The hardest golf courses in Bethesda, Maryland
The hardest 18-hole golf courses within about 25 miles of Bethesda, Maryland, ranked by USGA slope rating from each course's longest men's tees, with course rating as the tiebreaker. 64 courses have complete, verified tee data.
Also covers Potomac, Ijamsville, Laytonsville, Silver Spring, Rockville and 7 more nearby towns.
The Jack Nicklaus Signature
Creighton Farms
Aldie, VA, USASlope rating 152, 77.0 course rating, Professional tees, 7,410 yds
PrivateJack Nicklaus
- 4.2Conditions
- 4.5Layout
- 4.3Scenery
- 4.7Facilities
- Driving range
- Restaurant
- Bar
Riverview
Trump National Golf Club Washington DC
Potomac Falls, VA, USASlope rating 148, 75.6 course rating, Gold tees, 7,234 yds
PrivateArthur Hills
- Driving range
- Restaurant
- Bar
Championship
Trump National Golf Club Washington DC
Potomac Falls, VA, USASlope rating 145, 77.9 course rating, Gold tees, 7,793 yds
PrivateTom Fazio
- 4.5Conditions
- 3.3Layout
- 4.0Scenery
- 4.4Facilities
- Driving range
- Putting area
- Restaurant
Greg Norman
Lansdowne Resort
Leesburg, VA, USASlope rating 145, 75.5 course rating, Black tees, 7,332 yds
PublicGreg Norman
Robert Trent Jones
Lansdowne Resort
Leesburg, VA, USASlope rating 145, 74.7 course rating, Tournament tees, 7,063 yds
PublicRobert Trent Jones, Jr.
Laurel Hill Golf Club
Lorton, VA, USA
Slope rating 145, 74.6 course rating, Black tees, 7,010 yds
Old Hickory Golf Club
Woodbridge, VA, USA
Slope rating 145, 74.5 course rating, Black tees, 7,077 yds
1757 Golf Club
Dulles, VA, USA
Slope rating 142, 71.8 course rating, Black tees, 6,623 yds
(Blue) Congressional Country Club
Bethesda, MD, USA
Slope rating 141, 76.8 course rating, Championship tees, 7,588 yds
Lake Presidential Golf Club
Upper Marlboro, MD, USA
Slope rating 141, 74.4 course rating, Championship tees, 7,230 yds
River Bend Golf & Country Club
Great Falls, VA, USA
Slope rating 141, 74.3 course rating, Black tees, 6,917 yds
River Creek Club
Leesburg, VA, USA
Slope rating 141, 74.3 course rating, Blue tees, 7,036 yds
South Riding Golf Club
South Riding, VA, USA
Slope rating 140, 74.8 course rating, Championship tees, 7,148 yds
TPC at Avenel
Potomac, MD, USA
Slope rating 140, 74.0 course rating, Black tees, 7,139 yds
Belle Haven Country Club
Alexandria, VA, USA
Slope rating 139, 74.2 course rating, Black tees, 6,965 yds
Westfields Golf Club
Clifton, VA, USA
Slope rating 139, 73.3 course rating, Boom Boom tees, 6,897 yds
Columbia Country Club
Chevy Chase, MD, USA
Slope rating 139, 72.2 course rating, Black tees, 6,660 yds
Four Streams Golf Club
Beallsville, MD, USA
Slope rating 138, 75.5 course rating, Championship tees, 7,080 yds
Pleasant Valley Golf Club
Chantilly, VA, USA
Slope rating 138, 73.5 course rating, Gold tees, 6,915 yds
Westwood Country Club
Vienna, VA, USA
Slope rating 138, 72.9 course rating, Gold tees, 6,910 yds
Raspberry Falls Golf & Hunt Club
Leesburg, VA, USA
Slope rating 137, 74.5 course rating, Black tees, 7,191 yds
Hobbits Glenn Golf Club
Columbia, MD, USA
Slope rating 137, 74.0 course rating, Black tees, 7,013 yds
University of Maryland Golf Club
College Park, MD, USA
Slope rating 137, 73.7 course rating, Black tees, 7,015 yds
Cattail Creek Country Club
Glenwood, MD, USA
Slope rating 137, 72.7 course rating, Blue tees, 6,684 yds
(North) Woodmont Country Club
Rockville, MD, USA
Slope rating 136, 74.9 course rating, Black tees, 7,165 yds
How we rank
This ranking uses published scorecard data from each course’s longest men’s tees, the same tee set for every course. Only 18-hole courses with a yardage for every hole, a total that matches the hole-by-hole sum, and a par between 54 and 80 are included, and the tees must carry a single slope rating (55–155) and course rating. Courses whose scorecard duplicates another course’s are left out until the data is fixed. Courses are ordered by slope rating, then course rating, then Course Vaults score. Only open courses with a published Course Vaults score (at least 5 explicit ratings) are eligible, and a page is published only when at least 5 courses qualify. City pages include courses within about 25 miles of Bethesda, so nearby suburbs can appear. Rankings refresh about hourly.
FAQ
The Jack Nicklaus Signature at Creighton Farms is #1 on Course Vaults in and around Bethesda, Maryland at Slope 152 (77.0 course rating · Professional tees · 7,410 yds). 64 courses qualify for this list.
This ranking uses published scorecard data from each course’s longest men’s tees, the same tee set for every course. Only 18-hole courses with a yardage for every hole, a total that matches the hole-by-hole sum, and a par between 54 and 80 are included, and the tees must carry a single slope rating (55–155) and course rating. Courses whose scorecard duplicates another course’s are left out until the data is fixed. Courses are ordered by slope rating, then course rating, then Course Vaults score. Only open courses with a published Course Vaults score (at least 5 explicit ratings) are eligible, and a page is published only when at least 5 courses qualify. City pages include courses within about 25 miles of Bethesda, so nearby suburbs can appear. Rankings refresh about hourly.
Slope rating is the USGA measure of how much harder a course plays for a bogey golfer than for a scratch golfer, from 55 to 155 (113 is average). Course rating is the expected score for a scratch golfer from the same tees.
Yes. It includes qualifying courses within about 25 miles of Bethesda, not only courses whose address is in the city.
This page was last generated Nov 12, 2026, 4:00 AM EST. Scores and eligibility are recomputed about every hour.
