Review: Maryland National Golf Club (Part 1)

I've lived in Frederick, Maryland, for more than 4 years, and over that time, I've played a lot of golf courses. And a lot of those courses weren't close to home. Even excluding those I've played on vacation, I've driven more than 2 hours on multiple occasions just to play one course. Meanwhile, there are several courses within 20 minutes that I haven't played. There's multiple reasons for that, namely price and the fact that all the courses in Frederick are thoroughly modern designs and that sort of course just isn't my thing.

That brings us to Maryland National Golf Club. It's a rather grandiose claim, saying that this is the definitive Maryland golf course. I actually remember this course being built 20 years ago or so, since I grew up just half an hour away up in Pennsylvania. It was designed by Arthur Hills, who's designed quite a lot of courses, though nothing fantastic. His most notable design is probably The Virtues (formerly Longaberger) in Ohio. So my brother and I came into the round with very few expectations. Well, we did for our first attempt. We actually played the front twice, since our first round was interrupted halfway through by a thunderstorm.

The first hole is a pretty mild start to the round. It's a mid-length par 4 with a pretty wide fairway, though there's really not much wiggle room if you miss the fairway left. There's a big bunker right that you'll also want to avoid. The approach is slightly downhill to a small green with a bunker right. You won't want to miss left or long, as the ball will likely bounce into trouble. Not a particularly difficult hole, but not an easy opener either.

The first hole, and yes, those are ominous storm clouds in the distance, and yes, they will be getting closer.

Approaching the first green.

The first green.

The second hole is probably the best hole at Maryland National. At the very least, it's fun. The hole plays downhill for the entirety of its nearly 600 yards, and we're not talking a little downhill. You could easily hit a huge drive here, so even though this is a pretty long hole, it's completely within the realm of possibility to hit the green in two. That is, if you get a good stance. That's something Maryland National has plenty of, for better or worse: lots of awkward stances. The fairways have been sculpted to have lots of little bumps and valley, so finding a flat lie is a rare feat indeed. If you can't reach the green in two, you'll be left with an awkward little pitch or wedge over three bunkers to another fairly small green that you don't want to go over. I wish the green was more open in front (get used to that phrase), but this is still a pretty decent hole.

The second hole plays very, very far down the hill.

Approaching the second green.

The second green.

The third hole is a par 3, playing 180 yards up the hill. Apparently it's supposed to be a Redan, but there's really not much in the way of slope on the green, so it's a very mild rendition. But still, it's best to hit a draw into the green. That bunker short left is not someplace you want to be.

The third hole.

The third green.

The fourth hole is a very long par 4, playing 460 yards from the back tees. Not only that, but it goes slightly uphill too. There's O.B. left in the form of the driving range, and several deep bunkers left of the fairway that you'll also want to avoid. The fairway itself looks incredibly narrow, but there is a bit more there than it appears from the tee. The green is perched up on a small knob, and the grass is cut short on three sides, meaning recovery shots from just off will be much more complicated. Chipping from the fairway is tough, especially when the green is crowned. This is a very difficult hole.

The fourth hole.

Approaching the fourth green.

The fourth hole.

The fifth hole plays parallel with the first, and the two actually share a fairway at first. Then they split at the big giant bunker, which you'll want to avoid here, just as much as you wanted to avoid it on the first hole. The approach is semiblind, with a bunker guarding the left side of the green. Much like the first, you won't want to go long. There's a big dropoff into trees just beyond the green.

The fifth hole. The storm clouds have gotten much closer.

Approaching the fifth green.

The fifth green.

The sixth hole is 210 yards, but because the green is so far below the tee, it plays a lot shorter than that. Conversely, the hole is basically all carry over a stream and a native area, so ending up short isn't an option. There's plenty of room long and right, so unlike a future par 3, there is space to bail out.

The sixth hole.

The sixth green.

The seventh hole is a fairly long par 5 at 540 yards. The fairway is wide at first, but about 275-300 yards out, a big bunker to the right eats into the fairway, giving a lot less space. That said, there's no trouble left save for some mounding, so there's no real punishment if you go that way. The lay-up is tricky because of a noticeable plateau in the fairway just beyond the the ideal lay-up spot. End up behind it, and you may have a blind approach. Going for the green is possible, but there's a pair of bunkers in front and the green isn't conducive to a draw, thanks to a chipping area right of the green.

The seventh hole

Approaching the seventh green.

The seventh green.

The eighth hole is another 460 yard par 4, but this one is a lot easier than the fourth, mostly because there is basically no trouble on the tee shot. One small bunker, that's all there is in the 100 yards or so between the seventh and ninth fairways. The second shot isn't hugely difficult either, with one bunker right protecting the green.

The eighth hole.

The eighth green.

The ninth hole is a short par 4, though it's a bit too long to drive. There's a pond down the left side of the hole, and a bunker on the right side, about where a bailout would end up. The green is in a small amphitheater, and is pretty shallow. The water guards the left front section, so a hole position on the left side of the green makes the second shot much tougher than when the hole is on the right side. Even with the water, this is a good birdie opportunity.

The ninth hole. From this point on, the pictures are from my second round.

The hole is a lot tougher when it's on the left side of the green.

The ninth green.

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