Review: Furnace Bay Golf Course

The 18-hole public course, which is about a 45-minute drive from Baltimore, has a fair blend of open links and tree-lined fairways.

 The front nine is more challenging, with intimidating tee shots through narrow openings. Water comes into play on five holes on the front nine, and nine overall. The back nine plays more open than the front, and tends to be more rewarding for beginners.

The course offers views of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, particularly the tributary for which the course is named. The clubhouse is an old stone farmhouse, and the course sprawls across Cecil County acreage previously used as farmland. It’s an ideal course for a golfer still learning the game, and is perfect for tournament play. The course offers moonlight golf twice a year, when golfers use glow-in-the-dark balls.

Furnace Bay Golf Course

• Address: 79 Chesapeake View Road, Perryville, 21903
• Phone: 410-642-6952
• Online: www.furnacebaygolf.com
• Cost: (call pro shop for updated rates)
• Weekdays: $16-41
• Weekend: $21-45
• Yardage: From Red: 4,857; From Gold: 5,407; From White: 5,834; From Blue: 6,335
• Best Hole: No. 10. It’s not the easiest hole on the course, but the 158-yard, par 3 offers a spacious green for a tee shot, and despite a difficult putting surface, can be birdied.
• Hardest Hole: No. 2. The second consecutive dramatic dogleg to open the course veers right and is surrounded by a thick forest. A mid-iron off the tee through a narrow opening can be followed by a fairway wood to the green. The 485-yard par 5 can be birdied with a good second shot.
• Get the camera out on: No. 4. After a blind, uphill tee shot, golfers are left with a mid-iron approach to the green on this 307-yard, par 4. The green is surrounded by water on the front, left and rear.
• Keep an eye on: The eight water hazards along the course. Water and trees can wreak serious havoc on a scorecard at Furnace Bay.
• Plan on losing this many balls: 3-4. Depending on your level of play, the trees and water that surround many of the fairways and tee boxes can attract plenty of balls. The front nine might eat up a several balls, but the back nine and its wide fairways is more forgiving.

REPORT CARD

(score out of seven)