Cover Story - Waverly Woods Continues to Impress Baltimore Golfers

Whether it's gravy on the mashed potatoes or a cherry on top of an ice cream sundae, sometimes it's that finishing touch that takes something the extra step from very good to great.

The same can be said for Waverly Woods GC in Howard County, MD. The course, a spectacular Arthur Hills design located just outside of Baltimore, already provided a great layout for players of all abilities when it opened in July 1998. In May, the daily-fee club added that finishing touch: a 3,100 sq. ft clubhouse that virtually completes the package.

The facility has classic looks thanks to its stone and stucco design. Just off the putting green is an outdoor patio, framed by stone walls and columns. It provides an extra area to relax or grab something from the grill inside while providing views to the first, 10th and 18th holes.

Though a fairly small building, it still houses a full-service pro shop as well. Everyone seems to like it," said Waverly Woods' Tom Healy. The location is perfect. You literally step out of the clubhouse and onto the first tee. Plus, it's easier for players to get to the driving range and practice facilities.

Those practice facilities are among the best around. There's a 9,000 sq ft putting green, a separate area with bunkers for practice, and an eight-acre practice tee with more than 60,000 sq. ft. of hitting space.

Waverly Woods also has a separate pavilion banquet area and additional banquet facilities are available in the historic Waverly Mansion, which is just a few yards from the clubhouse.

If the new clubhouse is the gravy at Waverly Woods, the magnificent course is the meat and potatoes.

The course plays to just over 7,000 yards from the back tees. Four other starting points provide players yardage options of 6,600, 6,300, 5,600, and 4,800 yards.

The course works its way through rolling farmland and woods and provides a real test, along with some of the most breathtaking golf scenes you'll find.
One thing players will notice quickly is the slope of the fairways. Many of the landing areas slope from right to left or vice versa, so a shot down the center might not end up where you want.

The lesson is learned on the very first hole, a par 4 that measured 360 yards from the regulation tee. This one slopes down from right to left, so the player needs to aim right edge of the fairway to allow the ball to roll back into left-center for a good angle at the pin.

These slopes are prevalent on several holes. The 407-yard, par4 third hole is another example, this time the fairway sloping left to right toward a creek that meanders along the landing area.

Number 3 also is one of the most picturesque holes on the course, with a second shot crossing that creek to the green.

The player gets a breather on the fifth hole, a 137-yard par 3. But don't take too big a breath. This hole traditionally plays downwind, and players often find it difficult to keep the ball on the green with the tee shot.

Then it's back to work. The final three holes on the front side provide a stern test. The seventh, for example, is a 185 yard par 3 that plays about two clubs longer than the distance would indicate.

Number 8 is a par 5 that plays 538 yards into a predominant wind. The player needs the best tee shot possible. The fairway slopes to the left, where water awaits. But aim too far right and you might be in the trees.

The ninth hole provides a tough finish to the front side. It's a 436 yard par 4 into the wind again.

After the turn, the course actually provides a couple of birdie opportunities to get players pumped on the back. The 10th hole measures just 324 yards, while No. 11 is a par 5 at 500 yards.

Again, the back side provides more beauty and more of a test of play.

For players familiar with the design work of Arthur Hills, it should come as no surprise that Waverly Woods is a top-notch course. After all, course-rating panelists for Golf Digest rated Hills as one of their top-5 present day architects.

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