Historic private courses dominate the Maryland rankings—think Congressional (Blue), Baltimore Country Club (East), Burning Tree, and Caves Valley, venue for the PGA Tour’s 2025 BMW Championship. Nonetheless, Maryland is loaded with scenic, testing, value-oriented public layouts that are as appetizing as the state’s Chesapeake Bay blue crabs.
Here are the 10 best golf courses you can play in Maryland.
Bulle Rock, Havre de Grace
Five times the venue for the LPGA Championship (now known as the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship) from 2005–09, this beautiful 1998 brute from Pete Dye that’s situated 40 minutes north of Baltimore unfolds over rolling, tree-lined terrain for 7,375 yards and enjoys several grin-inducing vistas of Chesapeake Bay. The 485-yard par-four final hole with water down the entire left side is one of the Mid-Atlantic’s most memorable closers.
The Links at Perry Cabin, St. Michaels
The Dye family’s mulligan is a boon for Eastern Shore golfers. On a site that once held an early Pete (and brother Roy) design called Harbortowne, a new collaborative creation from Pete, wife Alice, and son P.B. emerged in 2018 that embraced a variety of Dye traits and influences. With a links-like/parkland mix, you’ll encounter a big-time “Biarritz” at the 245-yard par-three 7th, with its huge swale bisecting the front and back of the green, as well as a “Goodnight Kiss” finish reminiscent of TPC Sawgrass at the 487-yard par-four 18th—only here, the water is on the right. While The Links at Perry Cabin operates as a private club, guests who book a stay at the club’s sister property the club’s sister property, the Inn at Perry Cabin, are granted access to tee times.
Whiskey Creek, Ijamsville
One of Ernie Els’s first ventures into golf course design came here in 2000 as a consultant to architect J. Michael Poellot. Located just southeast of Frederick, some 40 miles northeast of Washington, D.C., Whiskey Creek intoxicates with its rustic, countryside setting, dramatically rolling topography, and handsome views of the Catoctin Mountains. Named for a creek that was once used to float barrels of moonshine, the 7,001-yard, par-72 course concludes with a par five of 547 yards that might drive one to drink, as shotmakers must deal with the remnants of an old stone farmhouse in the middle of the fairway. Drive it successfully to the left and there’s a chance to reach the pond-guarded green in two.
The Links at Lighthouse Sound, Bishopville
Situated just west of the Intracoastal Waterway near Ocean City, Lighthouse Sound shines with endless scenery and strategic options to match. This 2001 Arthur Hills design zigzags through wetlands, salt marshes, and hardwoods, often on the same hole. Frequent breezes and forced carries can make the 7,031-yard, par-72 layout play longer and tougher than listed. The top draw is the 430-yard par-four 4th, called “Marshside.” Aptly named, the hole plays to a slender fairway bracketed by Assawoman Bay to the right and a bunker to the left. The approach is a thriller, to a narrow, peninsula green dramatically thrust into the bay, with the Ocean City skyline a compelling backdrop. A superb quartet of par threes and the outstanding 558-yard par-five 12th alongside the St. Martin River are additional highlights.
Musket Ridge, Myersville
Located 12 miles northwest of Frederick in the corner of Maryland that touches Pennsylvania and West Virginia, Musket Ridge, opened in 2001, was the final design of mid-century master Joe Lee, who was best known for laying out courses such as Doral, La Costa, and Cog Hill on behalf of his business partner, Dick Wilson. Musket Ridge perfectly reflects Lee’s design philosophy of fun, fair, and eye-catching. The 6,902-yard, par-72 spread starts with an elevated tee shot at the 408-yard par-four first hole and from there, golfers embrace sloping terrain, strategic bunkering, and views of the Catoctin Mountains for the remainder of the journey.
Rum Pointe, Berlin
Known formally as Rum Pointe Seaside Golf Links, this Ocean City-area collaborative effort is one of Pete and P.B. Dye’s gentler efforts, a 7,001-yard, par-72 layout that sports a modest 122 slope from the tips. It’s definitely one of the duo’s most enjoyable layouts, with 17 of its 18 holes offering Sinepuxent Bay views, including several playing directly alongside, most memorably at the 463-yard par-four 16th. Overlooking Assateague National Seashore, Rum Pointe is often intoxicating in its beauty, with just enough bite to test you, not only at the 16th, but also at the stern 444-yard par-four closer, which serves up a huge lake down the right side and a wild mix of bunker shapes at the green.
Worthington Manor, Urbana
No design firm has been more prolific in the Mid-Atlantic region than Ault, Clark & Associates and among the firm’s worthiest efforts is the very English-sounding Worthington Manor. Located 7.5 miles southeast of Frederick and 37 miles from Washington, D.C., this hilly, variety-filled layout provides a stern test—7,165 yards, par 72, rated 75 and a slope of 144 from the Championship tees—so it’s little wonder that it has served as a U.S. Open qualifier on a dozen occasions, most recently in 2024. Much of the challenge on this 1997 track is traceable to the sprawling bunkers and large, undulating greens but uneven terrain and a plethora of creeks, lakes, and wetlands help to send scores soaring, especially at the daunting closing stretch—the 470-yard par-four 16th, the 223-yard par-three 17th, and the 525-yard par-five 18th.
Eagle’s Landing, Berlin
This Audubon Sanctuary-certified course in the Ocean City area is a 1991 Michael Hurdzan creation that hopscotches the salt marshes off Sinepuxent Bay. Although Eagle’s Landing stretches more than 7,000 yards, par 72 from the Beast tees, precision is favored over power, thanks to water and wetlands on 16 holes. The signature hole on the outgoing nine is the 435-yard par-four 6th. Nicknamed “The Hole From Down Under,” this risk/reward beauty doglegs to the left and calls for a bite-off-as-much-as-you-dare tee shot over a lake that extends from tee to green. Still, it’s the final two holes that will leave you in agony or ecstasy. The former is a 207-yard par three with a huge green—and nothing but salt marsh, grass, and sand between tee box and putting surface. This sets the table for the finale, a 393-yard test of nerve called the “Beast of the East.” A solid layup drive leaves 160 or so yards virtually entirely over salt marsh, with nary a bailout.
Maryland National, Middletown
Yet another quality course nestled into the foothills of the Catoctin Mountains, Maryland National was designed by Arthur Hills in 2002. It’s located 10 miles west of Frederick and yields lovely views of the mountains and valleys. At 6,811 yards, par 71, it’s plenty tough from the tips, with a 73.6 rating and a slope of 139—you just need to survive the front nine, which measures 400 yards longer than the narrower back nine. Woods, wetlands, and elevation changes conspire to challenge every level of golfer. What levels the playing field are the short holes, such as the 339-yard par-four 10th and the 336-yard par-four 16th, which can’t be overpowered. The latter hole in particular features a stream to the left of the downward-sloping, right-to-left fairway, so the slightest tug brings double bogey into the picture.
Hyatt River Marsh, Cambridge
This aptly named layout is a 2002 Keith Foster creation that sits 16 miles south of the Eastern Shore town of Easton. River Marsh serves as the prime recreational amenity of the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa and Marina—also aptly named. The theme here is water, and you’ll find it in abundance on this 6,801-yard, par-71 track, which is brimming with lakes, creeks, and wetlands. River Marsh builds to a crescendo finish. The 203-yard par-three 17th hole demands a robust carry over wide Shoal Creek, while the 562-yard par-five 18th meanders along the Choptank River which runs up the left side from tee to green.
Have you played golf in Maryland? Tell us about your favorite rounds in the comment section.
