Best golf courses: Around D.C. & Baltimore

The most notable course in Washington, D.C. is the Congressional Country Club, home to multiple U.S. Open championships and a sanctuary to U.S. Presidents, Senators, Congressman, top government officials, wealth creators, oil barons and other members of Washington's elite. On our golf trip across Baltimore and Washington DC we also visited a fabulous Stay & Play golf resort, The Golf Club at Lansdowne, home to two 18-holes championship courses created by world-renowned course designers Robert Trent Jones and Greg Norman. 

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Washington, DC
Heatwole, David

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

David Heatwole

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Washington, DC
Jacobson, Rick

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Rick Jacobson

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Baltimore
Tillinghast, A.W.

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Baltimore

Designer

East course: original layout by A. W. Tillinghast (1926); modifications by Brian Silva (1991), and restoration by Keith Foster (2015).
West course: opened in 1962; redesigned by Bob Cupp and Tom Kite (1990); renovation by Keith Foster (2012).

5-star: Fabulous – courses don’t get much better than this.
Visitors welcome
Baltimore
Dye, Pete

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Baltimore

Designer

Pete Dye

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Washington, DC
Jacobson, Rick

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Rick Jacobson

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
(Closed in 2017)
Washington, DC
Beman & Weed

Visitors?

(Closed in 2017)

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Deane Beman & Bobby Weed

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Baltimore
Fazio, Tom

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Baltimore

Designer

Tom Fazio

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Washington, DC
Emmet & Jones Sr.

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Blue course: Original design by Devereux Emmet (1924); later revisions by Tom Winton, Donald Ross & Alfred Tull. Substantially redesigned by Robert Trent Jones Sr (1957); renovation and further changes by Rees Jones (1989 & 2010).
Gold course: original design by Devereux Emmet (1924); substantial redesign by uncle-nephew team of George & Tom Fazio (1976); renovated by Arthur Hills (2000).

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Washington, DC
Travis, Walter

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Walter Travis

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Washington, DC
Price & Smyers

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Nick Price & Steve Smyers

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Baltimore
Lee, Joe

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Baltimore

Designer

Joe Lee

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Washington, DC
Potts, Jeff

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Jeff Potts

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Rsrt guests only
Washington, DC
Jones, Robert Trent II

Visitors?

Rsrt guests only

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Robert Trent Jones Jr.

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Rsrt guests only
Washington, DC
Norman, Greg

Visitors?

Rsrt guests only

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Greg Norman

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Washington, DC
Love, Bill

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Bill Love

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Washington, DC
Hills, Arthur

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

An Arthur Hills Signature Design

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Baltimore
Hook, Gus

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Baltimore

Designer

Gus Hook (Baltimore Parks Superintendent in the 1930s).

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Washington, DC
Lee, Joe

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Joe Lee

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Washington, DC
Freeland, Tim

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Tim Freeland

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Washington, DC
Dye, P.B.

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

P.B. Dye

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Washington, DC
Nicklaus, Jack

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

A Jack Nicklaus Signature Design

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Baltimore
Ervin, Lindsay

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Baltimore

Designer

Lindsay B. Ervin designed both the River and Lakes courses.

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Washington, DC
Player, Gary

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

A Gary Player Signature Course

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Baltimore
Foster, Keith

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Baltimore

Designer

Keith Foster

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Washington, DC
Jones Sr, Robert Trent

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Original design by Robert Trent Jones Sr. (1991); modifications by Kyle Phillips (2014).

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Washington, DC
Jackson, Tom

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Tom Jackson

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Washington, DC
Cupp, Bob

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Redesign of original nine-hole course and extension to 18 holes by Bob Cupp (1988).

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Washington, DC
Ault-Clark & Love III

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Original design by Ault-Clark Associates; redesigned by PGA Tour Design Services (2008).

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
(Closed in 2017)
Washington, DC
Dye, P.B.

Visitors?

(Closed in 2017)

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

P.B. Dye

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Washington, DC
Couples & Bates

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Course designed by Gene Bates in consultation with Fred Couples.

5-star: Fabulous – courses don’t get much better than this.
Visitors welcome
Washington, DC
Poellot & Els

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

J. Michael Poellot & Ernie Els

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Washington, DC
Ault, Brian

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Brian T. Ault (of Ault, Clark & Associates).

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Tournaments

The Sentry: known for many years as the Tournament of Champions, the PGA Tour’s 2025 season-opener gets underway on Kapalua’s Plantation course (Jan 2-5). Chris Kirk defends.

Tournament of Champions: the LPGA Tour’s 2025 season is launched at Lake Nona with the their Tournament of Champions (Jan 30-Feb 2). The 2024 edition gave Lydia Ko her 20th LPGA Tour title.

Who's Who

Attahya Thitikul: also known as “Jeeno”, the Thai golfer won the LPGA Tour’s 2024 CME Group Tour Championship … and an eye-watering $4 million, the richest first-prize in women’s golf.

Rory McIlroy: scooped the 2024 European (DP World) Tour season-long Order of Merit title, joining Seve Ballesteros as a six-time winner of this prestigious award.

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.

Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.

Prince's Golf Club, Kent (UK)

Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.

Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available

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