Wisp Resort, located in McHenry, is situated in the Alleghany Mountains of Western Maryland. Wisp is Maryland’s premier year-round resort with skiing and snowboarding on 33 trails spread over 170 acres in the winter and a myriad of activities in the summer: escape games, a mountain coaster, miniature golf, indoor swimming pools, and a lot of other family-fun activities. It’s also the home of two championship golf courses.
Fantasy Valley was designed by golf course architect Dominic Palombo, Jr, in 1980 and renovated by Todd Schroeder in 2008. Fantasy Valley has been named as a “100 Must-Play Courses of the Mid-Atlantic” by Golfstyles Magazine. The course is seamlessly woven into the natural contours of the land as it plays through and along tree-lined fairways. The bunkers have been strategically placed, as have several water hazards.
Golfers have four tee boxes to choose from, with yardages ranging from 4,362 to 6,446 yards, suitable for every level of golfer. I found the White Tees at 6,035 yards provided a fitting challenge.
There are a lot of changes in elevation as you make your way around the course. This is evident on the first hole, a 510-yard par 5, dogleg left, which rises significantly as you turn at the dogleg. What makes this hole so interesting is the large hardwood tree that sits about 100 yards from the tee box, dead in front of you. You need to decide whether you’re going over it, under it, or around it. Hit the tree and you may be tempted to get a raincheck and try again tomorrow! Once you pass the tree and get to the dogleg, the hole opens up. You’ll need to hit one or two extra clubs on the next two shots to reach the green. The 3rd hole is a challenging, 170-yard par 3 that plays significantly downhill and one club less than the stated yardage.
There’s a good mix of open holes that let you swing away off the tee, and tree-lined gems that are going to require a little accuracy and finesse. Although the trees aren’t always dense, they will obstruct your path to the green. Then there’s the 4th hole, a 527-yard par 5 that is open off the tee but still requires accuracy. Hit it right, and you’ll need to deal with a steep bank that will create more of a baseball swing than a golf stroke. Hit it left, and you’ll be at the bottom of another steep bank. You’ll need to deal with a small lake and a couple of fairway bunkers on the left with your layup before approaching the green.
If Number 18 isn’t the signature hole, it should be. It’s a par 3 measuring 158 yards from the White Tees, playing downhill over water to a large, well-undulated green with beautifully sculpted bunkers on the left and in back. It’s very photogenic and looks like a hole any PGA TOUR pro would enjoy playing.
Lodestone Golf Course is located at the top of the mountain, a 10-minute drive from the hotel. PGA TOUR great Hale Irwin designed the course in collaboration with Todd Schoeder. Lodestone offers golfers 6 sets of tees and can be played anywhere from 5,185 to 7,475 yards.
The course has the look and feel of a mountain course with rolling terrain throughout. Each hole seems to be carved out from the surrounding forest and terrain. Unlike most mountain courses that feature heavily tree-lined fairways from tee to green, many of Lodestone’s fairways are wide and welcoming, allowing less skilled players to enjoy their round. The course is carpeted in Bentgrass from tee to green. The bunkering is rugged, the greens have quite a bit of undulation, and, as you would expect from a golf course at the top of a mountain, there are significant elevation changes. Lodestone is known for having some of the largest greens on the East Coast, and although they may not be the fastest, they will truly test your putting skills. Many of the tee boxes are elevated; when you’re playing a downhill hole, the ball seems to stay in the air forever.
As you play your way around the course, you’ll drive past stunning log cabin homes, although they never come into play, they provide a welcome distraction! Wildlife is abundant, including deer, rabbits, groundhogs, and bears. Although we didn’t see any of the latter, we did spot a lot of their “remnants,” which sufficiently answered that age-old question about what a bear does in the woods!
Lodestone has many memorable holes. The 9th hole was one of my favorites, a slight dogleg right that plays 391 yards from the Silver tees. It’s downhill all the way, with a fairway bunker on the left side of the landing zone and a lot of trees on the right. The approach shot into the green is visually stunning; a kidney-shaped green that slopes severely from back left to front right with a few ridges. Two deep, rugged-looking bunkers guard the left side, and there’s a 3rd in back. Anything right of the green is going down a steep bank, and any putt from above the hole is going to be extremely quick. If, for some reason, the pin is in front, pray!
As you approach the 13th tee, walk to the back of the tee box and take in the breathtaking views of Deep Creek Lake below.
Number 17 is another favorite, a par 3 which plays 167 yards from the Gray Tees. The hole has two sets of tees that provide completely different angles into the green. Regardless, you’re tee shot is all carry over a rock-faced gorge into a green that slopes front right to back left and is well-undulated. If it were up to me, I would name it “Rocky Top” and make it the signature hole!
The resort staff is very attentive and knowledgeable about the area. If you don’t have what you need, they’ll find it for you. Hotel General Manager, Freddie Harrison, has a golf background and can tell you everything about either course. Our room was a two-room suite that featured a living room area with a couch, an easy chair, a work desk, a big screen TV, and a Keurig coffee maker. The king-size bed was very comfortable; there was a 2nd TV in the bedroom, as well as a refrigerator and a safe. The bathroom was updated with a walk-in shower and a separate sink area. It was a great place to relax and unwind after a day on the golf course.
Wisp Resort offers guests several dining options, but none better than the Last Chair Bar + Bistro. Last Chair has a very laid-back atmosphere, and guests can warm up inside during the cold winter months or relax on the Beer Garden Deck during the summer. It’s not your typical Ski/golf clubhouse menu, with appetizers like Candied Bacon Brussels Sprouts and Sauteed Mussels. Dinner Entrees include a house-cut New York Strip and Blackened Pecan Salmon, and my wife’s new favorite, their Cajun Chicken Alfredo. For dessert, you can’t go wrong with the Blueberry White Chocolate Cheesecake or the Peanut Butter Brownie Tower. It’s all delicious!
With so many trees on both courses, as well as the magnificent views from a lot of the tee boxes, I can only imagine how colorful they are in the fall. For more information on your next visit to Wisp Resort, whether for golf or other adventure activities, visit them online at www.wispresort.com.