WorthingtonManor Golf Club
Where is it?Urbana,Maryland.
How to get there:Take interstate 270 North to exit 26 (Urbana/Buckeystown Route 80). Go west on Route 80 for one mile. The golf course entrance will be on the left.
What's it like?Worthington Manor is a very worthwhile experience from the first tee shot to the final putt. The course, with its lush bent grass, has been the site of US Open qualifying in 1999, 2000, and 2004, and US Amateur qualifying in 2001. A big attraction is its wonderful assortment of challenging par threes.
Address:8,329 Fingerboard Road,Urbana,Maryland21704.
Contact:tel 1 301 874 5400, www.worthingtonmanor.com
Price:$29.50–$65 Mon-Thurs; $40-$65 Fri; $40-$79 Sat-Sun.
Can I rent clubs?Yes, $30.
Club hours:Dawn to dusk.
Facilities:Short-game practice bunker and green and driving range.
After golf:A new dining room, with several TVs, opened in September. For nightlife, the town ofFrederickis nearby.
Bull RunGolf Club
Where is it?Haymarket,Virginia.
How to get there:Take 66 west to Route 15. Leave at exit 40 and follow it north for about five miles. The entrance to the club will be on the left.
What's it like?Designed by Rick Jacobson, who formerly worked for Jack Nicklaus,Bull Runoffers a challenge for the more skilled players, but at the same time will not intimidate the high-handicappers. The fairways are very generous, though the greens are smaller than usual.
Address:3,520 James Madison Highway,Haymarket,VA20169.
Contact:tel 1 703 753 7777.
Price:Mon-Thurs $59; Fri $69, Sat-Sun $89. Twilight rates also available.
Can I rent clubs?$30.
Club hours:Dawn to dusk.
Facilities:Driving range, chipping green and putting green.
After golf:The club has a bar and restaurant.
Stonewall Golf Club
Where is it?Gainesville,Virginia.
How to get there:66 west to exit 43a, which is route 29 south. Go about two and a half miles, and take a left at the second entrance toLakeManassas. Go a quarter of a mile, and take a right at the stop sign.
What's it like?Named after the famous Civil War General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, as well as the course's numerous stone walls. In all, it measures over 6,400 metres and, with five tee boxes, caters to various levels of play. Stonewall meanders through hardwood trees and forests, skirting the bank ofLakeManassas.
Address:15601 Turtle Point Drive,Gainesville,VA20155.
Contact:tel 1 703 753 5101, www.stonewallgolfclub.com
Price:Ranges from $55 to $110.
Can I rent clubs?Yes, $25.
Club hours:Dawn to dusk.
Facilities:A large driving range with two grass tees and five target greens, and a short-game practice area.
After golf:A very comfortable and spacious clubhouse with gourmet dining, fireplace lounge and giant screen TV to watch sporting events. The Magnolia Room, featuring an outdoor terrace, can accommodate up to 200 people for a banquet.
Whiskey Creek Golf Club
Where is it?Ljamsville,Maryland.
How to get there:Take 270 north towardFrederick. Leave at exit 26, which is Route 80 East, and take it for about three and a half miles. The course is on the left.
What's it like?The debut design effort of PGA Tour professional Ernie Els, Whiskey Creek features rolling terrain, pine trees and severe elevation changes. The scenery is magnificent. The highlight is the stone ruins of a 19th century original farmhouse on the 18th fairway.
Address:4,804 Whiskey Court,Ljamsville,Maryland21754.
Contact:tel 1 301 694 2900, www.whiskeycreekgolf.com
Price:Mon-Thurs $78, Fri-Sun $93. Twilight rates range from $48 to $62.
Can I rent clubs?Yes, $22.
Club hours:Dawn to dusk.
Facilities:Practice range, putting green and practice green with bunker.
After golf:Full bar and restaurant. The historic Antietam National Battlefield is 20 minutes away.
Compass Pointe Golf Courses
Where is it?Pasadena,Maryland.
How to get there:From I-495, go north on I-95 towardsBaltimore. Exit at MD 100 and head east. Follow that towardsGibsonIsland, and then head left ontoMagothy Bridge Road. That will becomeHogneck Road. Take it to the end, and then turn right ontoFortSmallwood. The clubhouse is on the right.
What's it like?Award-winning architect Lindsay Ervin has put together a 36-hole facility in easternMarylandthat encompasses more than 800 acres of woodland, high native grasses and ponds. The North nine offers a Scottish-type aura, while the East and South are more conventional. The West nine features parkland-style holes.
Address:9010 Fort Smallwood Road,Pasadena,Md,21122.
Contact:tel 1 410 255 7764, www.compasspointegolf.com
Price:Mon-Thurs $55 before1pm, $45 from1-3pm, $35 twilight. Fri-Sun $65 before1pm, $55 from1-3pm, and $40 twilight.
Can I rent clubs?Yes, $25.
Club hours:Dawn to dusk.
Facilities:A fully stocked pro shop, Grille Room and pavilion with seating for up to 240 people. Driving range with a grass tee and a professional teaching staff.
After golf:Several restaurants are located on the water, a short drive fromBaltimoreandAnnapolis.
Raspberry Falls Golf & Hunt Club
Where is it?Leesburg,Virginia.
How to get there:Take 267, which turns intoDulles Toll Road. Follow that to the end and then take exit 1B, which turns into 15 north. The course will be about five miles down on the left-hand side.
What's it like?Designed by Hall of Famer Gary Player,RaspberryFallshas a definite links-style aura. The holes have very colourful names which are appropriate for the region, such as "Lee's bunker," and "Grant's tomb." Why is Hunt Club part of the title? That's easy: the equestrian association still carries out fox hunts around the grounds (not on the course itself) during the off-season.
Address:41601 Raspberry Drive,Leesburg,VA,20176.
Contact:tel 1 703 779 2555, www.raspberryfalls.com
Price:Mon-Thurs $76, Fri-Sun $96. Twilight rates: Mon-Thurs $52, Fri-Sun $62.
Can I rent clubs?Yes, $40.
Club hours:Dawn to dusk.
Facilities:Driving range, chipping green and putting green.
After golf:The clubhouse is fully serviced and has a restaurant. The town ofLeesburgis nearby.
