Glenn Dale GC (pics)

[Andy Hughes]

Just some pictures of a small, quiet gem of a public course. Not great, but many neat features and some excellent holes.  Built in the 1950s by George Cobb.
Incidentally, this course may be gone shortly. Land prices continue to climb, and the owners apparently have been trying to sell.  

Opening tee shot (406 yards). Down into the valley, and back up to the green.


Number 2, 307 yards. Neat hole, really made by the green. VERY quick if above the hole.


Number 2 green. Yes, that's my ball 15 feet past the hole. Yes, my first putt ran 15 feet past the hole.


Number 3, 443 yards. Wide fairway with plenty of room to bail out right. But staying close to the treeline left will shorten the second shot. Which is good, cause it is a tough shot.


Number 3, approach.  Tough shot, especially if the drive was timid.  Some pronounced slopes in the green , especially back left and right, can be used to move the ball towards certain pins.


Number 4, 406 yards. Another neat hole.  Aggressive drive will go left over the pond, with each yard left that much more bold (pond ends on a line with the two guys in the fairway). The timid, or those unable to make the carry, can tack their way around to the right.


Number 4 green. Another very sloped green.  Balls hit to the back half of the green with spin can suck back up to 50 feet or so.


Number 5, 178 yards.  Two bunkers right, with falloffs on the sides and rear.  From the back tee, there is a tree on the left that almost makes this play as a dogleg.


Number 9, 443 yards. Man sized hole.  Must flirt with the fairway trap to shorten the hole, which moves uphill to a green perched atop a hill.  Plenty of room to stay left and avoid teh trap, but the hole only gets longer.


Number 9 green.  Another green with severe slopes.  My putt from 8' actually ran right off the green.


Number 10, 412 yards. Taken from behind the green.  Back tee is towards the top, and to the far right.  Drive down the hill and then pitch back up. Very hard to get a feel for distance as much of the green is hidden.


Number 11, 304 yards. Not a good hole, a sharp dogleg left that makes you drive to the bottom and then pitch to the left up to the green. But the green itself is subtle. It is raised just enough to truly punish any wedge that does not hit and hold the surface.


There are a number of other good holes at Glenn Dale, but I ran out of room in the camera  

[Eric Franzen]

Thank you for sharing the pictures.

Will for surely be an possible option if I'll ever pass by in Maryland.

[Jason Mandel]

Thanks for posting Andy.  You bring back some memories of a course I used to play when I attended Maryland.  Glenn Dale sure is a fun course with a lot of character.  The front nine reminds me a little of Whitemarsh Valley.  

When my friend took me here for the first time I was blown away by the quality of the course for such a cheap price.  Neat, family run place.

Jason

[Andy Hughes]

Jason, one more, just for you.  The uphill, blind drive 16th. Tough hole, with a large swale, runoff on the left side of the green.


I believe your UM course was also done by Cobb, wasn't it? I like that one as well. Both courses have nice bones, and would benefit from a freshening up.
Never played Whitemarsh, but it sounds like I would like it.

[tonyt]

The second pic (hole #2) is saddening, as it accentuates the misguided fairway narrowing of old courses. Note how far the bunker now is from the fairway

[Mike_Cirba]

Andy,

First you give props to Glen Brook.

Then, you post pics of Glenn Dale.

Are you simply trying to goad Matt Ward into coming on here and chastising you about needing to "do the heavy lifting" when it comes to appreciating courses??

That's it, Andy...your life is simply incomplete without an immediate spring vacation somewhere in the badlands of Wyoming or North Dakota.  Call AirWest immediately.  

[Andy Hughes]

The second pic (hole #2) is saddening, as it accentuates the misguided fairway narrowing of old courses. Note how far the bunker now is from the fairway

Tony, actually, you are more 'right' than you know.  Much of the course needs someone to come in and breathe a little new life into it.  #2 actually has another fairway bunker further up and to the right (hard to see as its in the shadows), but the drive has no strategy at all as the fairway is so narrow.  The green and surrounds  make this hole, but it would be enhanced if there were a chance to drive to different areas of fairway.
Incidentally, I have never seen anyone in the trap on the left by the trees.

[Andy Hughes]

First you give props to Glen Brook.

OK, some of my 'gems' may need a bit of polishing, but I insist the bones are good!  

That's it, Andy...your life is simply incomplete without an immediate spring vacation somewhere in the badlands of Wyoming or North Dakota.  Call AirWest immediately.  

Oh man, please keep this our secret just betwen you and me Mike, but he has planted that bug and I am dying to go out there some day and try the courses he writes about. Truly. I just don't want Matt to find out.

[Jason Mandel]

Andy,

Thanks again.  Yep, the University of Maryland is a George Cobb course that does have some very good bones.  I haven't played it in the last 4 or 5 years or so but used to play it before I started caddying at Chevy Chase and got used to the good life .

I always said that if they had put some good money into that course(instead of the new clubhouse) they could have a really, really good course.

Happy Holidays
Jason