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Golf Maryland

Few states can boast a heritage so steeped in American History as Maryland. George Washington dubbed it the "Old Line State" in honor of the Maryland Line troops who served in so many of the battles of the Revolutionary War, fighting to procure our independence from England. It is onto that rich and sacred ground that we visit the golf courses of Maryland.

For such a small area, Maryland must be divided into logical and geographical regions. Washington, DC, resides within Maryland. Then there’s a Baltimore area, and an Ocean City area, and finally the Eastern Shores. We’ll address each of these separately.

There are at least 26 courses in the DC area alone. Baltimore also enjoys at least 26. Most of the Ocean City region’s courses are centered around Berlin, MD. Eastern Shores has over 20, and the southern part of Maryland claims another dozen, including the Annapolis Golf Club.

Within Maryland, the Washington Post ranks these as the top nine: Bulle Rock in Havre de Grace is a very difficult Pete Dye design. This course is obviously intended for the serious player. Swan Point earned high marks with Zagat for its picturesque scenery, but it certainly would have had to have more than just that going for it to gain the number two spot. Atlantic Golf at Queenstown Harbor provides significant water hazards keep you at your best. The Links at Lighthouse Sound comes in at #4, gaining Ocean City a spot, and bragging of that one of the nines plays right along the shoreline. Rum Pointe Seaside Links gives Ocean City number five spot as well, for its reputed to be a tough course, but a fair one. Links-style, this high-tech Dye & Dye design earns 4.5 stars from Golf Digest and a place in our recommendations as well. Whiskey Creek in Frederick comes in at number six with this Ernie Els design featuring a farmhouse halfway through the fairway. Atlantic Golf at South River in Annapolis earns mention as number seven for the state. Appropriate to its locale, this course will demand exacting precision of the player, just as does the Naval Academy. Beechtree in Aberdeen may not make you sweat as Bulle Rock does, but it doesn’t make your wallet bleed so badly either, and allows most players a much more enjoyable 18 holes. Finishing off the survey is Eagle’s Landing in Berlin. A municipal course, it has come to be known as the Best on the Beach – both for the play and the pocketbook.

One could expect the nation’s capital to be surrounded by courses as beautiful as they are demanding. Most visitors to the DC area forget to allow themselves time to play these courses. With so much grace and history available, perhaps golfing in Maryland deserves a time tee time all its' own. It isn’t DC alone that has the draw. Just spending time in the hills of Timonium can make the journey to Baltimore worthwhile by itself. A golf vacation that offers both outstanding courses and such significant landmarks can’t help but be a winner!