Clustered Spires
Location » Frederick, Md.
Phone » 301-600-1295
Rates » Mon-Thurs, $39; Friday, $45; Sat-Sun, $59
Par/Yardage/Rating/Slope
72/6,912/72.7/130
Web » www.cityoffrederick.com/cms/page/index.php?id=101
Description » The 19-year-old facility is the city of Frederick’s lone municipal golf course. It is set on rolling farmland, adjacent to the Monocacy River, with views of the Catoctin Mountains. Clustered Spires has lots of open holes. Difficulty comes in the form of short but thick rough and well-protected, elevated greens.
Reasons to Play » A worthy, inexpensive option to Frederick County’s wealth of upscale courses, including Musket Ridge, Worthington Manor, P.B. Dye, Maryland National and Whiskey Creek. Playable, good course for walkers.
Pleasant surprises » With a practice bunker and grass tees at the driving range, an instructional/fitting room and an attractive eatery with balcony, the facilities at Clustered Spires are a cut above most municipals.
Historic perspective » Clustered Spires refers to the church steeples Civil War troops used to identify the town. The term was coined by John Greenleaf Whittier in “Barbara Fritchie,” a poem about a Civil War heroine from Frederick.
Improvements » A man-made brook with a waterfall, added in 2008 between the first tee and ninth green, introduces ambiance without encroaching on the course. Waste areas adjacent to the 11th green and between the 16th and 17th holes were converted into ponds within the last three years.
Everything hole » No. 9, Par 4, 396 Yards
The downhill, dog-leg winds left around a pond and toward the clubhouse. From the tee, players get a snapshot of the best and worst of the new Frederick County — the Catoctin Mountains in the distance, townhouses to the right and a sprawling, brown industrial park in the foreground.
Best hole » No. 15, Par 5, 555 Yards
A solid drive down the chute will catch a slope and give big hitters a chance to reach the green, which is surrounded by trees and guarded in the front by bunkers left and center. The green can be accessed with a running hook.
Interesting hole » No. 10, Par 5, 551 Yards
On this three-shot hole, a stone silo and the remains of a dilapidated barn are just off the left side of the fairway, within range of errant tee shots. The structures are a reminder of the land’s previous function.
Designer » Ault, Clark & Associates, the most prolific golf course architects in the Washington area, take what the land gives them. Some of their best local work includes Blue Ridge Shadows, Reston National, Pleasant Valley, Northwest Park, Worthington Manor and both courses at the Beach Club in Ocean City.
