Hardest Public Golf Courses in Maryland
The hardest public golf course in Maryland is Bulle Rock Golf Club in Havre de Grace, with a slope of 147 and a course rating of 75.6 from the Black tees (7,375 yards). It is a public course, open to all golfers. Next are Worthington Manor Golf Club (slope 145) and The Club at P.B. Dye (slope 143).
4 hardest public courses in Maryland, by slope
Every course here has had its public access checked against a named source.
| Rank | Course | City | Access | Slope | Course rating | Tee | Yards | Access checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bulle Rock Golf Club | Havre de Grace | Public | 147 | 75.6 | Black | 7,375 | Nov 2026 source |
| 2 | Worthington Manor Golf Club | Ijamsville | Public | 145 | 74.7 | Black | 7,034 | Nov 2026 source |
| 3 | The Club at P.B. Dye | Ijamsville | Semi-private | 143 | 74.6 | Black | 7,057 | Nov 2026 source |
| 4 | Lodestone Golf Course | Mchenry | Resort | 142 | 76.1 | Black | 7,475 | Nov 2026 source |
How this list is built
Each course is ranked by the highest slope rating from its men's tees. Women's ratings are used only where a course publishes no men's rating. Only regulation 18-hole courses are included; nine-hole courses are left out.
Only courses whose public access Stymie has checked against the club's own site or another named source are listed, and private clubs are left out. That is why this list differs from the hardest golf courses in Maryland, which ranks every rated course.
Courses are checked in order from the highest slope down, and the list stops at the first course whose public access has not been checked yet, so nothing here skips over an unchecked course. Courses that were checked and could not be confirmed as open to the public are left out. 135 golf courses in Maryland have a slope rating on file, and Stymie has checked access for 16 of them so far.
Resort courses may require a stay or hold tee times for guests. Semi-private courses limit public tee times. Call ahead before you plan a round.
Maryland public course FAQ
What is the hardest public golf course in Maryland?
Of the Maryland courses Stymie has checked for public access, Bulle Rock Golf Club in Havre de Grace has the highest slope rating: 147 from the Black tees, with a course rating of 75.6. Worthington Manor Golf Club is next at 145. Courses are checked from the highest slope down, so no unchecked course ranks above the ones listed.
Can anyone play Bulle Rock Golf Club?
Yes. Bulle Rock Golf Club is a public course, open to all golfers. Stymie checked its access in Nov 2026 against bullerockgc.com. Tee-time policies change, so confirm with the course before you go.
How is difficulty measured?
By slope rating, which measures how much harder a course plays for a bogey golfer than for a scratch golfer. It runs from 55 to 155, and 113 is standard difficulty. Each course is ranked by the highest slope from its men's tees, and only regulation 18-hole courses are included. Course rating, the score a scratch golfer is expected to shoot, is shown alongside.
More Maryland golf
- Hardest golf courses in Maryland, private clubs included
- Easiest public golf courses in Maryland
- Every rated course in Maryland
- All Maryland golf courses