Tag: Bowie

Items pertaining to the Bowie Golf Course, Bowie.

  • Golfing in Maryland: A Perfect Day Out

    The warm weather is upon us with today’s lows starting in the 70s and reaching the 90s by the afternoon. Prime golf season in Maryland and anyone that’s able to should be out there.

    Barry, Mac and I hit the Bowie Golf Course bright and early. A warm workday with threats of thundershowers mid-afternoon seemed to keep a lot of people away. Usually a single would get paired with a threesome but not today. We didn’t catch up to the group in front of us until the fourth hole. They seemed to be struggling and abandoned the round after the turn. We didn’t catch up to anyone else on the back nine and nobody caught up to us. We finished in about 3 hours and 15 minutes without particularly hurrying. Mac shot from the white tees while Barry and I shot from the golds, giving us about 900 yards advantage.

    I came out smoking on the front nine, hitting the first six greens in regulation, and ending up with a 36 on the temporary par 33. Barry was breathing down my neck with a 39 after making a birdie on the temporary par 3 9th hole and Mac was just two back of him.

    On the back nine, Barry was the consistent ball striker and putter, carding a 41 on the par 35 side to finish with an 80. I was a bit more erratic, losing balls on the 10th and 15th holes and finishing up with a 43 for a total of 79. Mac finished with a 46 for a total of 87.

    Pluses: This was my fourth best round of the year as judged by the temporary USGA course rating and slope (not the one on the scorecard). While I only hit 4 fairways on my tee shots, I wasn’t far off and was able to hit 11 greens in regulation. I had 9 pars, 7 bogeys and two double bogeys (from the two lost balls). And, of course, Barry and Mac were great company. My self-calculated handicap index dropped from 18.7 to 18.1.

    Minues: Even though I was on 11 greens in regulation, I didn’t make one birdie putt. At Langston two days ago, I was on 12 and didn’t make one. That’s 23 birdie putts in a row that didn’t go in. And today there were 4 three-putts, which is better than the 6 at Langston but still something I need to start putting work into. Perhaps on Friday I’ll got to a course instead of a driving range to hit balls and then spend some time on their putting green. Likely a wise investment of my time.

    I will also note that the Senior mid-week price for 18 holes with a cart has gone up from $38 to $42. Still pretty inexpensive compared to a lot of courses. Additionally, the course is still under construction and playing as a par 68 and the progress suggests they may not get back to “regular” play for at least another month.

    All-in-all a great day. Recommend you get out there and play every course in Maryland or maybe just your local favorite.

    Here’s the evidence.

    Completed scorecard for Barry, Mac and Clayt at the Bowie Golf Course on 20 May 2026, Barry and Clayt scored 80 and 79, respectively from the Gold tees, and Mac scored an 87 from the White tees.
    Barry, Clayt and Mac’s scorecard from Bowie Golf Course on 20 May 2026.

  • My Best Golf Round in 20 Years at Bowie

    Today, or at least the first half of the day, was beautiful with mid-70s temperatures, sunshine and quite windy. As of this writing, the rain and possibly thunderstorms are set to arrive. Phil had advance booked a tee time for him, Coop, John and myself at Bowie, teeing off just after 10 a.m. After the rainy round on Monday where every shot resulted in spray, the fairways and greens were firm and dry and the shots were rolling well.

    As for my round, this was the best scoring round that I’ve had in at least 20 years, shooting a 74 on a par 68/69 course. I had one birdie, 12 pars, four bogeys and one double bogey. While I only hit four fairways, I was on the green in regulation 13 times. Another highlight was hitting my driver 283 yards on the par 5 7th hole, the farthest I’ve hit it this years by a lot, leaving just a pitching wedge to the green.

    Sadly, there isn’t any video for this one. I’ve already posted videos of golf rounds at Bowie and wasn’t planning on shooting another one until the first and ninth holes were fully opened. For anyone that hasn’t read prior posts, Bowie has been building a new driving range and the construction has impacted holes 1, 9 and 18. The par 4 first hole has a temporary tee box and is playing shorter than its posted 301 yards for the golf tees. The par 5 ninth hole has a tiny temporary green playing as a 170 yard par 3 or 4 and will reopen as a par 4. And the par 4 18th is reported going to have the tee boxes moved back to make it a par 5. The course will revert back to a par 70 from its current temporary par 68. The next Bowie video I’m planning will feature the layouts of the new and improved holes.

    Here’s the evidence, as recorded by Phil using his “net from par” scoring system.

    Golf scorecard for Clayt, Phil, Coop and John at the Bowie Golf Course on May 13, 2026. Clayt shot 74, Coop 79, Phil 84 and John 92.
    Clayt, Phil, John and Coop played Bowie on May 13, 2026.

  • 17th Round (Bowie Golf Club replay)

    Since starting the Maryland Seniors Golf 100 website in December, followed by the companion YouTube channel of the same name, I’ve played 17 rounds of golf.  Today’s round was a 10 over 78 at Bowie, which is currently playing as a par 68 course due to ongoing construction that is reconfiguring the 9th and 18th holes and has temporarily shorted the 1st.  Currently those holes are expected to return to normal play in June.  I have been waiting to do another video of Bowie after the new hole configurations opened up but brought along the camera to film the par 3s just in case one of us made a hole-in-one.  Didn’t need it.

    The day was cool and overcast with rain expected just after the expected end of our round.  Due to a women’s league during the summer, we teed off on the back nine first.  My playing partners were Barry, John and Bill, a well-known customer of Dunkin Donuts on Wednesday mornings.  Playing from the golds at under 4900 yards.

    Scorecard for Clayt's Bowie round of 68 on April 29, 2026.
    Clayt’s round, Bowie Golf Club, April 2026

    #10: 265y par 4: 4-wood 187 yards down the middle, ¾ sand wedge 57 yards onto the green, two putt for par.  Good so far.

    #11: 425y par 5: 3-wood into the trees but bounced out near the fairway, topped a 4-wood to under branches, punch out with a 4-wood, followed with a ¾ sand wedge for 55 yards onto the green, two putt for bogey.  Multiple bad shots so bogey was pretty good.

    #12: 273y par 4: Wheels come off.  Pull 3-wood into the trees on the left and lose the ball.  Drop one near the woods, hitting four (I know, that’s not the official rule, but I’m not going back to the tee box to hit another.)  Pitching wedge onto the green.  Three putt for triple bogey.  Four over after three is not how you want to start out.

    #13: 140y par 3: Carnage continues.  Skip an 8-iron across the pond ( but recover the ball on the far side and take a drop).  Chip on and two putts for a double bogey.  Six over after four.

    #14: 277y par 4: Finally settling down.  Driver for 210 yards, then ¾ sand wedge for 54 yards, then used a putter from just off the green and one-putted for par.

    #15: 240y par 4: 3-wood for 198 yards, chipped onto the green and three-putted for a bogey.

    #16: 267y par 4: 3-wood for 198 yards (again), thinned a sand wedge over the green, chipped back on and two-putted for a bogey.

    #17: 150y par 3: 6-iron off the toe for 127 yards to the front of the green, 8-iron chip close to the hole then one-putted for par.

    #18: 345y par 4 dogleg right around driving range: 3-wood 182 yards, pitching wedge for 111 yards to the left side of the green, chipped on and one putted for a par.  Eight over on the back “front” nine.

    #1: 301y par 4 dogleg left shorted for construction: 5-iron across the corner, ¾ sand wedge onto the green and two-putt for par.

    #2: 160y par 3: 6-iron into the sand trap, sand wedge nicely out, two-putt for bogey.

    #3: 288y par 4: Driver for 205 yards but too far left, punch 7-iron under the trees, chip on and two-putt for bogey.

    #4: 319y par 4: Driver for 231 yards, ¾ pitching wedge for 89 yards onto the green, two-putted for par.

    #5: 168y par 3: 6-iron to about five feet from the hole.  Just missed the birdie putt.  Par.

    #6: 340y par 4: 3-wood for 209 yards, ¾ pitching wedge for 89 yards to just in front of the green, chipped into the hole for birdie.  Hadn’t seen one of them in awhile.

    #7: 397y par 5: Driver through the top of the trees onto the right that somehow made 223 yards and a clear shot to the green, 4-wood for 179 yards that landed just in front of the green and stopped just on the fringe on the back, putted from the fringe and just left it a little short.  Tap-in for a birdie.

    #8: 130y par 3: 9-iron hit thin that bumped into the hill and settled on the fringe on the back left.  Chipped with an 8-iron to about 8 feet right of the hole.  Just missed the putt and tapped in for a bogey.

    #9: Mystery yardage par 3 or 4 with a small green cut into the fairway of the old par 5: 7-iron well short of the green.  Chipped to the front of the green.  Chipped close to the hole and one-putted for a “bogey” four.  A score of 35 on the temporary par 33 front.  Much sweeter than the “front” nine.  Total of 78 for the round.

  • 2026 Round #14 – Bowie Golf Club

    Completed scorecard for Clayt's golf round at the Bowie Golf Club in Bowie, Maryland.
    Clayt’s scorecard, Bowie Golf Club, April 22, 2026

    Bowie Golf Club is still playing as a par 68 and the new green for hole #9 probably isn’t going to be ready for another two months. After shooting a 78 there two weeks ago, I thought that my luck would swing back the other direction, and it did, resulting in a score of 87. Though I didn’t lose a ball or have any penalty shots, I managed to four-putt three times and took triple bogeys on two of the par 3s.

    Here’s the hole-by-hole details, if you’re interested in hearing about the carnage…

    • Hole #1, Par 4: Tee boxes are still up but further left due to the construction. Tried to hit a 5-iron across the corner of the dogleg left and caught the tree. Punched out. Pitched onto the green and two-putted for bogey.
    • Hole #2, Par 3: Tried to hit a 6-iron to a back pin placed behind the sand trap. Landed in the trap. Hit it cleanly out of the sand and over the green. Stubbed the chip and didn’t make it to the green. Chipped past the hole and two-putted for a triple bogey.
    • Hole #3, Par 4: Topped my driver off the tee, hitting it 156 yards. Hit a pitching wedge to the front of the green and it bounced on. One putted for my one and only birdie – and just about the only high point of the round.
    • Hole #4, Par 4: Hit my driver 237 yards into the trees on the left. Hit a 3/4 pitching wedge thin and bounced it over the green. Chipped back down past the hole. Three-putted for double bogey.
    • Hole #5, Par 3: Hit my 7-iron 132 yards onto the front of the green and three-putted for bogey.
    • Hole #6, Par 4: Hit my 3-wood 223 yards then hit a 3/4 sand wedge 62 yards onto the green. Three-putted for a bogey.
    • Hole #7, Par 5: Hit the driver 225 yards down the right side then tried to hit a 6-iron onto the green but landed in the sand trap in front of the green. Hit the sand wedge out of the sand but didn’t make it onto the green. Chipped on. Missed the par putt and tapped in for the bogey.
    • Hole #8, Par 3: Hit a 9-iron onto the front of the green and it rolled off back down to the front apron. Chipped up close with a pitching wedge and one-putted for a par.
    • Hole #9, Par 3/4: The old par 5 that’s playing like a par 3.5 as it’s around 165 yards with a small round green cut into the fairway. Pushed a 7-iron to short, right of the green. Chipped on and two putted for a bogey/par? Total of 42 on the front, par 33/34.
    • Hole #10, Par 4: Hit a 4-wood into the fairway then hit a pitching wedge thin just off the back of the green. Chipped on with a pitching wedge and two-putted for a bogey.
    • Hole #11, Par 5: Hit the driver 213 yards in the fairway. Hit a 5-iron fat for another 101 yards onto a swail in the right round. Hit a pitching wedge 92 yards, short of the green. Chipped on with a pitching wedge then two-putted for bogey.
    • Hole #12, Par 4: Hit the driver 226 yards into the left rough. Hit a half pitching wedge 62 yards onto the green and three-putted for bogey.
    • Hole #13, Par 3: Hit an 8-iron 133 yards onto the round between the green and the sand trap on the left and it bounced right onto the green. Two putted for par.
    • Hole #14, Par 4: Pulled the driver to the left, it hit a tree trunk and bounced back to 199 yards. Chipped back to the fairway then pitched onto the green. Two-putted for bogey.
    • Hole #15, Par 4: Pulled the 3-wood into the trees on the left and it settled at 194 yards with a clear shot to the green. Chipped on but it rolled just off the green. Used the putter to get it close then one-putted for a rare par.
    • Hole #16, Par 4: Topped my 3-wood tee shot to just 89 yards. Tried to hit a 4-wood around the trees but caught a branch and the ball landed in the sand trap in front of the green. Hit the sand wedge onto a very wet green following a brief rain storm. Two putted for bogey.
    • Hole #17, Par 3: Hit a 6-iron into the trees on the right side of the green. Chipped with a sand wedge to get it over the trap and onto the green but the ball landed in the trap, embedding into the far bank. Used the sand wedge to power the ball out and barely onto the green. Left the first putt way short. Two more putts and it’s another triple bogey on a par 3.
    • Hole #18, Par 4: Tried out Barry’s new Quantum driver and even though it was slightly off the toe, it curved around the dogleg and to the middle of the fairway, about 212 yards with under 100 yards left. Tried to hit a 3/4 pitching wedge and hit it thin and left into a bunker on the 12th hole. I did almost exactly the same thing a couple of weeks ago. Just barely got the ball out the the trap with a sand wedge. Chipped onto the green and two-putted for for double bogey. A score of 45 on the par 35 back nine for a total of 87 on a par 68/69 course. (The USGA handicap system considers the course with the current temporary tees as a par 68.)

  • Back to Bowie for the Second 18 in January

    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.       

    A photo of Clayt's completed scorecard from 18 holes of golf at the Bowie Golf Course in January 2026.
    Clayt’s scorecard, January 14,2026, at Bowie

  • Beautiful January Day at Bowie

    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.

    Clayt's scorecard for 18 holes played at Bowie Golf Course on January 7, 2026.