Baltimore county and Baltimore city have great layouts. Bulle rock in Havre de Grace and ruffles in Aberdeen. Leesburg VA has a bunch.

Hi JCope,

For an affordable round that includes vistas of the Potomac and national monuments, it's hard to top the Blue Course at East Potomac Park. The layout is mostly uninspired, but the 'cool' factor is definitely up there.

If you're looking for a more traditional/manicured experience, here are some my 'go-to' picks for Northern Virginia and Maryland within a 60 minute drive of downtown (in no particular order):

-Westfields (VA)
-Raspberry Falls (VA)
-Pleasant Valley (VA)
-Laurel Hill (VA)
-Whiskey Creek (MD)
-Worthington Manor (MD)
-University of Maryland Golf Course (MD)
-Musket Ridge (MD)
-Maryland National (MD)

I have looked at the UMD golf online, what is your take on that one? Looks nice online.

The U Maryland course is good value for the money, although I would rank it toward the middle of the list in terms of quality and memorability. Like any course, there's mix of unique and more pedestrian holes. Some significant elevation changes help keep things interesting.

While the other courses I have listed are open to the public, I think you will be perfectly happy with the U Maryland track. The only issue might be our delayed Mid Atlantic spring. The course might not be fully groomed for the season, although that argument could be made for most tracks in the area.

Cheers, and happy playing.

Thanks for the help!! I am looking at your list and going to narrow it down. I am hoping that spring weather and grass condition come on strong here soon!