It’s no secret that golfers need a change of scene from time to time. Different course, different locale, different ambience; an urge to wipe away boredom and staleness and same old, same old. Call it an “away game,” a chance to challenge something new, somewhere new. It doesn't have to be far from home, yet the “away game” perspective can bring freshness and renewal to the old golf spirit.

For Pennsylvania golfers, all it takes is a southward glance across the Maryland border to a place sporting a substantial history stretching back to the early days of the American republic.

Frederick, Md., located about 25 miles south of the border, is home to museums, battlefields, and other historic sites, but there are some excellent golf courses there as well, courses that will solidify the “away game” experience.

Just a few miles southeast of Frederick, the Whiskey Creek Golf Club (4804 Whiskey Ct, Ijamsville, 888-883-1174, whiskeycreekgolf.com) boasts dramatic views of the nearby Catoctin Mountains. Designed by Ernie Els and architect J. Michael Poellet, the golf course provides a feeling of seclusion and privacy even though it combines the best of links and parkland styles over its 7,000-plus yards from the tips. “Our most important features are our layout and scenery,” says general manager Karl Warfield, mentioning the mountain views that can be had from many points throughout the golf course. “There’s a more than 100-foot elevation change on the front nine,” he adds, “and that can give spectacular scenery.”

The finishing hole at Whiskey Creek special, Warfield feels. It’s a 555-yard par 5, downhill, offering classic risk/reward. “You play to the right or left of some old stone ruins the designers left,” he says. “The hole can be hit in two, if you drive right, but that means a long second shot, which has to carry a 50-yard wide pond in front of the green. If you drive left of the ruins, you have to hit to a 12-yard wide fairway, there's a lateral hazard there as well, and getting home in two is almost impossible.”

The Worthington Manor Golf Club (83229 Fingerboard Rd, Urbana, 888-917-2582, worthingtonmanor.com) is located nearby in Frederick. Designed by Brian Ault and open for play in 1998, the course has already developed a sturdy reputation. Sporting a black tee slope of 144 from its 7,000-plus yards, the golf course has hosted numerous national qualifying events, including those for the U.S. Open, the U.S. Amateur, and the U.S. Senior Open (it's scheduled to host the 2009 and 2011 U.S. Open qualifiers as well).

“We consider our course among the best-conditioned in the Mid-Atlantic area,” says owner Bob Sturges. “We're well bunkered with fairway bunkers on every hole and around almost every green.” And there are other hazards as well. Sturges points to the signature hole, No. 6, a par 3 stretching 198 yards from the tips. “It’s over water and almost looks like an island green, but it isn’t,” says Sturges. “It’s a flat, level hole with a stone wall around the green to add aesthetics.” Sturges describes the Worthington Manor golf course as a links-style course, meaning it's relatively open and on rolling terrain. “But,” he adds, “we do have good elevation changes.”

A few miles west of Frederick sits the Arthur Hills-designed Maryland National Golf Club (883 Hollow Rd, Middletown, 301-371-0000, marylandnational.com), a links-style course that measures about 6,800 yards from the tips but is more of a shot-maker's challenge. “We have risk/reward on every hole here,” says Scott Wisnom, golf course operations manager. “We have a lateral water hazard, which runs through five holes, and we have deep pot bunkers with steep grassy faces, some as deep as 12 feet. The majority of our par 4s have fairway bunkers, and we do get a lot of comment from players about them.”

The greens tend to be small at Maryland National, but they aren't tiered or sloping. “Our greens are very hard to one-putt, but also hard to three-putt,” adds Wisnom. “It's a fair golf course and designed for a lot of different skill levels. If the golfer plays the right tees for his/her handicap, they'll play well.”