The hardest golf courses in McHenry, Maryland
The hardest 18-hole golf courses within about 25 miles of McHenry, Maryland, ranked by USGA slope rating from each course's longest men's tees, with course rating as the tiebreaker. 6 courses have complete, verified tee data.
Mystic Rock
Nemacolin Woodlands Resort
Farmington, PA, USASlope rating 146, 77.2 course rating, Championship tees, 7,526 yds
PublicPete Dye
- 5.0Conditions
- 4.5Layout
- 3.3Value
- 3.8Scenery
- 4.4Facilities
Mystic Rock has been billed as a top public course in PA for years and I finally had the chance to see if it lived up to the hype. This track did not disappoint. Pete Dye on a mountain with what feels like unlimited land.
Written by
@Tom Doakito
- Challenging
- Driving range
- Must play
Lodestone
Wisp Resort
McHenry, MD, USASlope rating 142, 76.1 course rating, Black tees, 7,475 yds
PublicHale Irwin Signature Design & Todd Schoeder
- 1.0Conditions
- 4.3Layout
- 2.3Value
- 4.3Scenery
- 2.6Facilities
Note: this review is of the course back when I last played in 2023. Currently the course has taken a step back by all accounts. Lodestone is an example of how to properly do a mountain course. Extreme elevation changes, large green sites, and heavily tree lined.
Written by
@Tom Doakito
- Views
- Underrated
- Tourist trap
Shepherd's Rock
Nemacolin Woodlands Resort
Farmington, PA, USASlope rating 140, 75.2 course rating, Championship tees, 7,516 yds
PublicPete Dye
- 4.2Conditions
- 4.6Layout
- 3.5Value
- 4.5Scenery
- 4.3Facilities
Fun, BIG, crazy, occasionally misguided — very Pete Dye. Has some great holes, some head scratchers, but overall positive and worth checking out at least once. Expansive, great views, well-manicured.
Written by
@Cass7206
- Challenging
- Pristine
- Driving range
Fantasy Valley
Wisp Resort
McHenry, MD, USASlope rating 140, 72.0 course rating, Blue tees, 6,446 yds
PublicDominick Palumbo
- 1.0Conditions
- 3.0Layout
- 1.0Value
- 3.0Scenery
- 1.0Facilities
Wisp Resort is great for skiing. As for golf… $100 for 18 here is laughable. Tee boxes, bunkers, and greens conditions are in comical condition. Only a few solid holes.
Written by
@kygaff
- Tourist trap
Preston Country Club
Kingwood, WV, USASlope rating 133, 73.8 course rating, Blue tees, 7,001 yds
PublicEd Ault
- 4.5Conditions
- 3.5Layout
- 4.2Value
- 3.3Scenery
- 2.9Facilities
Alpine Lake Resort
Terra Alta, WV, USA
Slope rating 117, 69.2 course rating, White tees, 6,069 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 McHenry, so nearby suburbs can appear. Rankings refresh about hourly.
FAQ
Mystic Rock at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort is #1 on Course Vaults in and around McHenry, Maryland at Slope 146 (77.2 course rating · Championship tees · 7,526 yds). 6 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 McHenry, 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 McHenry, not only courses whose address is in the city.
This page was last generated Nov 12, 2026, 3:40 AM EST. Scores and eligibility are recomputed about every hour.
