If you live in the Mid-Atlantic then you know the shores of Chesapeake Bay provide some of the most beautiful settings in the area. The bay breeze and beautiful sunsets make for perfect summertime escapes. Ideal for boating, fishing and of course golf.
St. Michaels, MD, is the epitome of the Chesapeake Bay experience. This quaint waterfront village is situated on a picturesque peninsula between Tilghman Island, Easton and Oxford. With eclectic shops and a wide variety of specialty restaurants it's the perfect weekend getaway.
At the end of St. Michaels is the Harbourtowne Golf Resort, home of a par 70 Pete Dye designed golf course.
Harbourtowne Golf Resort is best described as two courses in one. The front nine and back nine are set apart by the differences in width between tree lines off the tee.
The front nine is open and very playable. You feel that even the high handicapper would feel welcome by the course providing the resort feel that most resort courses provide.
Once you make the turn however the course transforms into a tight parkland course where a slightly askew shot can spell hazard, out of bounds or worse. Dense trees guard both sides of holes 10 through 14. As a result these are some of the tightest driving holes I've ever had the opportunity to play.
From the tee you literally feel like you need to lay up off the tee to just have a chance at Par. Maintaining your cool through this stretch of holes is crucial to maintain a good score that can be had from the front nine.
Once beyond the 14th the course widens once again and becomes the friendly resort course you thought you we're playing on the front nine.
The Harbourtowne Golf Resort provides a nice track worth a play if you love classic designs. The small delicate greens provide targets you just don't see in modern course architecture.
But the best selling point for Harbourtowne is a weekend escape with your better half with the availability of good golf. With St. Michaels within walking distance the wife will be right at home shopping while you’re on the links.
Amigos Favorite Hole: The hole we liked best at the Harbourtowne Golf Resort was the 483-yard Par-5 No. 14.
When you look at the scorecard most would assume this short par 5 can easily be reached in two. But when you make your way to the tee you realize this severe dog-leg requires precision with your first shot.
The only way to get home in two on this par 5 is to hit a high 250-yard shot over the trees or to hit a severe fade/slice on command. I don't know about you but I have both of those shots in my bag.... RIGHT!
A half-acre pond lurks in the crook of the dogleg and woods guard the left side of the fairway. A prudent tee shot calls for a 200-yard hybrid or wood to the ideal lay-up location.
From there you'll have about 250-yards to the green, and considering the shot is back across the pond the prudent play is another hybrid to comfortable wedge distance.
On the green you'll find it slopes from back to front so the best chance for a birdie requires leaving the ball below pin. No. 14 requires good course management skills and if you can command a decent wedge shot you'll still have a good chance at making a birdie and at worst a par for the consolation prize.