News:

Welcome to the Golf Club Atlas Discussion Group!

Each user is approved by the Golf Club Atlas editorial staff. For any new inquiries, please contact us.


David Stamm

  • Karma: +0/-0
Golf in Ocean City, MD
« on: August 29, 2007, 03:10:05 PM »
I may be going to see family in Ocean Cty, MD in November. Anybody have experience playing the courses in that neck of the woods? What's good and what's not?
"The object of golf architecture is to give an intelligent purpose to the striking of a golf ball."- Max Behr

Cory Lewis

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Golf in Ocean City, MD
« Reply #1 on: August 29, 2007, 03:30:11 PM »
Good:

Ocean City(Newport Bay)-good lester geore redo
Rum Pointe-Pete/PB Dye-some good holes on the back
Lighthouse Sound-some good holes, but also some strange holes, if you want to go over the worlds longest cart bridge play this one

Bad:
Eagles Landing
Nutters Crossing
River Run

I haven't played Glen Riddle, so I can't comment on it, might be worth checking out.
Instagram: @2000golfcourses
http://2000golfcourses.blogspot.com

David Stamm

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Golf in Ocean City, MD
« Reply #2 on: August 29, 2007, 03:35:02 PM »
Thanks Cory. OCBC did look promising when I looked at it in the past. I've heard pretty good things overall on RP. I've heard pretty much the same on LHS as you've stated. Some strange holes.
"The object of golf architecture is to give an intelligent purpose to the striking of a golf ball."- Max Behr

rjsimper

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Golf in Ocean City, MD
« Reply #3 on: August 29, 2007, 03:45:17 PM »
Disagree on Eagle's Landing being bad - I enjoyed it.

River Run - so-so Player design...I've seen better, I've seen worse

OC Newport Bay - Decent, but thought Eagle's Landing was better.

Rum Pointe - Enjoyable, nice setting

Lighthouse Sound is ranked in the MD State list in at least one publication - it was not open when I played.

Bear Trap Dunes in Delaware was decent...a few too many water holes, though - many diagonal carry over water par 4s.

Out of those that I've played, if going back I'd say:

Rum Pointe
Eagle's Landing
Bear Trap Dunes
OC- Newport Bay
River Run
Bay Club (or was it Beach Club...whichever had Inner and Outer links)


Jim_Kennedy

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Golf in Ocean City, MD
« Reply #4 on: August 29, 2007, 04:01:47 PM »
David,
If you are driving there from the north or west, stop at Upland GC in Denton(or W. Denton, I don't remember). It's a 'linksy' course built from flat farmland and it's very open on most of the holes. Definitely a modern feel to it but a lot of fun and some good holes.
They have a website with some photos if you want a look.

A few photos:
 



« Last Edit: August 29, 2007, 04:10:56 PM by Jim_Kennedy »
"I never beat a well man in my life" - Harry Vardon

David Stamm

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Golf in Ocean City, MD
« Reply #5 on: August 29, 2007, 04:12:41 PM »
Thnaks Ryan. Why does it not surprise me that you've played out there. ;)

Jim, thanks for the recommendation. I had seen thier website. The photo's of the course do show some promise. Have you played a course in Long Neck, DE called Baywood?
"The object of golf architecture is to give an intelligent purpose to the striking of a golf ball."- Max Behr

Bill_McBride

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Golf in Ocean City, MD
« Reply #6 on: August 29, 2007, 04:14:14 PM »
I also enjoyed Eagles Landing a lot although the 18th hole should be blown up and started over!   ???  Maybe it has been, it's been at least 15 years since my last round there.  Study the yardage book, there are some tricky layups that are better studied in the book before playing.

Jim_Kennedy

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Golf in Ocean City, MD
« Reply #7 on: August 29, 2007, 04:19:18 PM »
David,
No, I haven't. I usually like it a little more laid back that Baywood.  8)
"I never beat a well man in my life" - Harry Vardon

Matt MacIver

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Golf in Ocean City, MD
« Reply #8 on: August 29, 2007, 04:19:34 PM »
Like Bill it's been 15 years since I've played Eagle's Landing, but I remember it fondly and will return one day.  It was one of the first new-ish courses to be built down there.  

We also played the Bay Club, which I remember less fondly, but pls don't ask me to remember holes and strategy as I can't.  

Lighthouse Sound has been discussed here several times -- as I recall, for some, it was all eye- candy / weak GCA.  But my friends still loved the place.  I've never seen it.  

If Baywood is a new course, then my father recently played it and loved it - FWIW.  

David Stamm

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Golf in Ocean City, MD
« Reply #9 on: August 29, 2007, 04:21:23 PM »
David,
No, I haven't. I usually like it a little more laid back that Baywood.  8)


I take it that it's a bit stuffy?
"The object of golf architecture is to give an intelligent purpose to the striking of a golf ball."- Max Behr

Matt MacIver

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Golf in Ocean City, MD
« Reply #10 on: August 29, 2007, 04:24:56 PM »
I just checked Baywood Green's website -- more flowers then I've seen since ANGC, which of course is how their marketing it "Augusta of the North".  No word on the site as to who designed it.  All else being equal, those are two telling points....

David Stamm

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Golf in Ocean City, MD
« Reply #11 on: August 29, 2007, 04:29:00 PM »
I just checked Baywood Green's website -- more flowers then I've seen since ANGC, which of course is how their marketing it "Augusta of the North".  No word on the site as to who designed it.  All else being equal, those are two telling points....


I couldn't find out anything about the arch either.
"The object of golf architecture is to give an intelligent purpose to the striking of a golf ball."- Max Behr

Bill_Spellman

Re:Golf in Ocean City, MD
« Reply #12 on: August 29, 2007, 07:27:11 PM »
David

I emailed you about OC. I couldn't remember password-been a while since I posted.
I won't go over what I sent you, but feel free to contact me about courses here.

Jim Kennedy- I heard rumors that things at Upland weren't too good-may be up for sale. I can't speak for it's present conditions.
 
Baywood Greens (bad name) is pretty-not a great course IMHO. Bayside is better - Nicklaus built it for the "future" 7500 yds at the back-totally stupid.It is a beast in the wind which is always there, regardless of the weather conditions. Some days lighter than others..  His other course down here is The Peninsula- private, but accessible. Haven't played there but the word I get from some folks in the know is that it is better than Bayside, but not as difficult

Cory Lewis

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Golf in Ocean City, MD
« Reply #13 on: August 29, 2007, 08:26:33 PM »
Bayyside is better - Nicklaus built it for the "future" 7500 yds at the back-totally stupid.It is a beast in the wind which is always there, regardless of the weather conditions. Some days lighter than others..  His other course down here is The Peninsula- private, but accessible. Haven't played there but the word I get from some folks in the know is that it is better than Bayside, but not as difficult

That pretty much sums up the difference between bayside and peninsula, peninsula is more playable i.e. more fun.  The greens are open in front and it is possible to use the ground game which is not much of a possibility at Bayside.  Overall I would say Peninsula is the best course in the Ocean city "area"  
Instagram: @2000golfcourses
http://2000golfcourses.blogspot.com

Mike_Cirba

Re:Golf in Ocean City, MD
« Reply #14 on: August 29, 2007, 10:09:38 PM »
Someone here...I think it may have been David Carroll...had really good things to say about Glen Riddle, but I haven't gotten there yet...will do this fall.

I've played all the others and most of the comments so far I've agreed with.   Just as an FYI, here's the design story of Baywood Greens from a GolfLink story by Alan Nichols;

In the early 90's, before Baywood was conceived, a community resident encountered Tunnell in a local coffee shop. "Rob," he asked, "have you ever considered building a golf course?" Tunnell, a very infrequent golfer who knew nothing about golf course development, nonetheless liked the idea.

Before the year was out, he had hired Bill Love, then with Ault Clark & Associates, a well known design firm in Kensington, MD, to do the blueprints.

The course would be built on a portion of what eventually was the Baywood tract, 750 acres purchased in a series of piecemeal acquisitions. The tract is at the juncture of Delaware Rt. 24, which leads directly into Rehobeth, and Long Neck Rd., which leads out to the canal between the two bays. With its variegated features, the land was ideal for golf.

Portions of the site are thickly wooded with loblolly pines and hardwoods of white and northern red oak, maple, hickory and sweet gum. It also has protected wetlands and tidal marshes, and a sizable acreage of open flatland.

During initial construction, Love left Ault Clark to go on his own. Tunnell wanted to retain Love, but the contract was with Ault Clark. Tunnell recalled his attempts to negotiate with Ault. "I told Brian, 'Design me a Cadillac. I want it to be the best it can be.'" Tunnell said he offered Clark virtually a blank check.

But because of their conflicting visions for the project, Tunnell and Clark parted ways. Instead of hiring another design firm, Tunnell decided to go in-house to finish the course. He put to work his own landscape and maintenance crew, led by Tunnell's then land sculptor Larry DeWitt, who performed the actual shaping.

"Using Love's design as a template, Tunnell and DeWitt superimposed their own ideas, adding a bunker or mound here, creating an additional lake or enlarging a planned one there, raising or lowering a green to blend with the other evolving features, and otherwise relying on instinct and restrained judgment."

What they wound up with was a design that shows superior artistry and maturity marked by self-discipline. The course is a simple yet elegant design. Each hole has its own distinctive character, but it blends seamlessly with the whole. The same can be said for the greens whose slopes will test but not detonate a round. The fairways are consistently generous and largely flat to fit the overall terrain. And the 27 acres of created lakes, mounds, and some 70 bunkers are placed to challenge players but not make them feel they are at a penal colony. For all its design elements, the course is the product of a remarkably coherent vision.

The course on some holes departs dramatically from the original design. The builders nearly doubled the size of the lake on the second hole and, in a moment of brilliance, they built stunning flower-decorated island tee boxes out on another lake on No. 18.

The 14th was originally designed as a moderate right to left dogleg with no water. As they were shaping this hole, DeWitt needed more dirt which led to creating a lake. Then the pair decided to add an island fairway. The experiment worked so well, No. 14 is arguably Baywood Greens' signature hole. It is stunning. From the back tee of this 425-yarder (409 from the blacks, 385 from the greens), the bulkheaded and beautifully landscaped island fairway seems dauntingly small. Land safely and players cut 100 yards off the hole. The less daring have the option of a right-hand fairway that leaves a much longer approach. The builders never forgot who their market is. They always designed in plenty of bail outs.

The beauty and originality of the course prompted a player from Minnesota to exclaim, "Last year I played Aviara in California and at the time I thought it was the prettiest course I had ever played. But this (Baywood Greens) is real close."

The first 12 holes of the layout are set amidst the hardwood-pine forest, while the final six holes are in an open setting. The tee boxes, fairways, and greens are composed of L93 bent, and the first cut of rough is a fescue-rye mix. The course plays to par 72 and ranges from 3,539 (from the junior tees) to 6,983 yards.

The course is excellently maintained, as are its amenities. The restrooms are carpeted, wall-papered and air-conditioned and look like mini-clubhouses. The shelters have breezeways furnished with wicker chairs and overhanging plants. The building serving the large practice facility includes restrooms and sheltered hitting bays, in addition to short and long game hitting areas off grass plots. The two-laned cart paths are first class. The wooded areas of the course are enhanced with pine straw imported from Georgia. Park-like signs which read, "Scenic view ahead," and, "Oooo, aah, beautiful" draw attention to the floral areas.


Jim_Kennedy

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Golf in Ocean City, MD
« Reply #15 on: August 30, 2007, 09:14:59 AM »
Quote
David,
No, I haven't. I usually like it a little more laid back than Baywood.-Me



Quote
I take it that it's a bit stuffy?-You

David,
Read Mike Cirba's post.  ;D
"I never beat a well man in my life" - Harry Vardon

Rob_Waldron

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Golf in Ocean City, MD
« Reply #16 on: August 30, 2007, 09:49:11 AM »
Lighthouse Sound by Arthur Hills has been considered one of the better courses in the area. Glen Riddle has two courses, Man o' War and War Admiral. Joel Weiman design both. Jim Furyk consulted on the latter. The clubhouse also features a Ruth's Chris Restaurant. I enjoyed Man O' War however I have not played War Admiral (Hoping to play it this weekend). Nicklaus & Rick Jacobson designed Bayside. I have heard it is very good but difficult. The Peninsula CLub is a privtae Nicklaus offering. When I played the conditioing was outstanding but the course left a lot to be desired. With respect to Baywood Greens all I everhear about is the landscaping and flowers. Nobody ever talks about the quality of the golf course.  Eagle's Landing is decent, just expect a 5 hour+ round. It is inexpensive so every chop visiting OC goes there.

Tommy Williamsen

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Golf in Ocean City, MD
« Reply #17 on: August 30, 2007, 11:59:59 AM »
To be honest, I don't particularly like Lighthouse Sound.  It is on a great piece of property and has some very good holes, but it also has some very ordinary holes.  I think it is a great opportunity missed.  Bayside is difficult.  It has a lot of water and the greens are hard to hit.  It could be a very slow round. It is better than Peninsula but neither is very good.  Rum Point and Eagle's Landing are just ok.  If it is close I would play Upland or even Hunter's Oak.  OC is disappointing for golf.  You'd think with all the courses built in the last few years they would have at least a few very good courses but they don't.
Where there is no love, put love; there you will find love.
St. John of the Cross

"Deep within your soul-space is a magnificent cathedral where you are sweet beyond telling." Rumi

david h. carroll

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Golf in Ocean City, MD
« Reply #18 on: August 30, 2007, 03:18:54 PM »
I really liked Glen Riddle's ManOWar and War Admiral was very good in spurts as well....Man OWar has some really wild classic features such as shared fairways and bunkering, some template styles such as the quasi biarritz ninth and a ton of roller coaster risk reward par 5's....it's usually pretty firm and fast enough for resort golf.

FYI Weiman is the same guy who did the Uplands in Denton as refernced in an earlier reply to this post.

DC

Tags:
Tags:

An Error Has Occurred!

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()
Back