Ranking the Golf Courses I Reviewed In 2019

It's officially 2020, and what better way to wean off that New Year's hangover than with a big round-up of all the golf courses I reviewed in 2019!

I'll say this about 2019, the golf was occasionally awful, but at least the weather was mildly cooperative. Actually, for a little while in the fall it was downright dry. So it was never a struggle to get a year's worth of review material in, which was very nice. I was also able to get quite a variety of environments this time around, ranging from the marshes of southern Maryland to the boreal forests of the Adirondacks. Anyway, let's get to the list!

13. Cumberland Golf Club

This is about as dynamic as Cumberland gets.

I called it all the way back when I reviewed the course back in January. It would be tough for a course to be worse than Cumberland, and nothing else I played was up to the challenge. Not even close. It's flat, it's boring, and it's not worth your time or money.

The eighteenth is the one mildly interesting hole at Cumberland. It isn't worth the effort.

Find my review of Cumberland here and here.

12. The Woods - Mountain View

One of the more intimidating tee shots you'll ever face.

Sometimes a piece of land just isn't suited for golf. There is such a thing as too rugged, and I think the Mountain View course at the Woods crosses it. The course is completely unwalkable, holes are separated from each other by what often seems like miles, and to make matters worse, houses line almost every hole. The other things I could forgive, but when I play a golf course in the middle of nowhere, I want it to feel like it's in the middle of nowhere. Instead, it just felt like a mediocre housing course.

One of the few pictures I took where there were no houses in frame.

Find my review of the Woods here and here.

11. Range End

The fourth at Range End, quite possibly my least favorite hole of all time.

We go from ridiculously mountainous to nearly dead flat. Range End isn't a bad course, per se, but it is pretty boring. It's packed into a small property, so that means numerous parallel holes, and to top it off, the vast majority of the land is pancake flat. A talented architect could create some interest with cleverly placed bunkers or subtle earthwork, but Range End possesses neither of these attributes. This is about as generic as golf gets.

The twelfth at Range End, the one hole on the course with significant elevation change.

Find my review of Range End here and here.

10. Stamford Valley

The seventh hole is the best one at Stamford Valley.

The only 9 hole course I reviewed in 2019, Stamford Valley has some excellent scenery and a generally interesting set of greens going for it. The stretch from 6 to 8 is honestly pretty compelling golf. The rest of the course is fairly lackluster, if occasionally quirky. And $16 for 9 holes is a bit steep. It's better than most of the other 9 hole courses I've played, but I wouldn't take it over too many 18 hole courses.

There's quite a lot to take in on the eighth tee.

Find my review of Stamford Valley here.

9. Hickory Heights

The fifth green at Hickory Heights.

My experience at Hickory Heights can be summed up in two words: unexpected rain. More than a year on and I'm still annoyed about that. Anyway, the golf course is pretty basic, but it traverses some rolling terrain, which provides some reasonable interest. It's not quite as quirky as Westminster National, but it's not bad.

The sixteenth hole.

Find my review of Hickory Heights here and here.

8. Brigantine Golf Links

The third hole at Brigantine.

This definitely isn't a bad golf course, but it's completely flat and literally every hole is surrounded by houses. As a result, things start to look a little repetitive, especially in April when all the grass is brown. That said, there's some real strategic interest here despite the weaknesses, and the sixteenth is definitely on the short list for most entertaining green I've ever seen. It's worth seeing Brigantine just for that.

The ninth green, overlooking the ocean. Also note the tiny flags.

Have fun if you end up above the hole.

Find my review of Brigantine here and here.

7. Fore Sisters

The third hole at Fore Sisters. Sometimes the round feels more like a hike than golf.

The ninth hole.

Remember what I said about the Woods? How a golf course in the middle of nowhere should feel like it? Well, Fore Sisters does exactly that. It feels wild. There are no houses in view, just forest and mountains. The course is rugged, but it's not completely unwalkable (I wouldn't recommend it, but you can do it). Is it the most compelling course in the world? No, but the setting alone elevates it, and there's some definite quirk around. Plus how many courses have 700 yard holes?

Now that's a hole.

Looking back down the fourteenth. Yes, the 700 yard hole is uphill.

The sixteenth hole.

Find my review of Fore Sisters here and here.

6. Kingsbury National Golf Club

One of Kingsbury National's unique features is a double green, occupied by the first and eighth holes.

The approach on the ninth.

Kingsbury National is a perfectly nice golf course. A few decent holes,  a few parallel holes, nothing spectacular but nothing bad. A typical modern golf course, I'd call it. However, Kingsbury National has an ace in the hole. I'm not sure if it always plays so firm and fast, but it did when I was there, and that made it way more fun than it had any right too be. In softer conditions, this may drop a spot or two.

Golden hour can make any hole look great.

Find my review of Kingsbury National here and here.

5. Swan Point

The second at Swan Point is a rude awakening, but a good-looking one.

The Potomac River behind the sixth green.

Swan Point is not the sort of golf course I'd expect to enjoy. Lots of trees, lots of water, not particularly wide, it sounds pretty awful, to be honest. And yet, I did enjoy playing Swan Point. It's a beautiful spot, and there are some fun holes on the back nine. They're a little too tough for the beginner, I think, but as a sort of not completely terrible golfer, I appreciate the challenge now and again. The thrill of blasting a drive over the marshes to an unseen fairway is something I won't soon forget. Just bring a few extra golf balls.

The tenth hole, with the eleventh in the background.

Trouble surrounds the eleventh green.

The thirteenth concludes quite a scenic three-hole stretch.

Find my review of Swan Point here and here.

4. Glenn Dale Golf Club

The tough approach to the second.

The punchbowl-like sixth green.

The ninth hole requires two mighty blows.

Ah, Glenn Dale, a golf course gone too soon. That's right, we've got a dead course on the list, so unlike the other courses on this list, you'll just have to take my word that this course was pretty fun. Not earth shattering, but there were 18 solid holes with a decent set of greens, and it was a nice little slice of nature in suburban Washington, D.C that you could play for a very reasonable price. The golf world needs more Glenn Dales, not fewer.

The fifteenth hole.

The uphill approach to the last green.

Find my review of Glenn Dale here and here.

3. Orchard Creek Golf Club

Heading down to the first green.

The eighth green, sitting over Bozen Kill

The weather may have been disgustingly hot and I may have blown 7 shots in 4 holes to my brother who was suffering a fair amount of heat exhaustion, but that didn't stop me from appreciating a wonderfully minimalist modern golf course. There was plenty of strategy around, and playing corridors were almost always very wide open. The greens were fun, and the course was very walkable, not to mention affordable. Just bring lots of water with you if it's hot.

The fourteenth is only 270 yards, but it's got many possibilities.

The fifteenth is a 250 yard brute.

Find my review of Orchard Creek here and here.

2. Lake Placid Club - Links

The second hole at Lake Placid, with some impressive mountains in the background.

The sixth green, long, undulating, and dangerous.

The Links course at Lake Placid is, of course, not a real links. It wasn't even particularly firm and fast. But what it does have is a resolutely old-school style. Granted, I haven't seen a whole lot of golf courses (just shy of 100), but I have never seen bunkering like the Links course had. Long, thin ribbons of sand, stretching for dozens and dozens of yards. The course has apparently undergone a recent restoration, and I would just like to commend whoever was responsible for actually restoring the features of the course to the way they would have looked when Lake Placid was built over a century ago. The Links is a tough course, long and often punishing. But it's never overly penal, if you're careful, you can work your way around just fine. Plus there's the little matter of the scenery. The pictures don't do it justice.

The eleventh hole.

It's tough to beat Lake Placid on a July evening.

Find my review of Lake Placid here and here.

1. Copake Country Club

The second green at Copake presents quite a challenge.

I thought the difference between Shennecossett and Keney Park last year was small. Both are excellent golf courses, but I was always a bigger fan of Shennecossett. This year, the difference between Lake Placid and Copake was so small that I initially favored Lake Placid over Copake. Lake Placid is such a beautiful course, of course it was best. How could it not be?

The sixth, one of three sub-300 yard par 4s at Copake.

This isn't just a beauty contest though, and while Lake Placid has plenty of style and substance to go with the scenery, I think Copake is a more compelling golf course. The greens at Lake Placid were often not the most interesting in the world, while Copake presented quite possibly the most compelling set of greens I've ever played. Copake is not a course that can be bludgeoned into submission, it's all about the second shot and the short game there. As such, it varies immensely from Lake Placid, which can be a bit of a brute tee to green.

The eleventh green.

The thirteenth hole, down in a valley.

Let's put it like this: If you gave me one round and a choice between Lake Placid and Copake, I'd go with Lake Placid. But if you gave me ten rounds, I'd probably split it seven/three in favor of Copake. Lake Placid is an excellent getaway course with plenty of charm, but Copake, in my opinion, is just more fun. I would rather play Copake every day than Lake Placid, and that's why I'm putting it at the top for 2019.

It may not be the Adirondacks, but Lake Copake isn't a bad substitute.

Find my review of Copake here and here.

Well, that's 2019 done and dusted. It's been an adventure. I've got a backlog of courses all the way to April this time around, so once again, expect reviews once a month in 2020. Stay tuned!

Review: Range End Golf Club (Part 2)

We're back for part 2 of our exciting Range End adventure. Go here if you haven't seen the front nine.

The tenth hole is a long par 3 at nearly 230 yards, and it plays slightly downhill to a green flanked by bunkers. A pond lurks short left, not quite in play, but close enough to make the golfer uncomfortable. I actually have a bit of a story about this hole from that high school postseason tournament I mentioned last week. It was a shotgun start that day, and this was my seventeenth hole of the day. My coach had told me before the tournament that the cut to move to the next tournament was always in the low 80s, and as the round was coming to an end, the rumor at the clubhouse was that 81 would be in, and 82 would playoff for the remaining spot or two. Coming into 9, I was nine over and thinking birdie would give me a good cushion. Not an unreasonable idea, 9 is a short par 4 and in a practice round I'd driven the green. Unfortunately, my play that day had been scrappy; while I'd gotten away with things several times, my luck ran out on the tee shot. I went wide right and I couldn't even get a par. Instead of being 8 over, I was 10 over. I had to finish with two pars to avoid the playoff. I was steaming as I stepped onto this tee, I knew I had to hit this green. Chipping has never been my strong point, so getting up and down was iffy at best. In retrospect, a 3 iron to 40 feet isn't the greatest shot I've ever hit, but under the pressure, it was exactly what I needed. I got my par, and with a par on the next hole, I had my 81, and my place in the next tournament was secured.

The tenth hole.

The eleventh hole is the longest hole at Range End at 535 yards, and while it's only a few yards longer than the first hole, it plays a whole lot longer. The tee shot is pretty straightforward, as is the second. This is a true three-shot hole, so the goal should be to lay up about 80-100 yards from the green, leaving a wedge up the hill. The green is small and very well guarded by bunkers.

The eleventh hole.

Heading up the hill toward the eleventh green.

The third shot is semiblind.

The twelfth hole is, by virtue of the fact that it's the only hole at Range End to feature any sort of side slope, the best hole on the golf course. It's a 370-yard par 4, so it's definitely on the shorter side, but that side slope makes the second shot so much more complicated. Especially since it's the only time the golfer is confronted with such a shot during the round. To be honest, this hole doesn't even feel like the rest of the course, which in this case isn't a bad thing. It's surrounded by forest, it's pointing in a completely different direction, so it's a nice change of pace. Anyway, the hole can play very short if you cut the dogleg, but that will leave you with an awkward half-wedge from a hanging lie to a green that you absolutely cannot go long on. Sure, you'll have a hanging lie pretty much anywhere, but a full shot is often preferable to a half shot. The green is reasonably sized for once, but like I said, long is dead. It's tough to be aggressive when the flag is in the back. Also, I think this is just a good looking hole. The sideslope and the mountain backdrop work well together.

The twelfth hole. Forgot to take any more pictures. Oops.

The thirteenth hole is the shortest hole at Range End, playing just under 180 yards. It's slightly downhill too, and is situated on the same bit of hill as the previous hole and the last hundred yards of the eleventh. The little pot bunker to the left of the green is definitely something to avoid, but missing right is no picnic either. The area just right is maintained as fairway, and there's a small swale running parallel to the green. Any chip from the right has to negotiate that swale, and if hit in the wrong place, the shot can either stop dead or be kicked past. This is also a pretty decent hole.

The thirteenth hole.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole is sadly a return to Range End  routing standards. Yes, it's back to parallel holes. At least there's a bit of elevation change here still. Much like the previous par 5s, there's no issue off the tee, so get as far as possible, because at 480 yards, this hole is easily reachable in two. If you're doing that, then the second is a tough long iron or wood to a green guarded by three bunkers. If you lay up, obviously those bunkers are less of an issue. The green is fairly large and inviting, so if you are in range, I say go for it in two. I think it's worth the risk.

The fourteenth hole.

Not a bad position to go for the green.

From behind the fourteenth hole.

The fifteenth hole is a straightforward mid-length par 3 with a fairly small green surrounded by three bunkers. It plays over basically level ground and there isn't anything particularly interesting about it. Moving on.

The fifteenth hole.

The sixteenth hole is a 425 yard par 4 playing slightly downhill. The hole looks almost wide open at first, but the big tree to the left of the fairway really does dominate the flow of the hole. To be honest, the effective amount of room to work with on the tee shot is actually pretty small. So you'll need to be pretty accurate. The second shot is over a small creek to a long, narrow green flanked by two bunkers. There are only three par 4s on the back nine, and this is by far the longest of the three, and the toughest par.

The sixteenth hole. Definitely steer clear of that tree on the left.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is the third of three par 5s on the back nine, and is in the middle in terms of length and difficulty. This hole is notable for actually having some sort of hazard come into play on the tee shot. It's been a while, and in this case, it's not even a silly hazard. The same stream cutting across the last hole crosses the fairway 240 yards out from the back tee. It shouldn't be a problem to clear, but it's definitely on your mind. If you're successful, you can have a go at the green in two, which is defended in the typical Range End standard.

The seventeenth hole.

The seventeenth green.

The eighteenth hole is a short par 4, not driveable, but at 335 yards it's little more than a drive and pitch. Range End isn't on a particularly big piece of land, and considering the tee shot is hit over a road, you kind of get the impression that this hole was squeezed in to get back to the clubhouse, rather than routed naturally. It's a pretty simple hole, avoid the trees left and leave yourself a little wedge into one final tiny green. It's a great opportunity to finish with a birdie.

The eighteenth hole.

The eighteenth green.

To be perfectly honest, Range End is not a good golf course. While the back nine does a little better than the front, the routing consists mostly of straight, flat holes in parallel. That is not a recipe for exciting golf. And Range End doesn't even have the courtesy to at least be difficult. Sure, the greens are tiny and well defended, but there is almost no trouble at all off the tee. You can pretty much drive it anywhere and still have a reasonable chance at hitting the green in regulation. The greens had some slope to them, but they were pretty slow in general, which surprised me. I've said many times that I'm not a fan of super-fast greens, but I'd have preferred a bit more speed.

However, the same flatness that makes the course a bit dull does make it a pretty easy walk. Tees are generally pretty close to greens as well. And the course was in pretty good shape, though it was early May, which is when courses in the mid-Atlantic are at their best. The price was a little high ($33 to walk just after noon on a Saturday), but from what I can tell, the course can be walked at any time, so the most you'd ever have to pay is $42. During the week, walking prices max at $27, which is more reasonable.

Would I play here again? Well, I wouldn't go out of my way to do so, but I wouldn't say no. It's just under an hour away, but it's easy to get to. I could see myself going here if I ever want a fairly cheap, low stress round.