Update 7/22/17: Since George left, the place has really gone down hill. The driving range is unkempt with horrible range balls (cracked/dimples worn/ancient), the greens are nearly unplayable, and the fairways and rough are shaggy.
8/7/2015:
This is my forth summer playing and practicing at Mellomar. It is also my forth summer playing golf period. At the behest of a former boss, I started playing golf so I could participate in post staff meeting outings. I have been addicted ever since. In that time, I have played almost every public course within 50 miles of Mellomar and Mellomar unequivocally been the most welcoming and friendly place to play and for beginners, to learn the game. You can't beat the prices either.
While Mellomar always has been and continues to be a friendly and welcoming environment for all levels of golfers, the new management team, led by a guy named George, has taken the quality of the courses and practice facility to a whole new level. If you haven't been to Mellomar in a while, give it a try. I promise you won't be disappointed.
The Practice Facility: I challenge anyone to find a better driving range anywhere in southern Maryland. Mellomar has new mats, fresh balls, and accurate yardage markers. If you don't like to hit off mats, there is a turf option which has enough square footage to ensure you always have fresh turf to hit from. If you are a grinder or a range-rat like me and need a discount, Mellomar offers bulk discount cards at a very reasonable rate.
The Par 3 Course: You can tell this little course wasn't just shoe-horned into extra space. The layout is fun and actually takes advantage of some of the natural elevation change and undulations. The most important aspect though are the immaculate putting greens.
The 9-Hole Course: Again, the greens are very good. They are the best greens in Southern Maryland. They aren't quite as fast some of the other courses but they role true and are very, very well maintained. If you leave yourself a birdie putt, the conditions of the greens will not be an obstacle. Put it on the proper line and with the right speed and the greens play true, period.
The first 4 holes are pretty wide-open which I like because it helps to get you settled into your round by not killing you with lost balls and penalty strokes. You still have to hit quality shots if you want to challenge par, but there is plenty of room for error and resulting improvisation.
The back half of the course gets a little more challenging. Like any good course, it's tough on you for big mistakes, but... not as much as it used to be. The new grounds crew has done a great job of opening up the fairways, keeping the rough in-check, and they also trim undergrowth where there are trees. read more