Worthington Manor Golf Club

I booked a tee time for 7:30am. Came all the way from D.C. (1 hour drive) because the course is that nice. The starter was unbelievably rude to the point where we never played a hole and asked for a refund. At one point he literally said in front of a small group of people, "Do you know who I am?" The Golf Pro was very nice about it, refunded our money and even offered to buy our next round. I will never go back there until they let go of the starter.

My morning at Worthington Manor was cold, wet, and wonderful. If you look closely at any of the pictures that include me, you’ll notice I’m wearing two gloves, which only happens on really cold days. However, no amount of rain or cold could ruin this good walk.

Playing from the tips, Worthington’s rating (74.7) and slope (145) threaten to challenge you; and they deliver on that promise. Beyond the 7000+ yards, there are plentiful turns, tight targets, deep extended rough and elevation changes to test your game. None of that, of course, includes the bunkers, greens, and water hazards which are also very much in play throughout this track. There are multiple holes where you are facing more than just added distance by playing all the way back, as the angles can dramatically change where you can effectively place your ball on the fairway.

Having said all of that, even from the back, the course is playable and there are very few holes which would cause too much trouble if you played them decently. The par three 17th might be the exception to that as you will need a good 200 yards of carry off the tee and you are essentially firing through a shoot of trees most of the way. The tee is elevated, though, so you don’t need a full 200 yard club to clear the creek in the front of the green.

This course is built on a watershed, and there are subsequently very few holes where you are not having to carry a decent amount of marshy waste area or water of some kind. Worm-burners off the tee here will frequently cost you a ball. The first and second holes are great examples of this; both requiring a roughly 200 yard carry to the elbow of a dogleg left. Because you are firing into a dogleg, the depth of your landing area is naturally reduced. The script is somewhat flipped on the long (437 yards) par 4 third, where the marsh carry is to the green; which, because of the length of the hole is going to be a longer iron for most players (without a good tee shot, this could quickly become a hole that plays as a par 5, requiring a layup shot before your approach). You get the idea, Worthington Manor will make you play some golf.

What you will not be challenged by, is finding a good view. This course is beautiful both in layout and environment. Surrounded by trees and rolling over and through countless hills Worthington has as many vistas as it does divots. The tee to green, everything is in terrific condition with nice sharp lines between cuts and putting surfaces that roll true (they were a little slow the day I played because of the rain, but my understanding is that on most days the pace is very good as well). As eluded to above, the design of the course is great, placing as high a premium on course management as ball striking.

The staff at Worthington were also commendable. Overtly friendly and helpful they were a significant feature and added considerable value to my visit. I talked to one of the guys for a few minutes about my trip and the experiences we have had. From the stories of my rounds thus far, he was able to identify holes in which I’d be likely to score and how I should go about doing it (as well as which ones I should simply manage and live to fight another day). By the time I was on the course, I felt like I had already played a practice round; and this helped… more than a little.

To me, if you are in the area, Worthington is a must play. I’m very excited about trying to get back out there and squeeze a round in during my next trip back east.

Played yesterday, a nice fall NFL Sunday. Thought people would be home watching football and we could get in a quick round. It took over 5 hours. With seemingly no end in site, the 2 players that were playing with my son and I left after the 11th hole. It never got any better and the one time we saw a ranger, he didn't say anything to anybody and just drove by. Extremely disappointing as it seems impossible to play well when you have to wait so long between every shot. The topper was that the course had no scorecards, only poor copies of one side with holes and distances.

There's a reason why the USGA continues to return to Worthington Manor to hold local US Open qualifiers, the course is in great shape, challenging, but fair. The main defenses are the greens, rough, and wind. Although the rough isn't that long, it's quite dense and can easily muffle a shot, which places a premium on finding the FW. However, even hitting a GIR isn't a guaranteed birdie or par. You definitely need to put your approach shot in the proper quadrant and below the hole. Otherwise, good luck! The course is in great shape despite the heat this summer, which makes you wonder why other courses can't keep pace. The price is reasonable given the course - it's a good deal.

This course is essentially in my backyard and every time I play it I am amazed at how nice it is. Friendly staff, two tiered practice facility with separate chipping and putting areas (all real grass). It is an extremely tough course, plenty long, hills, undulations, blind tee shots....the hole 500 yds (see what I did there)!? Play it and you wont regret it. Plenty of membership options, great tee time reservation system, tasty drinks & food. It even has cool lighting in the parking lot. The 1st tee shot is an absolute beauty and yet I always miss right :) Play here and you wont regret it!

Championship caliber golf course, great value, excellent playing condition, challenging. Great, friendly ,and helpful staff. Excellent practice facility, Never seen a "drone" marshal, great idea, and seems to cover a lot of area quickly.

Course is in amazing condition (US Open Qualifier coming) and is pretty challenging. Greens roll fast, winding greens, and forced carries. You have to think for most of our shots. Surprisingly, the bar/kitchen is very small for a place of this high caliber.

Just moved my home around the corner from this place. Was hoping it was as good as they say since my new proximity to the course makes it the perfect place to get a membership. I was not disappointed when I tried it out for the first time. Conditions were near perfect. The greens were tough. Very undulating in general, with steep slopes on many...and quick. Took me awhile, but I started to figure them out after 3-putting 3 of the first 5 greens!

All the staff I came in contact with were very friendly and helpful. The practice area is very good, the range really nice with actual target greens/pins, not just flags. It looks almost as nice as the course itself. The views on this beautiful autumn day were gorgeous. The only negative I can come up with was that the pace of play should have been better on a light Monday, but all it takes is one slow foursome and no rangers for that to happen. Evidently there are rarely rangers on duty during lighter days. I understand the business reasons for having no rangers on light days, but if they had a ranger there is nothing negative that can be said about this place. Okay, maybe one small thing. Their carts need some updating and the GPS units are not the most up-to-date with all the bells and whistles and color illustrations that other really nice courses might have. No big deal for me, as I generally use a rangefinder anyway. However, I do appreciate and take advantage of some of the benefits of GPS if they are on the carts.

In any case, Worthington passed my test and I will surely be purchasing a yearly membership shortly. Though there are many other really great courses in the area to play---and I will certainly take advantage of most of them in the future---having a place like Worthington to be my home course and daily practice facility is going to be pretty nice.

Amazing course..perfect conditions. Greens ran pure and true. Pace of play left a little to be desired. Overall a great experience and I would recommend this course to anyone with the opportunity to play it .

one of the best kept greens and fast as heck. Hard course but its awesome

first of all, absolutely gorgeous course. Pace of play was fine, few delays here or there but no one cared.

The course is long and challenging and really made you concentrate to play each hole well.

And the you get to the putting surface which was amazing. The ball rolled so true. It didn't stop in the middle of a ridge like almost every other course I've played, even the so called great ones.

Controlled putting and hitting the right lines were rewarded every time.

Anyways it was just tremendous

Came to Baltimore area for business and found this course. Glad I did. The course itself had a cool personality starting with the clubhouse and barn where they keep the carts. First couple of holes are no joke so you better be ready to go...not long but require carrying some ravines off the tee. Overall it's a fun course and the greens were pure and rolled beautifully. Would come again in a heart beat.

Very playable and great course conditions. With the lack of rain, this course is well maintained. Fairways and greens were in great shape.

This was only my second time playing here, but it won't be the last. It's crazy to me that this course is so close to PB Dye and PB looks like a goat pasture and Worthington is in great shape. This course will test all of your game. From the tips it forces you to curve the ball both ways on many holes if you want to end up in the fairway. Greens are running great...and challenging....fairways pure.....tees pure.....rough is down (thank God....cuz I was in it plenty!)

There is a good reason this course is repeatedly used for PGA qualifiers, it plays long and the putting is definitely challenging. You don't have to hit all the fairways to score but, you have to bring your putting "A" game.

I don't write reviews, but felt compelled to after today's round. The course was in amazing shape. It was a Tuesday so I was able to tee off at 3pm as a twosome and play a round in 3:30. I have played all the $100 courses in the DC area. This one is the best. I played a course near WM last week and the greens were just aerated and in poor condition. Night and day when you compare the two courses, and WM was actually the cheaper of the two. Most of the nice public courses in the area, this late in the season, are in rough shape, so for the course to look like this in late August is very impressive. A tip of the cap to the grounds crew.

Paired up with a great group of strangers who were very nice and played great. The course is in good condition for late August. It's a very challenging but fair golf course that rewards good shots. Fast greens that hold a shot and roll true but show some wear from a long summer. Beautiful scenery and elevation changes with some blind shots make for a great time.

Absolutely enamored with the golf course, the staff and the overall facilities. Will definitely play again, and again, and again.

However, was not happy with the $11.90 in taxes and online fee's I was hit with on GolfNow. Will make it a point to review the true "overall" cost in the future. Probably could've played for a cheaper rate as a senior, booking thru the clubhouse. A little disappointing.