Updated on October 20th, 2023 at 11:50 am

Best public golf courses in Maryland

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Golf is a great way to spend a weekend afternoon, but it’s hard to know which golf courses are worth your time and money. There are so many golf courses to choose from, and it can be hard to know which one is the best for you.

Best public golf courses in maryland

Maryland is home to some of the best public golf courses in the country. Maryland’s public golf courses offer a variety of challenging layouts.

Do you want a challenging course that will test your skills? Or do you prefer a more relaxed round of golf on a beautiful course? We’ve done the research for you and have compiled a list of the best public golf courses in Maryland. Let’s take a look.

10 Best public golf courses in maryland

1. Blue Mash Golf Course

For this one, be on your game! Visit the Blue Mash Golf Course in Laytonsville, Maryland, if you want to put your game to the test. The course features short, simple holes for novices and longer, more difficult ones that eliminate all but the most seasoned golfers.

image of blue mash golf course - AEC Info

 

Arthur Hills, a prominent architect, created the Links-style Blue Mash course, which features parks, a forest, and a waterway all found in this area. 

The long course, strategic bunker placement, and length of Blue Mash will appeal to low handicappers, and tricky green placement to be a challenge. However, because there is no forced carry, it is simple for beginners and high handicap golfers to play.

The Blue Mash course has a driving range with target greens, a chipping green and sand trap on each hole, a big pavilion for groups of up to 100 golfers at once, and lit driving ranges for night golf.

At Blue Mash Golf Course, world-class instructors lead instruction on a 10,000-square-foot putting green, grass tee driving range, and short-game practice area.

2. Bulle Rock Golf Course

Bulle Rock, located in Havre de Grace, MD, near Baltimore, is one of golf course architect Pete Dye’s most celebrated works. It hosted the LPGA Championship many times and is still a top-rated course in the country, if not the world.

image of bulle rock golf course - AEC Info

The Bulle Rock Golf Club weaves through wetlands and woodlands and features numerous elevation changes, strategically placed bunkers, and large greens.

The course itself has a fantastic blend of short and long holes that will test the abilities of all players. The ninth hole, a 438-yard par-5 with water coming into play on the second shot, the 14th hole, a 240-yard dogleg left par-4, and of course, the 18th hole, which is almost 600 yards long and takes at least two accurate shots to reach, are some of the more prominent holes.

3. Links At Lighthouse Sound

In the center of the picturesque Eastern Shore near Ocean City, MD sits a top-notch golf course called Links at Lighthouse Sound. It is situated on a large plot of ground with countless thick trees lining up along a spotless seashore, which makes for some lovely vistas while you play 18 holes.

image of links at lighthouse sound - AEC Info

Although it will be difficult for golfers to take their eyes off the Bayside views or trees, they must do so because there are numerous bunkers and slopes that could cause them to lose focus.

We can say that another difficult course is The Links at Lighthouse Sound. One of the more challenging courses in Maryland, you’ll come across a variety of elevation changes and undulations in the greens as you move from hole to hole along the picturesque Assawoman Bay.

4. Worthington Manor Golf Club

Worthington Manor Golf Club, located in Urbana, MD, is a course that was ranked as one of the best public courses in the state by Golfweek.

image of worthington manor golf club - AEC Info

The course has a difficult mixture of holes that are appropriate for golfers with all levels of skill. The front nine is congested, with small tee boxes, high greens, and restricted landing areas that shape the play for golfers who can make bogey or better.

Wider fairways on the back nine make it more forgiving than the front, but the greens are just as challenging.

5. Lake Presidential Golf Club

The Lake Presidential Golf Club, which is located in Upper Marlboro, MD, was designed by Rees Jones and is one of his better works.

image of lake presidential golf club - AEC Info

The 7,230-yard, 18-hole layout winds through highly forested terrain and lush, unspoiled areas. It is a par-72 course. 

A terrific place for family golf, the generous landing zones and five sets of tees provide a fair challenge for golfers of all skill levels. Enjoyable green areas round out the thrill, immaculately maintained playing fields, white-sand bunkers, and attractive streams.

6. Poolesville Golf Course

The Poolesville Golf Course is located in the heart of Montgomery County, MD. The course is a bit short by today’s standards, but it is still a great test of golf, and hosts the Montgomery County public school golf championships each year.

image of poolesville golf course - AEC Info

This course features two picturesque lakes, approximately 7,000 yards of championship golf, and huge, rolling greens. A 2-acre short game practice area and a driving range with both grass and synthetic teeing grounds are two of the top-notch practice facilities that Poolesville Golf Course keeps up.

7. Links at Perry Cabin

The legendary Pete Dye created Links at Perry Cabin, an 18-hole course that winds through breathtaking topography and gorgeous views of Maryland’s famed Eastern Shore, including imposing trees, bunkers, and distinctive water features. 

image of links at perry cabin - AEC Info

You will find that this course will challenge the best of golfers, but at the same time, is extremely fair.  Beautiful and picturesque holes in St. Michaels, Maryland. The course concludes with an unforgettable finishing stretch with views of the magnificent Chesapeake Bay.

8. Rum Pointe Seaside Golf Links

Rum Pointe Seaside Golf Links, located in Berlin, MD (just miles outside Ocean City), is a captivating golf course. No less than 17 of the 18 holes provide a view of the bay, with several holes having immediate bay frontage and offering a shot over the water to shorten the course.

image of rum pointe seaside golf links - AEC Info

Even the par-3 famous 18th hole benefits from vistas of the bay. There are three sand bunkers flanking this green, which is surrounded by water. It is situated on the border of Tilghman Bay, where it twists back over marshland grasses before reaching the Atlantic Ocean.

The hole plays to a huge green that slopes toward the lake, and it is elevated off the fairway as well. Personally speaking, this is my favorite golf course in the Ocean City, MD area.

9. PB Dye Golf Club

P.B. Dye Golf Club, located in Ijamsville, MD, is an interesting and fair test of golf. The course is 18-hole, par-72, and 7,000 yards long. It is one of Maryland’s lengthier courses.

image of pb dye golf club - AEC Info

 

The course has 2 short par 3 holes, 8 par 4 holes, and 6 par 5 holes. With wide fairways surrounded by thick rough and sizable, sand-trapped greens. The course layout is difficult for all levels of golfers.

Numerous tall hardwood trees, including maple, sycamore, and oak trees, frame the front nine. More wide-open vistas may be seen on the back nine, where the trees give way to flowering dogwood, weeping willows, and cedar forests.

10. Waverly Woods Golf Club

Waverly Woods Golf Club is located in Frederick, MD. Its beauty is greatly enhanced by the fairways that are surrounded by trees, and the modest but well-kept greens. Make sure you have enough clubs before starting the back nine because the rough around here can be quite deep.

image of waverly woods golf club - AEC Info

The par-3 17th hole is the most famous. Remember that there are multiple mounds behind the green that, if hit correctly, can lead to a hole-in-one as you tee off to the left and plan your shot to the green. The best part about Waverly Woods is how inexpensive it is in comparison to other nearby golf courses.

Waverly Woods Golf Club is the sister course to the #1 course on this list, Blue Mash Golf Course.

Conclusion

These are the top 10 golf courses in Maryland that you can play. They offer a great challenge for golfers of all skill levels and are sure to provide a memorable round of golf. 

Whether you are looking for a course with stunning views, one that is nestled in the woods, or one that is located on the water, you will find it on this list. So, get out and enjoy a round at one of these beautiful golf courses.

Be sure to check out some other popular posts on AEC Info on public golf courses you can play including Dallas Texas, along with some great Myrtle Beach golf courses and one of our favorite locations, Naples, FL.  We also found some interesting and very enjoyable public tracks in Fullerton, CA along with some great tracks just 30 minutes from Myrtle Beach in Conway, SC.

We are adding new Golf Courses pages weekly, and hope to help you find a great track wherever you may be in the US.  

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