Review: Glenn Dale Golf Club (Part 1)

I've played my fair share of golf courses that no longer exist. Seven out of 91 courses at the moment that I'm writing this. It's a sad truth that golf isn't exactly booming at the current moment, and it's been many years since more golf courses opened in the United States than closed.

As you might suspect, I bring this up for a reason: As of September 2, 2019, Glenn Dale Golf Club, in Glenn Dale, Maryland (a D.C. suburb northeast of the city), will close. This was a bit of information that I only found out after I played here, and let me tell you, it was a bummer. It's not easy losing golf courses you know and have played before, but as we'll see over the course of this review, Glenn Dale offered reasonably interesting golf in a slightly more relaxed setting for a very reasonable price. When it goes, it will leave a gap in the D.C. golfing world.

The first hole starts things off in understated terms. The tee shot on this mid-length par 4 plays down a steep incline, then gently upward to the green. The fairway isn't exactly wide, and is especially pinched by trees near the landing area, but it's not really narrow. This is the sort of hole that really eases the golfer into the round.

The first hole.

Approaching the first green.

The second hole is much less understated. The hole is a hundred yards shorter than the first, but definitely throws a lot more at the golfer. This is a good short par 4, there are choices to be made on the tee. Sure, you can pull out the driver and blast away, but three greenside bunkers and a fairway bunker about 50 yards short definitely add some peril to that option. There is definitely a strong argument for laying up with a long iron and leaving a full wedge into the green, which is small and sharply sloped from back to front. 

The second hole.

The second green.

The third hole is a long par 4, coming in at just under 450 yards, and it's definitely a tough hole. The hole doglegs left around a group of trees, and in order to have a good shot at the green, you need to hit a decent tee shot. That sets up an approach over a pond to a green flanked by two small bunkers. Luckily, the green is pretty big, but going over doesn't exactly leave an easy recovery, as the green slopes away. If you can make par, you've definitely done well.

The third hole from the elevated tee.

Approaching the third green.

The third green from behind.

The fourth hole is almost exactly the same length as the first hole, but they play very differently. The tee shot is obviously meant to be played out to the right, but doing that leaves quite a long approach considering the modest length of the hole. While I'm not certain as to the exact distance required to clear the water, I'm pretty certain that a long hitter could clear it, and doing so would leave just a little wedge to a wide-open green.

The fourth hole.

The fourth green.

The fifth hole is the first time we see something that isn't a par 4. Luckily, the first four holes all have quite a bit of variety, so you don't notice as much. Anyway, this is a reasonably straightforward 180 yard par 3, with a narrow green and a fairly significant greenside bunker short right. This isn't the most interesting hole in the world, but it's not bad.

The fifth hole.

The fifth green.

The sixth hole is a straightaway short par 4, similar in length to the second, but they play significantly differently. One thing they do share: Going for the green is discouraged. There's only one bunker on this hole, but it's directly in between the tee and the green. If you want to drive the green, you'll have to clear that bunker. Normally I'm not a big fan of forced carries like this one, but the hole is so short that this one is okay. In addition, the green is placed in a subtle bowl, so shots will gather toward the middle of the green. Just don't go left, that's out of bounds over there. 

The sixth hole.

The sixth green.

The seventh hole is the longest par 3 at Glenn Dale, playing just over 200 yards gently down a hill. There are bunkers right and short left, but the real hazard on this hole is going long or left. There's nothing but trees and hazards there. The green is large, but it's tough to swing confidently with so much trouble long. Another solid, if unspectacular, par 3.

The seventh hole.

The eighth hole is the first of only two par 5s at Glenn Dale, and is by far the longest of the two at 555 yards. The hole is completely bunkerless for some reason, so this isn't the most interesting hole on the course. You'll definitely want to avoid a hook on this hole, thick trees and O.B. line the entire left side. Other than that, it's hit a drive and second shot to your ideal lay-up length. The green is also not hugely interesting. A bunker or two in the fairway would improve this hole a lot.

The eighth hole from the tee.

Still a long way to go.

Half of the eighth green is hidden behind a small mound.

The ninth hole is both the most difficult and the best hole at Glenn Dale. At 466 yards, it is by far the longest par 4 on the course (and slightly longer than a par 5 that we'll come to later). The tee shot has to be threaded between a road left and a large fairway bunker right onto an undulating fairway. That's tough enough by itself, but things get really interesting on the second shot. That'll be a mid to long iron off of what will almost certainly be some sort of uneven lie up to an elevated green. It's a big green, but an undulating one, and two putting is definitely not guaranteed. If you make par, there's a good chance you'll be making up at least one shot on your playing companions. This is a brutal hole, but it's still enjoyable because there aren't any major hazards. There's O.B. left on the drive, but it's pretty far off; otherwise, the hole relies on terrain for its difficulty, and I appreciate that.

The ninth hole presents a difficult drive.

The ninth green is an equally difficult target.

That's it for now, next week we'll check out the back nine.