First the bad news. As of today, there are still no golf courses in Maryland open for play. The closest to opening are those around Ocean City and southern Eastern Shore since those courses received the least amount of snow and ice and have had (slightly) warmer temperatures since then. A couple of them have indicated that with temperatures in the 40s in the next couple of days they expect to be open. Will keep you posted when I find out which ones are open for play. Stay tuned.
The good news. We’re adding video to our Course Previews/Reviews and have purchased a GoPro Hero 13 Black to start recording 4k video of Maryland golf courses. As many of you YouTube fans are aware, there are plenty of videos out there that already cover many of the higher priced courses and some courses have excellent websites with details, photos and drawings of every hole. Hopefully, We’ll be able to add value as we learn how to shoot great video and edit like the pros.
Well, as of today there are still no golf courses in Maryland that are open to the public due to the snow and ice, but there are a few on the Eastern Shore that are getting close – Glen Riddle and Great Hope are two of them. They suggest that early next week they may be capable of opening. In the meantime, in addition to hours of watching golf videos on YouTube, you may want to spend a little time reading The Royal and Ancient’s Pace of Play Manual. I’m (pretty) sure that I’m not the slowest golfer out there but there is plenty that I can improve upon. It’s here if you’d like to read it.
Pretty much all of Maryland is covered in a thick blanket of snow. Most years we can get away with at least a few courses playable, but not this month. The forecast suggests that melting is going to take awhile. In the meantime, there are several indoor driving range/simulators available throughout the state. See the list.
I had planned on going out on a new course today, but Mother Nature had other plans. It snowed yesterday, just enough to cover the ground and then froze solid overnight. I decided to treat myself to a Top Tracer practice round at the SPGC since I’m generally too cheap to buy a launch monitor. An hour on Top Tracer and a bucket of 80 balls cost $18. I ended up hitting half and three-quarter sand wedges, pitching wedge, 8-iron, 5-iron, 4-wood and driver. For some unknown reason, I am a worse ball striker on the range than I am on the golf course. Perhaps it’s hitting off the mats, getting tired from hitting that many shots in a short period of time or it could be that I subconsciously trying to squeeze just a little more distance out of a club since you get automatic feedback on the results. Whatever the reason, I don’t play to my 18.1 handicap when I go there.
If you haven’t done Top Tracer or used a launch monitor, it’s pretty sweet that they can pull that much data together each time you hit the ball. Top Tracer reports the carry distance, total distance, ball speed, launch angle, peak flight height, landing angle, hang time, how much the ball curved left or right and how offline the shot was. After each shot, you can look at the monitor in your bay to see the results, including a graphic, and while that is interesting, I find it much more helpful to look at the data collected on my phone after I get home and potentially comparing it with future practice sessions. If you want to do that, you need to download the Top Tracer app on your phone (before you go to the range) and set up an account, all of which is free. When you get to the range, you pay for Top Tracer in the pro shop and then scan the QR code in the bay to get it to sync with your account. In addition to SPCG, Top Tracer is also available at the Mountain Branch Golf Course in Joppa and the Pine Ridge Golf Course in Timonium. The app also allows the user to play several games that require you to hit a ball at specific targets, but I haven’t tried any of those yet. If you don’t have a launch monitor, you should try it. It will only cost you $18.
What were the big takeaways from the range session? First, it appears that about 95% of my wedge shots landed left of the target. That wasn’t something I had picked up during my last couple of rounds, but it does explain the number of greens that I’m missing. And now that I’m thinking about it, I was almost always chipping towards the pin from the left side. Until I can get back to the range and check my alignment, I’m going to start aiming toward the right side of the green to try to improve my greens in regulation. Second, there was a lot more consistency with my 4-wood off the deck than I’ve had in the past, and it was a little more than 10 yards longer than my 3-iron. I probably should pull that out on my second shot at the par 5s and maybe even on the tee shot on some of the tight, short par 4s. Lastly, my 5-iron was erratic at best, meaning my longer irons need some attention.
And no, I’m not getting anything from Top Tracer or the SPGC. Clayt
Me either, until I started researching what course I would go to next on my journey to playing 100 Maryland courses and naturally looked at the Bay Hills Golf Club in Arnold, since it was the next one alphabetically. While looking at their website, I found a reference to MISGA near the bottom of their Membership page. The short description indicates that each of the MISGA participating clubs schedule “Mixers” at their club and invite members from other participating clubs to play in shotgun start events at their clubs throughout the Spring, Summer and Fall. In turn those clubs invite Bay Hills players to their courses to play in Mixers. A link to the MISGA website indicates the association has been active since 1975 and there are currently 32 participating clubs, including several private country clubs, most in Maryland but a few in Delaware and West Virginia. MISGA has some 1,800 members and during 2025 there were over 130 Mixers at 27 courses from April 1st to October 20th. Some of the touted benefits include playing a variety of courses for a reasonable fee (several of which are strictly private), not having to fight for tee times, and of course, meeting new golf friends.
I spoke with Carl Lazar, the MISGA Club Representative at the Bay Hills Golf Club in Arnold. He’s been playing at Bay Hills since 1974, has been the MISGA Club Representative for 21 years and has participated in too many Mixers to count. Carl indicated the Mixers generally start at 8:30 or 9:00 a.m., cost between $45 and $75, and include donuts, coffee, 18-holes of golf, cart, lunch and a shot at prizes. To become a member, you must be at least 50 years old and participation in the Mixers requires you to have a handicap through the USGA. Each club sets its MISGA membership fee and Bay Hills current charges $60, which includes access to the USGA handicap system. When a Mixer is announced, Bay Hills members can sign-up and available slots are filled on a first-come first-served basis. Some Bay Hill members play in well more than a dozen Mixers each year. In addition to all of that, there are currently two multiple day road trips being planned – Crystal River, Florida, in March and Williamsburg, Virginia, in October.
Courses occasionally leave MISGA and sometimes new ones are added. Besides Bay Hills, the participating courses listed on the MISGA website are Blue Mash, Bretton Woods Recreation Center (private), Chester River Yacht and Country Club (private), Compass Pointe, Crofton Country Club (private), Eagle Creek Golf Course (military), Fairway Hills, Garrisons Lake, Glade Valley, Hampshire Greens, Hobbit’s Glen, Hog Neck, Holly Hills Country Club (private), Hooper’s Landing, Leisure World (private), Montgomery Country Club (private), Musket Ridge, National Golf Club (private), Northwest Golf Course, Prospect Bay Country Club (private), Sparrows Point Country Club (private), Rattlewood, The Club at Cress Creek (private), The Links at Challedon, US Naval Academy (military), University of Maryland, Walden Country Club and Wild Quail Golf and Country Club (private).
If you’re interested in getting more information about MISGA, including contact information for each club’s MISGA representative, their website is misga.org. It sounds worthwhile to me.
Bowie seems to be becoming my “home course,” primarily because Phil is a member there and gets tee times every Wednesday. Today was overcast, starting out at 52o with hardly any wind. By the 18th hole, it was 54o but the wind had picked up and an approaching cold front with rain made the air feel cooler. Rick, John, Bill and the donuts went out first. Bill picks up a dozen Dunkin’ Donuts and coffee on the way. If you ride with him, you’ll eat well, if multiple donuts can be called “eating well.” I personally “require” that I get a birdie before rewarding myself with a donut, though sometimes I cheat, particularly if I’m riding with the donuts. Once, I had three in one round. Today, I had none. I wasn’t with the donuts and zero birdies. Phil, Barry, Mac and I were in the second group and had trouble keeping up with them. The round took us 3 hours and 40 minutes and was quite comfortable.
My round fell into a familiar pattern, with the front nine going well and the back nine not so well. On the front, currently playing as a par 34 (probably a 33 by USGA standards due to the temporary tee boxes), I had five pars and four bogeys for a 38. I reached the par 5 7th hole in two shots, with driver and 4-iron, then managed to three-putt. On the back, I had two pars, four bogeys, two double bogeys and a triple bogey for 46. I lost two balls, hitting a 3-wood into the woods on the right on the par 5 11th and topping a 3-wood into the pond in front of the tee box on par 4 15th. Phil, Barry and Mac played well but the details are their stories to tell.
Played: January 2026, 18.0 Handicap, Played the one set of tees, Score: 71, Walked, Cost: $17.50 ($0.97 per hole, $0.32 per “par,” and 84 yards for $1.00) – inexpensive. Being a very short course, a casual-pace 18 holes took under two hours and 2,841 steps. The course was listed in my T11 golf watch, which provided yardages and kept my score. I got two birdies but also lost two balls.
Conditions: The conditions of any Maryland golf course are not going to be their best in January. The conditions are likely to be much better and greener in a couple of months.
All nine holes had mats at the tee boxes, and the rules section of the scorecard indicated their use was required. The course was predominantly flat with slightly raised greens. The greens, reportedly creeping bent grass, were small, dormant, brown and somewhat matted, and were sufficiently sloped and “swailed” to make them interesting. The condition of the greens leads to some erratic putting, on par with freshly aerated greens. There were no significant water hazards on the course even though my watch showed the drainage channels throughout as water hazards. All were dry but, even so, it would be difficult to chip/putt out of if the ball found one. There were only two small sand traps on the course, on holes 7 and 9. The weather was heavily clouded and in the mid-40s with only a slight breeze on the front nine. A drizzle began just after I started the back nine. Walking is required as there are no electric carts available.
Tee times: None required and not an option on the website.
Course Notes: The Night Hawk Golf Center is privately owned, and its biggest draws are probably the large driving range and miniature golf course. The Par 3 course is likely used primarily by less serious golfers, but it is an option if you want to get a little more confidence in your short game and have just an hour or two. It is a par 54 for 18, is just 1,466 yards long and can be enjoyable to play just for fun. The course is very flat with only two small sand traps, on holes 7 and 9, and no water hazards other than the previously mentioned drainage canals. An unusual feature of the course is its dual use as a footgolf course where the player kicks a soccer ball from the tees to a much larger hole near the greens. White tee markers were located near the tee box mats to start each hole. Blue flags mark each golf hole and near the greens were red flags to mark the much larger footgolf holes. It wasn’t printed in the “local rules” but it’s fair to say that you get a free drop from the footgolf hole.
Having recently played another Par 3 course, I brought only my 8-iron through lob wedge and putter, but only used my pitching wedge, sand wedge, putter and occasionally the 8-iron to chip near the green. The holes range from 57 to 110 yards long. Full wedges, three-quarter wedges and half wedges were pretty much all that was needed. The greens are small and generally sloped to make them interesting. Trees were potentially troublesome on holes 1, 3, 4 and 5 as was the short net along the driving range on the left side of hole 6. Overall, I had two birdies, two double bogies and two triple bogies. One lost ball went into thorn bushes on the left side of hole 5, leading to a triple, and one went over the relatively short driving range fence on the left side of hole 6, leading to a double. Looking at the course, one wouldn’t think about needing to have extra balls – but there were plenty of other balls in both locations, so I wasn’t alone. There is no course rating according to the Maryland State Golf Association website so your score can’t be used in handicap calculations even in season.
Walking is required as there are no motorized cars available to rent. Make sure you bring a scorecard if you haven’t played there before because the map on the back will help you find the next tee box.
#1 – At 63-yards this is the second shortest hole on the course. The tee box is set back into the trees and branches extend out to hamper high shots to the green. About half way to the green is a drainage ditch that could potentially catch a low shot. Since there were no leaves on the trees, on the front nine I tried to go through the limbs but failed. On the back nine I tried to hit it low and run it up. I made it over the drainage ditch but it ended up well long of the green. Good chipping and putting got me a par and a bogey.
#2 – A 70-yard hole with the tee box in the open and the green nestled back in the trees and slightly elevated. A half pitching wedge for a par and a bogey.
#3 – An 86-yard shot from the trees to the open green. Branches just in front of the tee box were potential problems but didn’t interfere. A half pitching wedge on the front nine fell well short and a three-quarter pitching wedge hit the green and held. Bogeys on both sides.
Hole #1, Night Hawk Golf Center Par 3 courseNight Hawk Golf Center Par 3 course, Hole #2Night Hawk Golf Center, Green #3
#4 – This 103-yard hole has matured trees/woods down the left with branches jutting out to menace shots directly at the green. A full pitching wedge was able to barely clear the limbs both times, leading to a par and a bogey. Hitting too far to the left will put you into the woods though at the time I wasn’t thinking about that – just on the limbs protecting a direct shot at the green.
#5 – On the front nine, this was the hole where I realized that losing a ball was possible. Down the left side is out-of-bounds, protected by an area of trees, underbrush and thorn bushes. At 90 yards it didn’t appear too difficult until I pulled my tee shot left and ended up with my first triple bogey. Being smarter the second time around, I hit a three-quarter pitching wedge onto the green and two-putted for par.
#6 – The longest hole on the course at 110-yards, the entire left side is the driving range with a fairly short net. The right side of this green slopes hard toward the drainage canal and can be tricky. On the front nine, I chipped on and three-putted for a double bogey. On the back, I pulled my pitching wedge over the netting and into the driving range to lose my second ball. My second tee shot found the green and a two-putt lead to another double bogey.
Hole #4, Night Hawk Golf CenterThe 7th Green, Night Hawk Golf CenterNight Hawk Golf Center Hole #8
#7 – A 70-yard hole with a sand trap on the right side of the green and some sawgrass. On the front nine, I hit a half pitching wedge and one-putted for my first birdie. On the back I thought I’d try something different (dumb idea) and hit a three-quarter sand wedge over the green. Two poor chips and a three-putt lead to another triple. This hole and #9 are two of the more visually interesting holes.
#8 – A straight forward 84-yard hole where I managed to miss the green both times, chipped up, and two-putted and three-putted for a bogey and double bogey.
#9 – This 57-yard hole is visually similar to hole #7, with a sand trap and sawgrass on the right side of the green. Half sand wedges resulted in a bogey and the second birdie of the day.
Night Hawk Golf Center Hole #9
#10 to #18 – Replays of the first nine holes, as described above. Since I’d just seen and played the front, you would think that you would be able to play better on the back nine. Often, that doesn’t work out for me, like today shooting a 34 on the front and a 37 on the back.
Summary: Overall, I enjoyed the round. Admittedly, I rushed a little on the back because of the rain. On the plus side, two birdies. On the minus side, two lost balls and the rain. On my next trip there I want to see the course conditions and experiment a little more with various wedges and pitching and chipping options. Let me know about your experience at Night Hawk.
I happened to be in Columbia on this cold and rainy Saturday and thought I’d visit this store/warehouse that I’d read advertisements about, touting over 179,000 used clubs at their six stores and having added something like 24,000 last month – and presumably selling that many. In person, I was surprised by the size of the store, the extent of their selection and their organization, including a good sized section for seniors. A sales rep told me that all of their clubs were on their website and a quick search indicated this store had over 3,000 drivers in stock. And no, I’m not getting anything for posting about them.
By and large, we senior golfers are a retired bunch and being on a fixed income we can’t easily work a little overtime to pay for a new $600 driver or $400 putter. Truth be told, money probably better spent on lessons. What I did like was that they had many of the top rated clubs of 2025 and previous years rated by the amount of wear and tear and priced accordingly. If you found something you liked, they had several of those fancy bays with launch monitors and projection screens for you to try them out to see how they feel and perform.
I’m still playing with Taylor Made Burner Bubble irons from the late 80s and have read virtually every year since then about the improvements being made to each manufacturer’s irons. Surely, a new set of irons would improve my accuracy and my now lagging senior distance issues. Perhaps a new set of irons is in my future – but not today. Just window shopping.
Yesterday, it was forecast to start raining around 3 pm and to continue for the next two days. I was anxious to get another course completed so I decided to hit another nearby Par 3. Very few people were on the course so it took under two hours to play 18 holes. The light rain arrived just after I started the back nine. The course is short at 1,466 yards for a par 54, requiring just 2,841 steps according to my Voice Caddie T11 watch.
After my last Par 3 excursion with a full cart bag, I decided to only bring a few clubs, balls and tees. The website didn’t tell me anything about the length of the holes so I brought my 8-iron through lob wedge and putter. I only used the pitching wedge and sand wedge on tee shots, the 8-iron or pitching wedge to chip and the putter. Fortunately, I brought a couple of extra balls (without thinking) because I pulled one ball into a wooded area with thick underbrush (Hole #5) and launched one into the driving range (Hole #6).
I shot a 34 on the front, with one of the lost balls, so I felt pretty good about that. On the back, with the other lost ball, I shot a 37 for an overall 71. The greens were dormant and in “Maryland in January” condition, making putting difficult. In summary: two birdies, two lost balls and four three putts. See my full course review.
Headed back out to the Bowie Golf Club for a round of winter golf with Barry, Mac and Jay; Barry and I hitting from the golds and Mac and Jay from the whites. It was a bright, sunny day with temperature rising from 41 to 61 by the end of the round.
Bowie is currently playing as a par 68 according to the Maryland State Golf Association website, rather than the par 70 reflected on the scorecard, caused by temporary tees on #1 and #9 (see Course Review). Even though this is the off-season in Maryland for purposes of adding scores, the geek in me was interested in the Bowie course rating being lowered to 62.3 and the slope to 105 for the golf tees. The GHIN bogey rating is 81.7 so my score was right on target today, shooting an 81 with my 18.0 estimated handicap. An excellent front with a 36 and a mediocre back with a 45. Six triple putts didn’t help the score.
Other than being a beautiful January day, the wildlife were active, with the ever present geese and squirrels, but not in a distracting way. The company was good and our foursome wasn’t slowed by the group in front of us and we didn’t slow down the group behind, taking just under 4 hours to complete the round.
Recommend you get out soon. I’m going to try to get out twice next week, once with the “usual suspects” on Wednesday and possibly my fourth course on my way to 100 on another day. Will have to look at the weather forecast to pick a day.
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