in mind.
“Since the pandemic, nationwide golf has been on a definite upswing,” Ocean City Golf Getaway executive director Walter M. Brooks said.
Golfers of all skill levels have a wide variety of options in Maryland, spanning from the Appalachian Mountains to the Eastern Shore. For many in the state, summer means taking a trip to Ocean City, where there are plenty of courses to choose from.
Courses near Ocean City include Eagle’s Landing; Glen Riddle — Man O’ War; Glen Riddle — War Admiral; Heritage Shores Club; Links at Lighthouse Sound Golf Club; Nutters Crossing Golf Club; Ocean City Golf Club — Newport Bay; Ocean City Golf Club — Seaside; Ocean Pines Golf Club, and Rum Pointe Seaside Golf Links.
“We’re a mini-Myrtle Beach,” Brooks said. “We’re a very popular golf destination from the Northeast and pulling from the mid-Atlantic.”
Brooks said that from mid-June to mid-September, when families are in town for summer vacations, golfers should call for a tee time 48 to 72 hours in advance for a morning round. In the spring and fall, stay-and-play packages mean that courses book up to a year in advance. Golfers can call Ocean City Golf Getaway at 800-462-4653 for help with locking in a round and lodging if necessary.
Brooks suggested beginners play at Glen Riddle — Man O’ War, Ocean City Golf Club — Seaside and Ocean Pines Golf Club because those courses don’t feature many hazards that must be cleared off the tee.
“The first thing, you want to make sure you’re playing the right tees depending on what the caliber of your game is, what’s your handicap,” Brooks said. “But yes, we do have some courses here that are for more of the beginners that have just been maybe reintroduced to the game since the pandemic that are I don’t want to say less challenging, but more golfer-friendly because there are less forced carries off the tee.”
The most challenging course in terms of forced carries is the Links at Lighthouse Sound Golf Club, which was No. 75 in Golf Magazine’s Top 100 Courses You Can Play in 2016.
“That would be the most scenic golf course that we have here at the beach,” Brooks said.
There are plenty of other options in the state. Calvert Hall golf coach Drew Forrester says Chesapeake Bay Golf Club in Rising Sun, Queenstown Harbor in Queenstown, Hog Neck Golf Course in Easton, Maryland National Golf Club in Middletown, Clustered Spires Golf Club in Frederick and Beaver Creek Country Club in Hagerstown all make for good day trips for area golfers.
Forrester says the best spots for a 5-to-10-handicap golfer to test his or her game are Bulle Rock Golf Course in Havre de Grace, Worthington Manor Golf Club in Urbana and the River Course at Queenstown Harbor.
Forrester says golfers will find quality greens wherever they go in Maryland.
“Now, there are some courses that might be challenged with some drainage issues when you get these thunderstorms in July and August, that they have some specific challenges as it relates to drying things out,” Forrester said. “But I think what you’re going to find in the mid-Atlantic for the most part is the greens are always good. That’s probably one of the things most golfers would say they want more than anything.”
Forrester suggests that beginners check out Baltimore’s Classic Five golf courses on a weekday afternoon if possible. Carroll Park, Clifton Park, Forest Park and Mount Pleasant are in Baltimore, while Pine Ridge is in Timonium.
“You get a 2 or 3 o’clock on a Wednesday afternoon or Thursday afternoon somewhere, you kind of have your choice of a bunch of different places to go,” Forrester said. “You can go play at your leisure and you don’t have to feel like you’re under a lot of stress to play quickly or you have to look for your golf ball and people are playing and are on top of you. You can just go at your pace.”
Classic Five also gives golfers a chance to improve their game through Toptracer technology, which was installed at the Pine Ridge driving range last summer. Golfers get instant feedback after swings, from the distance and height of the shot, ball speed, launch angle and more. Golfers can also play virtual golf courses and take on their friends in games testing each other’s skills.
Toptracer has been a hit, according to Classic Five executive director Tom Pierce.
“Our feedback’s been very good. People enjoy it. People like doing it,” Pierce said. “We have such a diverse group of people that utilize that range from people that weekly come out and hit golf balls to work on their game. Others, they’re trying new clubs.”
This summer, golfers can find a food trailer at the Pine Ridge driving range. So in addition to sharpening their game, golfers can enjoy food and beverage — sandwiches, burgers, fries, water, soda, beer and even mixed drinks.
“In the summer, we see date nights. That’s why we wanted to add the food in this,” Pierce said. “You’ll see in June, July, weekdays and weekend evenings, you’ll see couples out there. You’ll see small groups of friends — boys and girls — three, four of them out there having a good time. With this program, we feel it has something for everyone.”
Photo Credits: Courtesy of Ocean City Golf Getaway
Originally published June 15, 2023