Compass Pointe South West Golf Course
 What makes a great day of golf? Some might argue a "good score"....others might say "a round with good friends" but the real hardcore golfer would say "36-holes instead of just 18". Lets face it's hard to find time for nine holes some weeks but for those perfect summer days and special times with family and friends, nothing beats two rounds back-to-back.
In the Mid-Atlantic there are many wonderful courses to play but few offer 36-holes of great golf like the Compass Pointe Golf Course in Pasadena Maryland. In 2003 the first 18 holes of the Lindsay Ervin design opened and the following two nines opened a couple of years later. Today, all 36 make for two compelling different tracks offering a complex mixture of duality not surpassed anywhere in the region.
Recently we traveled north on I-95 and made a return visit to Compass Pointe. It's been a few years since we last teed it up at either course and we were excited to test our games on the South West parkland design.
 It's nice to see both courses and clubhouse are settling in nicely. Like all new courses there were a couple of issues when the course first opened but we are happy to report management has done a great job at resolve each. The maturity of the past few years has done wonders for the design and I'm positive it's currently very close to the vision Lindsay Ervin had when he first designed the layout.
The South West course is a wonderful "tree lined" yet "fair" test of game. There is a brilliant mixture of both short and long holes providing scoring opportunities yet at the same time tests your course management abilities. The course will challenge you at the tee, fairway and on the green.
The visual intimidation on the tee in one of the best design characteristics of the South West course. Diver, wedge is not the norm and there are many instances where all you see are the hazards and bunkers flanking the fairway. Then once in the fairway, you realize there was plenty of room for a slightly wayward shot. We all know "seeing" and "knowing" what awaits you after a tee shot are to totally different animals.
At the greens you're presented with a plethora of varying size, shapes and angles that really differentiates the course from other designs. There are large oval greens with minimal break; there are two tiered greens with an unlimited possibility of pin placements; there are long narrow greens that can play up to 4 clubs different depending on pin placement and there are even a couple of quasi figure 8 greens where a green in regulation on the wrong side could lead to a chip from the green to the other side of the green.
In short our round did not disappoint and if variety is the "true spice of life"...then I suggest making a tee at the Compass Pointe South West Course soon!
 Amigos Favorite Hole: With many strong holes to choose from we had a tough decision choosing our favorite. In the end we decided the 353-yard Par-4 10th of the West course was our favorite.
This short Par-4 is a great risk reward hole. The arching fairway feeds out and around a lake to the green perched on the right side. For long hitters you might be tempted to go for green by cutting the corner, but I would advise against it. For most humans with a handicap, the smart play is a hybrid or long iron to the large part of the fairway leaving a wedge to the green.
For those who choose to challenge the hole there are plenty of hazards and obstacles to over come. The lake on the right lurks all the way down and around the back of the green. Not to mention the well bunkered left side of the fairway. You'll likely end up in a trap if you skittishly pull your tee shot trying to avoid the lake.
The shot to the green is one of the most intimidating anywhere on the course. The green isn't small, but it's surrounding by water and the ground surrounding it slopes away from the green on 2 sides. The right slopes down and to the water and the front, down to a collection area. You would think the left and back might leave bailout room but both sides are well guarded with bunkers...talk about feast or famine.
As we said it's a great risk-reward hole. It's a birdie opportunity that can turn bogey or worse in one swing!
Review Date:
05/09/2009
Course review ratings are conducted on a five point scale. ( 1 = Double Bogey 3 = Par 5 = Eagle)
Tees:
The Par 72 course has 5 sets of tees with a total distance ranging from 6,979 yards at the tips to 4,520 at the most forward set. The course has great assortment of tee distance for every skill level.
One of the best aspects the course design is the tee spacing. Each hole can play entirely different depending on which tees you’re playing. On some holes from the tips you might struggle to make par but move up one set and a birdie could definitely be a possibility. On any given day the course could be a totally different play depending on which set of tees you choose.
The bent grass tees were in good condition but in need of a fresh cut. With all the recent rain you could tell the course was a couple of days behind in their maintenance schedule.
Fairways:
The fairways were in great shape and the routing is visually compelling. The difference in view at the tee between fairway and rough makes for some interesting views, not to mention debate in club selection at the tee.
I was impressed with the drainage in the fairways. With the recent rains I would have expected many damp spots. On the course though there were only a couple of areas where I had to move my ball out of standing water.
Rough:
On a course there is plenty of rough and hazards to keep you on your toes. There was only one primary cut of rough and the length and depth did vary from hole-to-hole. With the relative newness and youth of course a few more years of seasoning should help.
If your ball strays further off the beaten path there was some spottiness where your ball could find bare ground. Depending on your game you will probably find a spot or two before your round is over. In this situation our group normally enacts our own rule and moves the ball to some turf within a clubs length. But for those of you who strictly follow all USGA rules; it’s worth a mention.
Traps:
The course is well bunkered both greenside and along the fairway. At the tee the design does a great job of making you think your way around the course by perfectly placing bunkers that could come in play. Once in the fairway and at times those fairways only come into play in your mind based on the view at the tee.
The course is currently undergoing a maintenance project on the traps. A few were under repair and were marked off while others were washed out and had little to no sand. After the first hole we declared all traps as ground under repair and were given the option of a free drop no closer to the hole. A good way to play it until the project is complete.
Greens:
The diversity of green design on the Compass Pointe South West course rivals any course anywhere in the Mid-Atlantic.
The greens have a range of slope varying from minimal to demanding and in size from large to small. If it's your first round at the course, I highly recommend a course guide to gauge distance from center, front and back.
The greens were in awesome condition. They have that perfect combination of medium fast speed and roll very true. It was easy to gauge a feel both for putting and chipping. Spend 5 minutes on the chipping and putting green near the clubhouse and you'll have a great feel for the conditions on the course.
Amenities:
Many changes and updates have been made to Compass Pointe since our last visit. The non-assuming Clubhouse now has a great 19th hole with a full service bar and grill and plenty of flat screen TVs.
The practice facility is complete and rivals any private club in the area. The range is open and has plenty of room to work on every club in your bag. My only recommendation would be the purchase of some larger hitting mats.
There is a large practice putting green in on course condition right behind the range and a practice pitching green available to work on those touch shots around the green..
Staff Services:
Every staff member we encountered at Compass Pointe was professional, helpful and courteous.
On the course, there was a fully stocked beverage cart making rounds and the turn conveniently loops back to the clubhouse where you can stock up those necessary items prior to hitting the back nine.
Pace of Play:
On a breezy Saturday afternoon we had no issue with pace. Even as a twosome playing between a couple of foursomes, we completed our round in just over 4 hours.
Overall Average:
4.45, Birdie Course
Nice Course, to play recommendation
We would like to thank Public Relations Manager Nick Lashinsky of Billy Casper Golf for having us out to visit and spotlight the Compass Pointe South West course.
CLICK HERE for additional course information...
Location:
9010 Ft Smallwood Road, Pasadena MD 21122
Tee Time Phone:
410-255-7764
Course Type:
Public
*The opinions expressed in this course review are those of the individual reviewer(s) and do not reflect the editorial opinion of
www.GolfinAmigos.com
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