It may very well be the best golf destination that you’ve never heard about. Located in north central Maryland, it’s less than an hour from both Washington DC and Baltimore. It’s just two and a half hours from Philadelphia, three and a half from Pittsburgh, and right around four hours from Manhattan. It’s the perfect distance for that long weekend getaway with your buddies. Frederick is the second largest city in Maryland and is renowned for a diverse restaurant scene that includes breweries, wineries, and distilleries. While Frederick has the chain restaurants you might expect to see, the best part of your dining experience may be the locally owned and managed restaurants including a broad range of ethnic options. There are more than 100 within 10 minutes of your hotel!
Hotel choices in Frederick include most major brands, with price and amenities being the deciding factor in where you end up staying. All your options are at the most 15 to 20 minutes from all of the golf courses. Our most popular include Best Western, Country Inn and Suites, Clarion Inn and Hampton Inn.
The golf course scene has exploded in Frederick County in the past 25 years. Between 1998 and 2002, six premium, upscale courses opened in Frederick, three just south of Frederick and three just to the west. Worthington Manor Golf Club is located just south of Frederick in Urbana. This Ault-Clark Signature Course is the original premium course in Frederick County and has hosted numerous USGA events, including the US Open Qualifier. Also south of Frederick in Ijamsville is Whiskey Creek Golf Club. Architect J. Michael Poellot worked with design consultant and former US Open Champion Ernie Els to incorporate some spectacular rolling hills and views into a stunning masterpiece that is consistently rated in the top ten in the state. PB Dye Golf Club in Ijamsville is the final premium course south of Frederick. Rated by Golf Digest in 2007 as the 26th “Toughest Course in America”, this is PB Dye’s signature course that incorporates features that you see all of in Dye’s designs.
Richland Golf Club in Middletown (formerly Hollow Creek Golf Club) is one of three courses that opened in 2002 just west of Frederick. This Rick Jacobsen design winds through a housing community that you don’t really even see. Elevation changes and large, undulating greens are the focus of the Rick Jacobsen design. And the Valley Grill Sports Bar is one of golfs best 19th holes. Just down the road, also in Middletown is Maryland National Golf Club. This Arthur Hills masterpiece is always perfectly manicured and is consistently rated as a top course in Maryland. If you’ve experienced a round at a Hills course, you may agree this is undoubtedly one of his finest. And finally there is Musket Ridge Golf Club in Myersville. This was joe Lee’s final design and he said it was the best piece of property that he ever worked on. Stunning views of The Blue Ridge and Catoctin Mountains are only a part of why this course has been a top ten course in Maryland since it opened.
Be sure to check out Clustered Spires Golf Club, a municipal facility owned by the City of Frederick. This Ault Clark design is senior friendly and is the areas most popular with the locals. It’s green complexes are equal to any in the area at a cost of close to half the price!
Putting all of this together by yourself would be a challenge. Luckily there is someone who does packaging and only packaging. Chris Moore is The Frederick Golf Guy and 2020 will be his 17th year of putting together great trips to Frederick through both his website www.golffrederickmd.com and personal contact (phone and e-mail). There are direct links to all local courses from the website. He acts as your Golf Concierge, both prior to and during your visit. Each package includes a minimum of $20.00 credit at one of his local restaurant partners and he will meet you and be available to your group throughout your visit to answer questions, make restaurant recommendations and ensure your visit goes smoothly. It’s great to see that there is someone who understands what true customer service is all about! Chris can be best reached via e-mail at Chris@Golffrederickmd.com or phone at 301-473-7579. If you come to Frederick, you will want to come back!