Designer: Brian Ault/Eric Ault/Tom Clark (1998)
Location: Urbana, Maryland
History: Built over old farmland, Worthington Manor opened in 1998 with a design from Ault, Clark & Associates. Since then, the course has hosted numerous U.S. Open Qualifiers and the 2019 Maryland Open. It is considered one of the best public options in the state, earning the following awards:
- #31 Best Course in Maryland – Top100golfcourses.com (2025)
- #5 Best Public Course in Maryland – Golfweek (2026)
Conditions: 9/10, Worthington Manor’s conditioning is usually very strong, with firm and fast fairways and slick greens. On the day I played, it was on par with many of the private courses in the area.
Value: 7/10, While not a cheap round, Worthington Manor offers solid value with peak rates of about $130 and further discounts for weekdays and twilight. During most weekday afternoons, you can play the course for about $70 with a cart, which is excellent value.
Scorecard:
Tee Par Yardage Rating Slope
Black 72 7034 74.7 145
Blue 72 6525 72.4 137
White 72 6058 70.0 132
Gold 72 5817 68.6 129
Red 72 5206 70.1 127
Hole Descriptions: Located about an hour away from both Washington D.C. and Baltimore near Frederick, Worthington Manor is a member of “The Big 5” public golf courses in the area along with Whiskey Creek, Maryland National, P.B. Dye, and Musket Ridge. These courses are all modern, upscale public designs built around the same time and sit only a few miles apart. While none are quite good enough to warrant national attention, they make up about half of the public courses worth playing in Maryland and would make an excellent and affordable golf trip. I enjoy all five courses, but Worthington Manor is my personal favorite of the bunch, just narrowly beating out the more popular and well-known Whiskey Creek.
Sitting on a lovely property of rolling farmland, Worthington Manor is a visually appealing course that uses the land movement and natural terrain to its advantage, often incorporating natural ravines and water hazards into the design. The course is generally in excellent condition, and can play quite difficult due to its length, tricky greens, and plentiful bunkers, with a slope of 145 from the 7000+ yard Black Tees. The historic clubhouse and barn add to the upscale, almost private-like feel, and the bucolic setting is quite enjoyable. This isn’t necessarily a course I’d travel long distances to play, but it is certainly worth a day trip from Baltimore and D.C. and would be a course I would play a lot locally.
Worthington Manor is a challenging course and sets the tone early with four stout par fours to start out your round. The 1st is a 384 yard par 4 requiring a forced carry over Bennett Creek to a diagonal fairway angled to the left. This fairway is on the narrow side and slopes hard right-to-left, with well-placed crossbunkers down the right at 215 yards and left at 245 yards. From a potential sidehill lie, this approach plays slightly downhill towards a green containing a horizontal ridge and defended by a left bunker.
The 2nd hole plays similarly to the 1st but slightly shorter at 358 yards. Also requiring a forced carry over a ravine towards a diagonal, right-to-left sloped fairway, this is a gorgeous teeshot with mounds of rough down the right and a large bunker and wasteland down the left. This approach runs slightly back uphill towards a putting surface that slopes severely right-to-left with the terrain.
The 3rd and 4th holes are dueling long par fours that run parallel to each other at 411 and 401 yards, respectfully. The 3rd is one of the most difficult holes on the course playing slightly downhill to a narrow fairway that again slopes right-to-left towards a hazard. There’s a bunker down the right around 195 yards, and this fairway really constricts around 260 yards. From here, you’ll face somewhat of an awkward uphill approach over the hazard to a shallow green set off the to left. This green slopes severely back right-to-front left and is defended by an imposing bunker to the right. There’s lots of room for disaster on this interesting hole.
The 4th hole is a slightly easier par 4 running back the opposite direction at 401 yards. Playing from an elevated teebox, this fairway is angled to the right and slopes hard left-to-right. While a miss to the right will trundle down a hill of rough and leave a blind approach, this fairway is overall fairly generous and only tightens around 265 yards with a string of bunkers beginning down the right. This approach runs uphill to a two-tiered, back-to-front sloped green defended by large bunkers short on either side and a nasty potbunker long.
At 503 yards, the 5th hole is Worthington Manor’s first par 5 and plays shorter and reachable downhill. This hole begins with somewhat of a narrow teeshot playing straight downhill between trees down the right and a large left bunker between 250 and 280 yards. Those who find the fairway here may get significant rollout and be able to reach the green in two. Those who elect to lay-up will need to navigate a snaking, left-to-right sloped fairway lined by water to the far right and a well-placed bunker down the right for much of the lay-up zone. There are additional deep bunkers left, short, and long of this narrow, left-to-right sloped putting surface.
The 6th hole is the first par 3 on the course at 171 yards. This is an attractive one-shotter playing over water to a wide green sitting on a peninsula. There’s really no room to miss here, as water runs down the left side of the green as well and large bunkers defend short, right, and long. This green contains a vertical ridge which slopes off in either direction.
After a challenging start, Worthington Manor eases up a bit to end the front 9 with some scoring opportunities. The first of these comes at the 7th, a 339 yard risk/reward par 4. Cutting diagonally over a ravine, this fairway bends to the left with mounds of rough down the right and a string of left bunkers between 170 and 240 yards. The fairway plateaus near the end of these bunkers and then runs downhill towards a subtle green defended by a right bunker. The direct line from the teebox to the green is only about 300 yards, so longer hitters can cut the corner and have a great birdie look here.
The 8th is the shortest hole on the course at 169 yards and plays a bit uphill with a forced carry over the hazard. This green is defended by bunkers on either side short and slopes severely back-to-front. I spun it off this slope to a few inches and for a second thought I made my second ace here!
The 9th hole takes you back to the clubhouse as the longest par 5 on the course at 536 yards. This hole begins with an 160 yard forced carry over a hazard to a generous, left-to-right sloped fairway. There’s a large bunker down the right between 220 and 250 yards, but otherwise little danger on the teeshot. Golfers will face a decision on their second shot, as the fairway runs downhill and narrows, ending about 80 yards short of the green with Bennett Creek. A shallow green sits just on the other side of the hazard and slopes severely back-to-front defended by a right bunker. In my notes during the round, I noted the green was possibly unfairly sloped and I’ve seen others online also think that.
The back 9 sits on the other side of the clubhouse and begins with another scoring opportunity in the 346 yard par 4 10th. Running along the main road near the entrance, this is a slight dogleg right with a narrow fairway lined by bunkers down the left between 225 and 260 yards and a single right bunker around 190 yards. A hidden water hazard begins down the right around 250 yards and runs all the way to the green. This diagonal putting surface slopes back-to-front with two tiers and is also defended by a bunker long left.
At 332 yards, the 11th hole is the shortest par 4 on the course and gives the golfer options. Playing straightaway with a mild forced carry over a pond, this fairway is pretty wide for the first 235 yards until a large crossbunker begins down the right. Those going for the green need to be wary of a deep potbunker just short of the putting surface. This green is pretty interesting, playing quite wide with a left-sided swale.
The 12th hole is arguably the most difficult on the course as a 423 yard par 4 running along the edge of the property. It’s not obvious to first time players, but the fairway ends around 265 yards with a large bunker down the left at this point and a steep downhill patch of rough. With a good teeshot, the golfer will be left a mid-iron approach over a ravine to an elevated green off to the right. Numerous bunkers defend this undulating green short while steep mounds of rough defend long and right.
The 13th hole turns back around and runs alongside the 12th as a 522 yard par 5. This is a dogleg left that initially features a wide fairway lined by fescue down the left before turning left around two bunkers on the inside corner of the dogleg at 230 yards. The fairway remains tight following the dogleg, with a large right bunker about 90 yards short of the green and rough on either side. Another giant bunker defends just short left of a green which contains a horizontal ridge.
The 14th hole provides another great scoring opportunity as a 340 yard par 4 that plays shorter downhill. A dogleg left, this pretty hole plays downhill towards the clubhouse and cartbarn before turning left at about 230 yards with bunkers down either side. Those who play a high draw can use the downhill slope to carom onto this small, undulating green defended by large bunkers on either side short.
The 15th hole is a straightforward par 3 playing between several other holes at 170 yards. A large bunker defends just short of a wide green that mostly slopes back-to-front.
The closing stretch features some of the best holes on the course beginning with the 430 yard 16th. Although the longest par 4 on the course, it plays downhill and shorter as a slight dogleg left lined by mounds of rough. This green contains a vertical ridge and is defended by a bunker and steep slope right and patch of rough short. It is a very nice hole and one where par is a great score.
At 188 yards, the 17th hole is the best of Worthington’s par threes playing severely downhill through a chute of trees to somewhat of an island green. There’s a small creek short of the green, while the ravine defends long and a deep bunker sits down the left. There’s a large mound of rough just to the right of the green that can carom balls onto the surface under the right conditions. This green contains lots of movement and can be very tricky to hit given the elevation change.
Worthington Manor saves perhaps its best hole for last with a 502 yard par 5 playing back towards the clubhouse. From an elevated teebox, this hole begins with an epic teeshot requiring an 160 yard forced carry over a hazard and back through the chute of trees. This fairway turns left immediately and slopes hard right-to-left with mounds of rough down either side. The defining feature of the hole is a split fairway that forms at about 270 yards, with a higher right portion divided by a thick patch of rough. The lower portion of fairway is easier to hit, but yields a tougher uphill approach into the green compared to the right side. Those attempting to reach this subtle green in two will face an uphill approach over numerous bunkers short.
General Comments: Worthington Manor’s clubhouse and cart barn are preserved historic farmhouses, and give the course an elegant, classy feel that perfectly fits the property. Practice facilities are strong and include a large complimentary range and practice green. I imagine this course gets busy, but I zipped around in about 3 hours as a single on a weekday afternoon.
Verdict: Set upon rolling farmland, Worthington Manor is a difficult and well-conditioned modern design and my personal favorite of the “Big 5” public courses in the area. It is definitely worth a day trip from Baltimore or D.C. and is a course I highly recommend!