J. Michael Poellot

Ijamsville, MD

Whiskey Creek Golf Club is an 18-hole, par-72 public course in Ijamsville, Maryland, designed by J. Michael Poellot with design consultant Ernie Els and opened in 2000. It measures 7,001 yards from the back tees, with a course rating of 74.6 and a slope of 138. Set on rolling farmland bordered by a ridge of hardwoods and a free-flowing creek, the property includes springs, stone walls, wetlands, and views of the Catoctin Mountains. The par-5 18th hole plays around the stone ruins of an old farmhouse.

San Ramon, CA

The Bridges Golf Club opened in 1999 as the golf centerpiece of the Gale Ranch community in San Ramon, California, in the East Bay about 35 miles from San Francisco. Former U.S. Open champion Johnny Miller designed the course with architect Damian Pascuzzo, working under the Robert Muir Graves firm, routing play through small canyons below Mount Diablo. The original layout was demanding enough that architect Jay Blasi led a 2013 renovation removing more than 80 bunkers to improve playability. Barrancas and forced carries remain a feature, with the par of 72 stretching to about 6,861 yards from the back tees over rye grass greens. The Bridges is a daily-fee public course with a Mediterranean-style clubhouse, carts included in green fees, and a regular schedule of weddings and tournaments alongside golf.