Ellicott City

Accommodations:

Turf Valley Resort

Location:

Turf Valley, The Original Course                                                                                         The 18-hole "Original" course at the Turf Valley Resort facility features all the hallmarks of Maryland golf.  Designed by Edmund B. Ault, ASGCA/Brian T. Ault, ASGCA, the Original golf course opened in 1958. It's a combination of the previous North and South golf courses, consisting of nine holes from the North and nine from the South. The north side of the course is more open and shorter than the other courses in the complex.  It has an abundance of quality par 4's of less than 400 yards that challenge your club selection off the tee more than in the fairway.  The terrain undulates severely at times.  Hazards of various forms can make your day a little aggravating.  #12 is a good example where an oak tree and a lake in front the green can produce a bogey on this short 312-yard hole. The south side of the course is the newest of the Ault designs and makes you become a shot maker or a bogey maker.  It also is longer than the other nine.  With abundant wildlife on the course, it also can be a distraction.  #2 is a favorite where you need a well struck tee shot to carry the lake and then the second shot is uphill to the green.  Choose a longer club.

Turf Valley, The Hialeah Course                                                                                         This course is the most challenging design. Its tight, tree-lined fairways place a premium on accuracy off the tee. Some dramatic elevation changes at times make club selection difficult. Bunkers guard many greens, and streams keep popping up to grab wayward shots. The East Course is the shot maker course; the resident Golf Pro's favorite holes are 13, 15 and 17  #13 is an often unlucky hole with 171 yards of carry over a lake with bunkers guarding both front sides; it is pretty to look at though.  On 15, you may encounter a creek running down the left side plus you need to negotiate the lake with your approach shot. The seventeenth is a piece of cake if you like elongated par 5’s with a fairway that has out of bounds on the right and homes on the left and the fairway breaks of the face of the earth to the left.  The green is even long, so figure out where the pin is and you have it made

Waverly Woods
This Arthur Hills designed course is spectacular. I need not say more, but I will. Hills created this for his Son Joe and his partner Tom Healy and it is a beauty. The course works its way through rolling farmland and woods and provides a real test, along with some of the most breathtaking scenery you'll find. The fairways are sloping and rolling, so you often have a side hill, down hill or up hill lie. After playing the last three holes on the front nine, you will deserve a cold one at the turn. #8 is 538 yards into a predominant wind. You need a great tee shot and the fairways slopes to the left where water awaits. And if you go right you're in the trees. Good luck and enjoy that beverage.

Worthington Manor
Ed Ault shows off his modern day proficiency with this lush course intelligently carved from the Frederick county country side. The pace of play at this track is remarkable. It seems that there is never a wait and the time of play is well below an average round. From the back box you can imagine the US Open. At least this was one of the qualifying sites in 1999 and 2000. The Washington Golf Monthly already ranks it in their list of Mid-Atlantic 's 100 Best Public Courses.
 

P B Dye Golf Club
A course has to be a special place when someone names it after themselves. P B Dye designed this track and features the only G2 bent grass greens in the state of Maryland. These babies can burn up the stimp meter. One of the newer seed varieties, G-2 is also used at the Pinehurst No. 2 course. Throughout the course, closely mowed collection areas and the large greens replicate conditions seen on the PGA TOUR. The fairways are large, rolling, and well-guarded by huge bunkers. P.B. Dye Golf Club offers over 40 acres of closely cut fairways, making for a firm playing surface where big drives are the norm. Many of the fairways roll downhill from the tee and allow for spectacular tee shots, so don’t hold back! Mr. Dye is quoted as saying, "Be prepared to use every club in your bag." You will. Here's another Frederick County gem. The degree of difficulty is extreme. Even the white tees carry a slope rating of 132. I suggest prayer if the wind is blowing. With the water hazards and the grunge, you will be challenged to the max. The most unforgettable feature at P.B. Dye Golf Club is the beautiful waterfall and twin ponds that flank the 9th and 18th greens. Situated under the Clubhouse, this attraction is a truly remarkable site and a fitting place to complete a round of golf on a great golf course!