In between Maryland snowstorms, with only a few courses open in Maryland, I was able to get in a round at the River Marsh Golf Club at the Hyatt Regency Resort in Cambridge. The course was in good condition, though not great, primarily driven by soggy fairways from the recent snow melt followed by rain, and the greens still suffering from the effects of aeration. The clubhouse, adjacent to the main resort building, normally houses the pro shop and the Eagle’s Nest Bar and Grille, but was under renovation. The course is in a naturally beautiful area with woods, marshes, creeks and rivers. The fairways are on the generous side but the Bermuda grass goes brown/tan during the winter and isn’t quite as visually stunning or as cushy/springy as during the summer. There is also a links-style, wind swept feel to the course even though it’s surrounded by trees. The architect has strategically placed 65 rather large, four to five-foot-deep bunkers along the fairways and around the greens, which are best to be avoided. As typical this time of year, the sand was compacted and firm, as I found during my thankfully only visit to one. Combined with the water, environmental marsh areas and some out-of-bounds areas there is plenty of trouble to be found.
Ratings:
Natural beauty: 4.5 Townhomes are being built along some of the holes which will likely detract from it
Grooming: 4.5 Well-maintained though the grass isn’t growing so they’re not mowing and the greens were still suffering from aeration
Conditions: 4.0 A little swampy but it is February in Maryland and most other courses were closed
Generosity: 5.0 Twelve-minute tee times, wide fairways and large greens
Lost ball danger: 4.0 Lost three but could have lost more
Value: 5.0 Winter rate is much lower than the summer rate. A beautiful course at a beautiful price.
The course has a two-week tee-time booking window, and the fees reflect “dynamically pricing,” which makes it difficult to determine from the website what range of prices one might expect to pay throughout the year. On this occasion, when the parking lot was pretty empty and golfing in Maryland isn’t in great demand, I made the reservation the night before and paid $48.24 per person, including a pristine cart with a detailed GPS display. Based upon the course, I believe that to be a great price. The course should be commended for spacing starting times 12 minutes apart, a generous amount of time for most courses and we were never delayed by the group in front or pushed by the group behind us, finishing in under 3.5 hours. The GPS displays are invaluable if you’re not familiar with the course and seem to better highlight trouble areas than my Voice Caddie T11. Unfortunately for me, the entire course was “cart path only” due to the soggy conditions so the cart never seemed to be close to my ball when I was standing over the ball and had doubt in my mind. I was also videotaping a course for the first time, so I didn’t pay enough attention to the GPS display or my watch when I needed to, costing me several strokes.
Their website doesn’t have a detailed layout of the course so pre-planning for those not familiar with the course is difficult. It has a series of beautiful videos with flyovers of holes 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 17 and 18 but they are a montage of views that don’t give you a good feel for the hole or the ability to measure distances but are definitely worth watching just for the sheer beauty. The site also has a Pro Tips page which briefly discusses each hole. They made a lot more sense to me after I’d played the course but seemed better suited to a better golfer than I. If you’re planning to play there for the first time, it may be helpful to visit my River Marsh Golf Club Pre-planning post, which provides an overview of each hole and the video.
We played the par 71 course from the white tees, making the total yardage 5,845 with a course rating of 69.1 and a slope rating of 125. I ended up with a score of 99, which I thought was awful, but given the difficulty of the course it turned out that my score would have been considered one of my better scores if used for determining my handicap, currently about 18.9. For senior men that hit their drivers 200 yards or more and their 5 iron 155 yards or more, I believe the white tee box will be appropriate but challenging. Shorter hitters should consider moving up to the green or red tee boxes. The green tees are a mix of the white and red tees. The longest forced carry is about 160 yards from the white tee on the par 3 17th hole. The shorter tee boxes are on the other side of Shoal Creek with no forced carry, and the other forced carries throughout the course are much more manageable. Knowing your carry distance and total distance for each club is also useful for this course.
My score was composed of one birdie, only two pars, four bogeys, eight double bogeys and three triple bogeys. Three lost balls due to water hazards/environmental marshes and one out of bounds, combined with seven three-putts hurt. I’d like to blame the lack of familiarity with the course for two of the lost balls, though paying more attention to the GPS in the cart might have convinced me to “play smarter.” I’d also like to blame my seven three-putts on the aerated greens but that didn’t seem to bother my playing partners. Maybe I need to practice more…
CQ’s scorecard, River Run Golf Club, Cambridge, February 2026
Does pre-planning a round at an unfamiliar course lead to better play? I know the pros prepare that way and believe that it could help remove some of the uncertainty involved when you’re not quite sure of the facts laid out in the fairway before you. After shooting a 99 at River Marsh and feeling uncertain about some of the shots, I thought maybe I should have scouted the course better – so I decided to do an after-action planning session. After putting it down on paper, it seems pretty simple to have shot a much lower score. Of course, after you hit the tee shot, you’ve got to be able to adjust the plan accordingly, such as deciding the play the hole like a par 5 rather than a par 4. “No plan survives first contact with the enemy.” One thing I noticed in preparing this was that I was a little fuzzy on what the real “carry” distance was for each of my clubs. I’ll start working on getting that data together. Even though this one is after-action, I’ll try to really do a pre-plan for my next new course. So here it goes.
Playing from the white tees with a total yardage of 5845, par 71, 69.1 course rating and a 125 slope. Based upon my handicap of 18.9, I would be expected to get 19 strokes – so shooting a 90 would be a good score. Anything below that would be great. Of course, just being out playing golf is great in its own right, no matter what the score is. (All overhead imagery is from Google Maps or Google Earth.)
Hole #1: 345-yard par 4 – It’s 170 yards to the left bunker and 200 yards to clear it. Nothing in my bag is realistically expected to clear it. The fairway is wide at that point so it seems reasonable to hit my 3-wood well to the right of the bunker, which should go about 200 yards, leaving me with 145 yards to the center of the green. My 6-iron should make it to the center of the green (COG). A better or worse than average drive and I’ll adjust the club on my second shot accordingly. Two putts and even par.
Hole #2: 294-yard par 4 – The fairway is wide but there is out-of-bounds down the left where the townhomes are. The first bunker on the right goes from 150 to 170 yards out with a second one right behind it from 190 to 215 yards. My 3-iron travels about 170 but will tend to slice to the right towards the first bunker. My 4-wood travels 180 but is usually very reliable and straight and would leave me 104 yards to the center. My 3-wood tends to draw left and travels 200 yards but the out-of-bounds is left and the carry distance and total distance is unlikely to help me with the bunkers. I’ll choose the 4-wood and hit it towards the center of the fairway leaving me with a ¾ pitching wedge to the center of the green. Two putts and even par.
Hole #3: 460-yard par 5 – Need just 80 yards to get over the environmental area in front of the tee box and a bunker from 126 to 142 yards. Trees and houses line the left side and marsh lines the right though the fairway is pretty wide. The fairway ends at 261-yards with a hazard crossing. I believe I can hit my 3-wood 200 yards, leaving 260 to the green. I should be able to hit my 5-iron 155 yards and leave just 105 to the COG. A ¾ pitching wedge and two putts and still even par.
Hole #4: 397-yard par 4 – A long hole. The drive will determine if I want to play it like a par 5. It takes 130 to get over the water hazard and is 220 to the front of the first bunker on the left. My driver averages 210 yards so it seems worthwhile trying to get a little more yardage to cut down on the length of the second shot. A 210-yard drive still leaves 187 yards. My 4-wood off the grass averages 179 yards. If the drive is short, I’ll lay up on the second shot with a 5-iron and leave a short pitch to the green. It seems most likely that I’ll get on in three shots. Two putts for a bogey and one over par after four holes.
Hole #5: 475-yard par 5 – It’s 202-yards to the left bunker and 230 to carry it. Marsh down the right side could be a problem for a big slice. Seems like my 3-wood is the right choice for 200-yards and 275 yards left to the COG. It’s 189-yards from there to the left bunker and 200-yards to get past the water on the right. Laying up with a 4-iron or 5-iron for 155 to 165-yards will leave just 110 to 120-yards left, requiring a pitching wedge or possibly a 9-iron. Two putts and one over par.
Hole #6: 179-yard par 3 – A fairly straight forward par 3 with bunkers on the front left and right. A 4-wood off the tee should average 181-yards. Two putts and still one over after six.
Hole #7: 319-yard par 4 – New townhomes and out-of-bounds wide to the right. It’s 187 yards to the left bunkers and 216 to the right bunkers. A 200-yard 3-wood toward the right side of the fairway will leave just 119 yards to the COG. I’ll use a 9-iron if it’s a little longer than 119 and a pitching wedge if it’s a little less. Two putts for par and one over after seven.
Hole #8: 147-yard par 3 – Water down the right side and a bunker to the front left of the green. A 6-iron should get it to the COG. Two putts and one over.
Hole #9: 399-yard par 4 – Another par 4 that I may have to play like a par 5. Marsh on the left side runs the length of the hole. Bunkers on the right start at 183 yards and you need 220 in the air to carry them so they’re in play if I hit a 3-wood or driver. There is an environmental area crossing the fairway from 341 to 367-yards. A 200-yard 3-wood will leave 199 to the COG and a 4-wood for 179-yards should get it over the environmental crossing with just 12-yards to spare. Most likely I’ll still need to pitch or chip to the green. It seems like the driver off the tee is the way to go. The bunkers will still be in play. If I land in one of them or the drive is short then I’ll lay up in front of the crossing with 75 or so yards to the COG. Seems like a 2-putt bogey is the most likely scenario unless I get a great drive. Two over par would be a great front nine.
Hole #10: 350-yard par 4 – Marsh runs down the left side and a tree line down the right side. There is a stream crossing the fairway starting about 223 yards so there doesn’t seem to be any reason to hit a driver. A 3-wood to 200 yards leaves just 150 to the COG. Depending upon the drive and the pin placement, I’ll hit a 5-iron for 155-yards or a 6-iron for 143-yards. Two putts for par.
Hole #11: 325-yard par 4 – Need just 110-yards to clear the environmental area in front of the tee box. It’s 235-yards to the bunker on the left and a 3-wood to 200 takes that out of play. Trees are on both sides of the fairway but the width is pretty generous. A 200-yard drive leaves just 125 and a 9-iron to the COG. Two putts for par.
Hole #12: 382-yard par 4 – A large tree on the right side of the fairway at 125-yards means I’ll need to aim towards the left side of the fairway. It’s 171-yards to the bunker on the left and 202-yards to clear it so it’s in play unless I hit something less than a 3-wood. This may be another par 4 that I should play like a par 5 depending upon how it looks when I’m actually playing and how the drive does. If it looks fairly open, I should probably hit the driver to 210, leaving 172 to the COG, maybe less with a good drive. If I land in the trap, I play it like a par 5 and just get it out and hit an iron onto the green. If it looks narrow on the tee, I’ll play it like a par 5, hitting a 4-wood to 170-yards with 212 left. The bunker on the left starts at 156 yards so to take that out of play, I’ll hit a 5-iron about 155 yards to the right of the bunker towards the right side of the green and leave just 57-yards to the COG. A short chip and two putts for a bogey and three over after twelve.
Hole #13: 175-yard par 3 – No significant issues other than the distance. I’ll hit a 3-iron 170-yards to the front if the pin is up or a 4-wood 181-yards if it’s towards the back. Two putts for par.
Hole #14: 299-yard par 4 – A slight dogleg right with trees down the right side and potentially in play if you try to cut the corner. The first bunker on the left runs from 132 to 160 yards and the second bunker starts at 235-yards. Hit the 3-wood 200-yards and leave 99 to COG for a ¾ pitching wedge to clean up. Two putts for par.
Hole #15: 127-yard par 3 – Need 96-yards to clear the water in front and 115-yards to take the front right bunker out of play. The back of the green is 133 yards and there is a bunker and water behind it. If the pin is in the back, aim for the COG anyway. I’ll hit an 8-iron to 125-yards then two putt for par. The green and tee boxes are both pretty large so the actual distance could mean anything from 90 to 135 yards. Choose the club accordingly.
Hole #16: 475-yard par 5 – The bunker on the left starts at 210 yards so a 3-wood to 200 yards will take that out of play and leave 275 to the COG. From there, the bunkers on the right start at 182 yards. Hit a 5-iron 155 yards and leave just 120 to the COG. The “Pro Tip” on the website suggests there is a pond on the left side of the green, but I only see water behind the green on Google maps. Hit a 9-iron and two putt for par.
Hole #17: 170-yard par 3 – The tee box is built out over Shoal Creek and has artificial turf. It takes 155 yards to carry the hazard on a direct path to the green and 162-yards if I hit it a little left or right of the green. It’s 186 yards to the back of the green so the shot needs to be between 162 and 186 yards. Tough choice between a 3-iron that should go 170 yards though I’m not sure it will carry enough and a 4-wood that should go 181 yards. Don’t worry about the bunker on the left as it will help to keep you out of bigger trouble. The traps on the right probably aren’t going to be in play. I should go with the 4-wood as less than perfect contact should have the better outcome. Two putts for par.
Hole #18: 527-yard par 5 – A beautiful hole with the Choptank River down the left side all the way to the green. A large sand bunker along the river helps keep balls from getting in worse trouble. The fairway is pretty wide so hit the driver if it’s been controllable on the two previous times it was used. If not, which seems likely, then hit the 3-wood for 200 yards. From there, it’s 189 yards to the bunker outcrop on the left and 215 to clear it, and 254 yards to the bunker on the right. Hit the 4-wood for 170 yards towards the left edge of the right bunker. That leaves 157 to the COG. Hit the 5-iron 155 yards and two putt for a par.
When you write it down it seems pretty easy to shoot 3 over par 74 when you’re an 18.9 handicap and the USGA algorithm would expect a good score of 90. Not impossible, but then for me golf has never been about perfection but more about overcoming adversity and bouncing back after a bad shot or bad hole. The USGA is also telling me that I should expect those additional 16 shots because I am going to three-putt, probably several times, and I am going to land in sand and water and out-of-bounds. I’m thinking that having a plan will help because as I’m getting ready to strike the ball, I know that all I need to do is hit an average shot with the club in my hand to be successful. For my next round, wherever it may be, I’m going to plan ahead and see how it works out. I’ll let you know. Of course, if you’re playing the same course every time, this isn’t going to be particularly helpful, but if you’re planning on playing 100 new courses for the very first time, it just might be.
Other than the standard chipping and putting, and trying to figure out what my real carry distance is for each club, is there anything I can do to prepare for the round? Off the tee, I would have hit my 3-wood ten times, my 4-wood four times and my driver just three times. Off the fairway, I would have hit my 5-iron six times, my 9-iron four times, my 4-wood three times, a ¾ pitching wedge three times, and my 4 and 6-irons twice each. Perhaps I should take those clubs to the driving range the day before and get comfortable with them hitting just average shots.
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