The Links At Lighthouse Sound

About
The Links at Lighthouse Sound is an Arthur Hills-designed golf course that covers a scenic and varied terrain. Hills took advantage of not only the beautiful views afforded by the course's location right along the Assawomen Bay, but also the natural diversity of the terrain. He routed the front nine along the bay while the back nine borders the St. Martin's River, through mature hardwoods and pristine marshland. The golf course is home to the longest cart bridge in the country, stretching almost 1,500 feet to bring golfers from the bay-side holes to the marshland holes. It is also the only course in the U.S. with five consecutive holes playing to the same double green. The signature hole is the par-3 fifth, which requires a carry over a marsh to a nearly island green bordered by water on three sides.
Tee | Par | Length | Rating | Slope |
---|---|---|---|---|
Black | 72 | 7031 yards | 74.6 | 138 |
Gold | 72 | 6556 yards | 72.2 | 133 |
Blue | 72 | 6041 yards | 69.8 | 126 |
White | 72 | 5548 yards | 67.7 | 120 |
White (W) | 72 | 5548 yards | 74.1 | 142 |
Red (W) | 72 | 4553 yards | 67.1 | 122 |
Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Black M: 75.1/142 | 375 | 508 | 190 | 430 | 218 | 390 | 622 | 395 | 444 | 3572 | 310 | 188 | 558 | 184 | 462 | 430 | 360 | 455 | 532 | 3479 | 7051 |
Gold M: 72.9/135 | 332 | 496 | 173 | 385 | 185 | 385 | 585 | 326 | 440 | 3307 | 296 | 169 | 545 | 172 | 432 | 409 | 333 | 432 | 505 | 3293 | 6600 |
Green M: 71.7/135 | 332 | 496 | 162 | 385 | 160 | 385 | 550 | 326 | 389 | 3185 | 296 | 152 | 531 | 161 | 392 | 390 | 333 | 400 | 505 | 3160 | 6345 |
Blue M: 70.1/130 | 281 | 448 | 162 | 360 | 160 | 280 | 550 | 317 | 389 | 2947 | 285 | 152 | 531 | 161 | 392 | 390 | 305 | 400 | 470 | 3086 | 6033 |
White M: 67.7/121 W: 72.8/136 | 273 | 439 | 139 | 352 | 112 | 267 | 516 | 287 | 365 | 2750 | 250 | 145 | 375 | 146 | 350 | 375 | 300 | 325 | 455 | 2721 | 5471 |
Red M: 63.8/104 W: 67.8/115 | 235 | 389 | 82 | 235 | 107 | 242 | 405 | 240 | 320 | 2255 | 195 | 105 | 367 | 120 | 252 | 295 | 233 | 322 | 404 | 2293 | 4548 |
Handicap | 13 | 11 | 15 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 17 | 1 | 18 | 14 | 8 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 16 | 2 | 10 | |||
Par | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 36 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 36 | 72 |
Handicap (W) | 11 | 7 | 17 | 9 | 3 | 13 | 1 | 15 | 5 | 18 | 16 | 8 | 14 | 10 | 6 | 12 | 4 | 2 |
Course Details
Rentals/Services
Practice/Instruction
Policies
Food & Beverage
Snacks, RestaurantAvailable Facilities
Clubhouse, Banquet FacilitiesReviews
Reviewer Photos
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Photo submitted by MasterTigerWoods on 08/01/2016
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Photo submitted by MasterTigerWoods on 08/01/2016
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Photo submitted by MasterTigerWoods on 08/01/2016
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Photo submitted by MasterTigerWoods on 08/01/2016
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Photo submitted by MasterTigerWoods on 08/01/2016
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Photo submitted by u000004989554 on 04/11/2016
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to this in moments Photo submitted by u000004989554 on 04/11/2016
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from this Photo submitted by u000004989554 on 04/11/2016
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Photo submitted by Ricstee on 12/31/2015
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Photo submitted by Ricstee on 12/31/2015
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Photo submitted by Ricstee on 12/31/2015
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From tee box Photo submitted by Edward7061541 on 08/15/2014
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par 4 5th hole Photo submitted by Prolix on 09/09/2013
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Nailed it! Photo submitted by OtterMan on 10/26/2012
The best you can play
I can say without a shadow of a doubt this is the best public course in Maryland. Sadly we played it on a rainy day, but the course is in great shape. Firstly, the views of Ocean City are spectacular. Secondly, the routing is pretty tough, but also fair. Lots of holes where you have to carry water and the doglegs force you to pick a good line and be confident with it. Most of the greens are elevated so long irons are tough to hold so you need to aim short and roll it up. Greens were firm, but receptive on shorter irons and wedges. Honestly this courses conditions were nicer than some country clubs I’ve played.
It's the little things
One of my favorites in OC. I play at least once or twice a year so I usually do not get to take advantage of coupon rates.
When you pay full boat your expectations go up. going to warm up and told you have to bring your own tees to range. They do not have a sign up for distance to flags. (range finder left in cart as it was pinned in) No bucket of water with a brush to use after you warm up. Bulle Rock provides all this and charges way less. Both short game traps had puddles in them. Two fairways on the back are GUR , ( should be warned prior to making tee time or given a discount). Pace was great, greens in great shape but expectations not met as they have been in past.
Poor Turf Conditions
There is an issue with the greenkeeping. Bare spots, ground under repair, soft/spongy turf, bad mowing, slow greens, geese poop, etc.
The course design is very unique, views/landscape are great, restaurant/bar is great.
Sadly the greens do not match the green fees.
Overpriced for such terrible conditions!
We paid $139 per person for a 5 hour round and the course was in terrible condition. Definitely not worth the money!!
Disappointing day at a usually great golf course
I have played this course occasionally thru the last 15 years and I was always happy with the experience. The experience was well
Worth the cost each time I’ve previously played.
This time however was not so great. The back 9 holes were horrendous. Fairways without grass. Collars of the greens burnt out and muddy. The greens themselves were in very good shape for putting purposes. Tee boxes were poor on the back nine as well. Really a shame because it is a great course. They were obviously working on repairing the course.
I understand the weather has been tough, but for $139 it definitely was not worth that price. The staff were pleasant and helpful. I’ll be back but right now I wouldn’t recommend playing there for that price.
Links at Lighthouse Sound
If I could give it no stars I would. My friends and I were in town for a golf outing on Set.12th, 2021 so we played Lighthouse the Sunday before for $135. We had played the course 3 years prior and were excited to play it again. Well, the excitement eluded us as we started playing the course, the majority of fairways had bare spots, crab grass, assorted weeds, sticks and debris. The greens had more ball marks than I have ever seen. I always repair a couple of ball marks on every green, but I would still be there repairing all the ones on their greens. It was a huge disappointment after traveling from Florida and the others from Connecticut. We did mention it to the crew after our round, but it seemed to fall on deaf ears. Luckily we also played Rum Pointe, Bear Trap and Newport Bay, they somewhat helped us forget the condition of The Links at Lighthouse Sound. If anyone ask me, I would say stay far away from Lighthouse Sound.
Spectacular views and course
This is a fabulous course designed by the late Arthur Hills. It is across Assawoman Bay from Ocean City, MD and is laid out among marshland. The first 7 holes are adjacent to the bay and provide for some awesome views and the 18th green is right next to the water. The morning I played it was 65 degrees (it had been 90 the day before) and the wind was blowing hard but did nothing to detract from my enjoyment. The staff is super friendly. If you are in Ocean City or the Delaware beach towns such as Fenwick Island or Bethany Beach, please treat yourself to this great golf course.
Never Disappoints
Great to get back to this beautiful track. Staff is friendly. Able to tee off a few minutes early and had a great pairing. Course was in good shape given the amount of play and this late in the season. It’s not perfect but very good conditions overall. You can’t beat the scenery and the layout is challenging but fair. Rum Pointe is up next.
Always good to give it a second chance
I love this course. My favorite in OC. Had a terrible experience last year , not so this year. Have played it 5 times and all where great. Pace, conditions, amenities all great
Top course in OCMD
The course was in excellent condition from tee to green. Not a single complaint the entire round. The couple of months that courses were closed def allowed this one to grow in nicely.
a delight to play
Played while on vacation at Bethany Beach. Had played it in 2015 & 2016 so knew the layout. Very challenging with nice views on front 9 of Ocean City. Pricey but understandable being in this area. Staff very friendly and accommodating. Greens were in great shape; not too speedy but smooth and made you pay attention. Practice area is very nice. Was in 2nd group off in morning and foursome in front let us through on 6 although really weren't playing slow. Lots of opportunities to lose balls but fairways are pretty wide but many forced carries. Overall a great experience and continues to be my first choice when in the area.
Great Course. Terrible Experience
My favorite course in OC, always a great experience until yesterday.
I was a single, hooked up with 2 other singles. 7:48 tee time, got off about 10 minutes late. This was the only hole we did not have to wait on the tee box for the entire round. After we teed off I noticed the GPS was not working. I figured I would let a marshall know as we go to the second tee and had to wait for 2 groups . Surely they would be out to address this backup .,as the gps tells the shop where every cart is. No Marshall till the 12th, I told them not to worry about bringing us a new cart. they did bring one while on 14.
Tried to get a Tito's in the restaurant after the 7th.. because we had not seen the beverage cart yet. They were out, bartender stated they will not get anymore more till Tuesday. Really.. how about someone go buy some from a liquour store.
When you pay $125 for a round of golf your expectations go up and they clearly blew it this time. Very disappointed as they did not live up to past experience.
Beautiful Views
This is my favorite course to play based on the scenery and surroundings. Absolutely beautiful with the wetlands and views of the bay and the Ocean City skyline. Would definitely recommend.
Overpriced and poor condition
For $175 (late September 2018), this course should be in tip-top shape. And it's not. Yes, the views are beautiful ... but you don't play on the views; you play on land. The greens were fair at best and the fairways were just horrible (as was the rough)..
Moreover, the grill didn't open until after 8am ... and we had tee-times at 7:30! What are 12 golfers supposed to do? Awww, I'm so sorry that the staff didn't want to show up to take care of their customers.
I will not return.
A terrific Fall treat
I play this course a lot and today I played it in an outing. It was a beautiful day, breezy and sunny conditions. Wonderful views of the bay from many holes make it worth the trip.
The course was not uniformly in good shape but overall not bad. The back nine has more troubled turf conditions. They would do well to consider an aggressive tree removal strategy, especially on holes 9 -12. Leave them open to the bay and wind and they will sparkle. This was done on holes 3-4 with good results. More aggressive chemical use to combat adverse conditions would also help.
The greens were a gem and like the better OC courses rolled nicely. Not too fast but true. Prices have dropped here (and everywhere) and I fear that the declining golf rounds are putting too much pressure on course and greens are taking a hit. Several others have experienced this and I hope this does not. It is still one of my favorites, but I will be watching for improvements.
lost luster over the years
I have played Lighthouse probably 10 times over the last 15 years or so. It's still remains one of the most beautiful courses on the East Coast. The layout and views are spectacular.
I have been disappointed my last couple visits in the course conditions, the maintenance is nowhere up to par from what it used to be, it used to be five star spectacular and now it is only three star I have been disappointed my last couple visits in the course conditions, the maintenance is nowhere up to par from what it used to be, it used to be five star spectacular and now it is only three star.
The full price rate is overpriced, for the rate that I paid it is acceptable but it still has lost a good bit of the luster that it had years ago.
The greens don't roll as nice and fast as they once did, the manicuring around the edges of the course is rough, lots of weeds where they never existed in the past, and once you are too far off the fairway, there are a number of very bare spots.
to reiterate: the layout is spectacular, the design and uniqueness of the holes - but just not as rich and I appealing as it once was
Amazing course layout
Although its pricey, love this course and want to play it again as soon as possible. great course conditions and love the layout
Extremely disappointed
I planned a 3 day golf trip with the guys and this was supposed to be the gem of the whole trip. HOWEVER, the decription below was copy and pasted from the previous review because it was 100% accurate to my experience one year later. Only difference, we suffered through the round, which took over 5 hours.
Had a bad experience playing this course. At bag drop had to unload my car since no employee was in sight. Tee'd off 20 minutes after scheduled start. Pace of play was ridiculously slow. Called the pro shop on two different occasions to report slow play. Rangers came out and apologized profusely but did nothing to move groups along. The single who played with us quit after 9. Our group quit after 13 after 4+ hours of hit and WAIT golf. No ranger was seen on back 9 in the afternoon. Unacceptable for a highly touted facility. The front 7 has nice views of the bay and ocean city and is in decent shape but the back which is wooded is in pedestrian shape with irregular rough, crab grass on tee boxes, and bald spots near the greens. At $139 fee, this golf course is no bargain. It is over valued and under conditioned. Will not play here again. Do not recommend.
Bad experience
Had a bad experience playing this course. At bag drop had to unload my car since no employee was in sight. Tee'd off 20 minutes after scheduled start. Pace of play was ridiculously slow. Called the pro shop on two different occasions to report slow play. Rangers came out and apologized profusely but did nothing to move groups along. The single who played with us quit after 9. Our group quit after 13 after 4+ hours of hit and WAIT golf. No ranger was seen on back 9 in the afternoon. Unacceptable for a highly touted facility. The front 7 has nice views of the bay and ocean city and is in decent shape but the back which is wooded is in pedestrian shape with irregular rough, crab grass on tee boxes, and bald spots near the greens. At $139 fee, this golf course is no bargain. It is over valued and under conditioned. Will not play here again. Do not recommend.