Founded as a national business club outside Baltimore, Caves Valley is an attractively maintained, exclusive modern facility that was designed by architect Tom Fazio but that sadly offers little in the way of new or challenging golf to the experienced player.

The front nine here is mostly flat and enhanced by mounding and prairie-style grasses and ponds, while the back nine incorporates a series of hillsides and steep ridges into the routing. The use of this more undulating ground is handled a little uncomfortably as parts get too steep for sensible golf.

Better holes at Caves Valley include the 9th, which heads up along a creek to a green tucked in a nook between two hills. The short par four 2nd isn’t bad either, while the drop-shot par three 8th, the steeply rising 11th and the crested drive on the 18th work reasonably nicely as well.

Although Fazio is an accomplished architect and Caves Valley is a pretty spot for golf, unfortunately there are some very ordinary holes here and little to excite those looking for more than pristine playing surfaces.