Tag: Par 72

  • Lake Presidential Golf Club, Upper Marlboro, MD – Course #18

    Our old friend Bill and I got an early tee time at Lake Presidential on Monday. The pro shop indicated there was nobody ahead of us to tee off and we could go at any time. We loaded up the cart an opted to skip the driving range and putting green in order to get out ahead of any crowd that might show up. We had a pretty leisurely round, with the group in front of us and the one behind us only showing up every so often. We chose to play from the silver tees, making the course 5,783 yards, plenty long for our age and skill level. The other tee boxes were black at 7,158 yards, blue at 6,717 yards, white at 6,258 and burnt orange at 4,895. Bill chose to just enjoy the round and skip the score keeping. I kept my score, which wasn’t terribly pretty at 98 with an 18.2 handicap, which would have netted me an 81. Losing four balls on the front nine definitely contributed to that outcome.

    If you’re a senior golfer and have anything like an 18.2 handicap or greater, you may want to consider playing from the burnt orange tees. Some of the holes are pretty long for us short hitters and some require long carries. If you’re not a stickler about the rules of golf and maintaining an accurate handicap index, you can/should also consider picking an appropriate tee box on each hole. Occasionally, someone facing a long carry from the fairway will put the ball on the tee and hit their driver. I’m on the course to enjoy the round and hope that the others with me can too.

    Clayt's scorecard from his 10 August 2026 round of golf at the Lake Presidential Golf Club in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Bill chose not to keep his score, to just enjoy the round. Clayt, an 18.2 handicap, shot a 98.
    Clayt and Bill’s scorecard, Lake Presidential, August 10, 2026

    I’m not big on the credentials of a course, as I love them all in their own way, but Lake Presidential does have some. The hosted the Maryland Women’s Amateur Championship in 2011 and the U.S. Open Qualifier in 2011 and 2013. The Maryland Golf website has rated it 3rd best public course in the state, the Top 100 website rated it 12th and the Golf Day website rated it 50th. It’s a great course but all of these looked questionable when you dig deeper into their data.

    Liked: Fairways and greens were pretty generous in size. Trouble lurked everywhere but was generally manageable.

    Liked: The grass on the tee boxes, fairways and greens were lush. On the par 3s I didn’t use a short tee as it wouldn’t reach into the dirt. I could just hit off the grass.

    Liked: The cart appear to be new and have a great GPS system. They are also equipped with an extendable cover for your clubs in case of rain.

    Liked: Lake Presidential has a pretty good website and great drone footage of each hole. Lately, I’ve been making Google Earth Studio “videos” for each hole but I’m going to skip this one since theirs is so good. (Haven’t figured out how to include it without shelling out more cash.) Drone videos For some reason, a different golf course comes up on the first hole but the other holes will still work…

    Liked (but in a challenged sort of way): Everything after the tee box was undulating so you faced a lot of different lies and shots.

    Liked: A really large all grass driving range with practice sand trip and pitching green.

    Disliked: Some parts of the fairways are fairly scarred by players hitting their second/third shots and not replacing or filling in their divots. The carts was all equipped with a sand mixture and scoop and it appeared that everyone took a cart so there really isn’t much excuse.

    Disliked: The parking area in front of the clubhouse looks like it gets no love, probably because everyone is rightfully working to keep the golf course in shape. Looked weedy and unmowed and some trash scattered around.

  • Man O’ War, GlenRiddle Golf Club, Berlin,Maryland – Wonderful Course and Wonderful People

    Like many of the Ocean City golf courses, this one is excellent and a little more expensive during the summer vacation months, but probably worth going unless your spouse has you on a tight golf budget. Barry and I hit the course yesterday and enjoyed some great golf even though the scores weren’t very impressive. Generally speaking, the course was in great shape.

    So where to start? Prior to the round I did some online research starting with satellite imagery that I could include in my video. The imagery reflected a considerable amount of water on the course so I loaded the bag with extra balls. Only was of them was called up into service as most of the water, from the silver tees, was generally not an issue unless you hit a truly terrible shot or didn’t review the on-cart GPS hole layouts before your shots. Barry went through a couple more than I did but we also found a few balls that appeared to have been used very little.

    After collecting the satellite imagery, which always fails to reflect the true relative size of the greens and fairways or the undulations and elevation changes of the tee boxes, fairways and greens, I reviewed some of the YouTube videos of the holes. There are many good ones available, but even they don’t give you a complete picture of the character of the course – though I recommend you take a look at them. I believe they all underplayed to hills and hummocks that are on the course. I have little hope that my video, when I get it completed and posted, will add something beneficial to viewers and future Man O’ War players.

    When I arrived at the course, I found the entire staff friendly and engaging, with many talking with pride about the course and its history as a thoroughbred horse farm and training center. The barn was converted into the clubhouse and Ruth’s Chris Steak House, and portions of the track, starting gate and water tower have been preserved.

    As I had arrived early after a long drive, I headed off to the driving range to loosen up and found an endless supply of balls, included in the price of the round, and an all-grass range, which I love. After a “small bucket,” I putted a little on the large adjacent green for ten minutes or so until Barry arrived.

    A short time later we were on the first tee and off to the races. The short version of the story is that I scored better on the front than Barry, possibly due to my extra warm-up time. I had a 42 with three pars and six bogeys while Barry shot a 48.

    Barry settled down after the turn just as my wheels started coming off. I went double bogey, bogey, triple bogey and quadruple bogey on the first four holes while Barry played well with three bogeys and a double. Fortunately, I found my bearing again and finished up well. Barry finished with a 97 and I had a 93. You can see the scorecard below.

    The completed scorecard for Clayt and Barry for the Man O' War course, GlenRiddle Golf Club, Berlin, Maryland, from 03 August 2026, reflecting scores of 93 and 97, respectively.
    Clayt and Barry’s scorecard, Man O’ War, 03 August 2026
    The front of the Man O' War course scorecard for the GlenRiddle Golf Club, Berlin, Maryland, with a portrait of the famous horse by the same name.
    Man O’ War scorecard, August 2026 – front

  • 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 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