Tag: Par 72

  • Crashed and Burned – Compass Pointe Golf Course – South/West, #16

    For every great round of golf I suspect there is an equal number of bad rounds and some of them are going to be traumatic. Today was that day. Barry, Rick and Sam joined me at the South/West course of Compass Pointe on what most people would consider a great day in Maryland in July. Those of us having one of the worst rounds they can remember probably really didn’t notice the weather – but it was hard not to notice that the course is beautiful and in great shape. The tee boxes, fairways, greens and even the sand traps were in the best condition of any I’ve played this year. I just wish I could have enjoyed it a little more.

    The course was definitely one of the more difficult that I’ve played recently but that wasn’t the cause of my issues. My ball striking, usually my strength, was consistently pulling the ball left, often with a strong draw sending it into the woods. I’m sure that I lost at least six balls during the round. It very well could have been more. After I go back through the video I’ll have a better idea, but at some point I quit counting and threw the USGA rules out the window. My score of 105 generally speaks for itself but along with the ball count it’s a little fuzzy and could well be higher. I’ll know the real extent of the damage after getting into the video. Producing this one may take a little longer.

    After playing the front nine from the white tees we decided to play the golf tees on the back. On the front, three of us were into the 50s and the other just shy of it. The golds helped out with only me hitting 50.

    I started off with triple bogeys on the first two holes and two balls lost in the woods. Six triples, six doubles, three bogeys and three pars for the round. The three pars were on the last three holes. On those, I hit the fairways, hit the greens and two putted to keep me coming back for more.

    Here’s the scorecard.

    Barry, Clayt, Rick and Sam's scorecard from the Compass Pointe South/West golf course on July 13, 2026, reflectings scores of 96, 105, 102 and 89, respectively.
    Barry, Clayt, Rick and Sam, Compass Pointe South/West, 13 July 2026

    And here’s the placeholder for the video. Clayt

  • Wicomico Shores is a Hidden Gem – Maryland Course #15

    Why have I not heard of this course before? Probably because it takes it takes a while to get there. It’s a par 72 hidden in Mechanicsville in St. Mary’s County. It took me under 90 minutes to get there but it was worth the drive. Prior to going I made some “flyovers” of each hole using Google Earth so that my video of the round would show an overview of the hole before seeing the shots. The Google Earth shots did not do the course justice. It was much more beautiful in person. The satellite shots were obviously taken in winter when the trees are bare and the grass is brown and the topography is completely lost. This place was so green and hilly, and the sand traps and greens were well cared for and in great shape – though the greens were pretty slow.

    One of the things I forgot about this time of year was the number of kids out of school and out hitting the courses during the week. Up until now, I was acustomed to kids being in school, adults working and just us seniors out on the course. That has now changed. On the plus side, I had the good fortune of catching up with two “kids,” Matt and Reed, on the third hole and they agreed to let me tag along. I was solo on this outing as the regular players in our group all begged off on the road trip as if it were to another state. Their loss on this one, though I will talk the course up and see if we can get a group there. After the round I discovered that GolfDay had ranked Wicomico Shores as the 35th best public course in Maryland. I haven’t played all of the first 34 but they might be selling this one short.

    Matt, Reed and I didn’t take the round too seriously. I played reasonably well from the whites though my 92 isn’t going to lower my handicap. Putting is still a little shaky with six three-putts, though I do think I’m getting more comfortable with the new Odyssey putter. Most of those were the result of very weak first putts from long distance and uphill. That’s something I need to work on. On the plus side I had a birdie and hit eight fairways and seven greens in regulation. On the negative side, I lost two golf balls and scored an 8 and a 9 on two of the par 5s.

    Matt and Reed reported their scores, with a smile, as 64 and 70, respectively. I’m not sure if they kept score after about the 13th hole and even though I’m not a golf rules expert I’m pretty sure they weren’t following all of them…

    Here’s the video.

    And here’s my scorecard. Notations in red were made after the round. Highly recommend making the drive to this course. I imagine it’s even more beautiful in the fall.

    Clayt's scorecard from Wicomico Shores Golf Course, Mechanicsville, MD, on 29 June 2026, reflecting a total score of 92.
    Clayt’s scorecard, Wicomico Shores, 29 June 2026

  • Queenstown Harbor – River Course, Maryland Course #12, June 4, 2026

    The River Course at Queenstown Harbor has the reputation of being one of the best courses in Maryland and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Bill, Wendell, Gus and I played from the gold tees which measured a paltry 5,861 yards, far short of the 6,568 for the blue tees and 7,096 for the green. Being an old guy, an 18+ handicap and not being familiar of the course (particularly where definitely not to hit)the course tired me out, finishing with a 96. Having no birdies, just four pars and three lost balls will get you to 96 pretty quickly.

    The course is definitely beautiful and in good shape. The tee boxes, fairways, bunkers and greens were all pretty meticulous. Why does the course also have the reputation of being tough? Well, there’s water, marsh, knee-high grass and large deep bunkers throughout the course and fairly often you can find all of them on one hole. If you’re hitting the ball straight and can put on large, fast greens then this will give you an edge on that $1 nassau. Not to say this isn’t a fun course. It certainly is and we had a great time – primarily because the score didn’t mean anything to any of us. I’d certainly have liked to score better and next time I believe I will, but the beauty of the course, the good company and an occasional good or great shot was all that I needed.

    For those interested in seeing the round at our 12th course, from my point of view, here it is. And the scorecard follows, with my edits in red after I’d had a chance to review the tape. I would never make it on the PGA tour as I’d be disqualified more often than not – I make a mistake on the scorecard fairly often. Sometimes in my favor and sometimes against. On this one I thought I had a triple bogey when I really had a double and I forgot to count the lost ball on the 18th hole. Gained one, lost two. Thought I had a 95, then a 97, then a 96.

    Clayt’s 96, River Course, Queenstown Harbor, June 4, 2026

  • Oak Creek Golf Club, Upper Marlboro

    Barry and I played this one in March 2026, just two months ago, and somehow I forgot to write about it. This is an excellent course and one that I’m interested in playing again soon. It was a little chilly that day and I wasn’t familiar enough with the course and didn’t take my time to understand the shot I needed to make to make a decent score. The video was produced right after we played so I’ll let it do the talking.

  • Langston Golf Course – A Bonus Round

    As you’re aware, Langston Golf Course in located on Benning Road in Washington, DC, near the Anacostia River, and is not located in the state of Maryland. I’ve driven past Langston numerous times throughout my career with the US Government but had never played there. Barry proposed we go there and since my purpose in playing golf is to get outdoors and enjoy golf again ( and not just getting to the “Maryland Seniors Golf 100” finish line), I thought “what the heck.” “Let’s make this a bonus round.”

    It started out as a very pleasant day, with sun and temperatures in the low 70s. By the afternoon, it hit 95 degrees. There was a pleasant breeze, we rode in a cart and stayed in the shade whenever possible so it wasn’t bad at all. And while I wasn’t completely soaked in the vido, I was a little damp. Playing from the white tees, the course stretched to 6,161 yards, but only a couple of the par 4s were really long. Barry had to scramble more than I’m used to seeing while I seemed to scramble less than average. Barry’s total was 97 while I had an 89. You’ll notice the scorecard indicates it’s an 89 but the front nine was added wrong so I thought I had an 88. After going through the video, I found that I had indicated a bogey when I actually had a double bogey. So the 89 was correct after all.

    On the plus side, I was striking the ball really well, hitting the driver longer and straighter than usual and getting my approach shots onto the green. I hit 9 fairways and 12 greens in regulation. No birdies, 6 pars, 9 bogeys, one double and two triples.

    On the negative side, there were a lot of first putts that could have been birdies that were nowhere close to going in. Then there are the two triples. One was from a lost ball off the tee on a par 5 and chunking one on an awkward sidehill lie. The other was on a par 4 where it landed in a greenside bunker on my second shot, then hit it thin across the green to a awkward lie… You get it. And then there were the 6 three-putts. Not a record for me but not good.

    The video of the round is here as an “18 Holes in Under 15 Minutes” and a “Bonus Round.” Sorry that I didn’t get more shots of Barry in. He’s not seeking fame and fortune since he already has it, unlike me…

    And the scorecard.

    Clayt and Barry's scorecard from a round of golf at the Langston Golf Course, Washington, DC, on 18 May 2026, Barry shot a 97. Clayt's score indicates an 89 but the addition was in error and it was really an 88.
    Clayt and Barry’s scorecard at Langston Golf Course on 18 May 2025.

  • Rainy Round at Enterprise Golf Course: A Review

    Phil, Bill and I braved a rainy Monday to make Enterprise Golf Course in Mitchellville, Maryland, the 11th course on my way to playing every course in Maryland (that will have me). It pretty much rained through the first 13 holes. Not pouring down but a consistent “heavy” drizzle. It definitely limited distance if you hit into the rough or tried to hit out of it. The impact was much less hitting into or off the fairway. The greens rolled great pretty much the whole time.

    I last played Enterprise about ten years ago. The course has been opened up with the removal of a lot of trees, some of which have been replaced by knee-high grass. The condition of the tee boxes were adequate and appeared to indicate the course was getting a lot more play than the excellent condition of the fairways and greens would suggest. I’m guessing that the changes were designed to improve the speed of play.

    Here’s the “18 Holes in Under 15 Minutes” video showing the round and the rain. With any luck, I may have the JTC (Just the course) version completed soon.

    We played the gold tees, which total 5,647 yards. I shot a 90 which I thought was pretty good for the wet conditions.

    Here’s my scorecard. The notations in pencil were made during the round. The ones in ink are after the round based upon my review of my VoiceCaddie T11 data.

    Clayt's scorecard from the May 11, 2026 round of golf at Enterprise Golf Course, Mitchellville, Maryland, reflecting a final score of 90.
    Clayt’s scorecard, Enterprise Golf Course, May 11, 2026