A newly renovated boardwalk, some of the best marlin fishing in the country, hiking and biking
on nature preserves of spectacular beauty, every conceivable water sport, and excellent golf are
just a few of the outstanding attractions that await visitors to
Ocean City,
Maryland, the Free
State's summer vacation capital. As Maryland's prime seashore destination, Ocean City is extremely popular
with families.
Drawing legions of vacationers from as far away as the Midwest, upstate
New York,
Pennsylvania
and the South, including Virginia,
Ocean City offers some 11,000 hotel rooms and a staggering 35,000 rental condos and villas. Nor surprisingly,
Ocean City's population swells dramatically between June and September. However, with a moderate climate,
coastal Maryland is also an ideal destination for travelers seeking quick or extended getaways
in the quieter off season.
Ocean City is situated on a barrier island between the Atlantic and Sinepuxent and Assawoman bays
and features 10 miles of glistening white sandy beaches. Rimmed with thousands of marsh
acres that provide home for migratory birds, the bays and their numerous inlets and tributaries provide
excellent trout, flounder and sea bass fishing.
Ocean City was founded in the late 1860s as a fishing village. Shortly thereafter, a group of Baltimore
developers formed the Sinepuxent Beach Corporation to develop the island as a beach resort.
The first public accommodation, The Atlantic, was built by the group in 1875, and it still stands
today. Initially, visitors came by stage-coach and boats that ferried guests across the bays.
Then in the late 1870s the railroad came, and the population of resort visitors mushroomed.
A devastating hurricane in 1933 that nearly destroyed all of the resort providentially churned out the
inlet between Ocean City and what is now Assateague Island to the south. The inlet is cited as
one of the pivotal events in catapulting the resort's commercial and recreational fishing industries.
Today, the resort is known as the "White Marlin Capital of the World." For interested anglers,
Ocean City's tuna tournament is held annually in July and the marlin festival is held annually in August.
Ocean City has one of the largest convention centers for its size of any U.S. city. Its massive
convention center regularly hosts huge trade and business shows for auto enthusiasts, fishermen, and
business and non-profit groups.
As for golf, Ocean City, relative to other golf destinations, came late to the table. But in the 1990s, city
leaders and businesses realized how valuable golf was to resort tourism. Consequently, a
number of fine courses were added to the few exiting layouts. Now, the greater OC area boasts
no less than 17 courses that appeal to every level of player and pocketbook size.
Two of the most recently opened courses are
The Links at Lighthouse Sound
and Bear Trap Dunes. Lighthouse Sound, located directly across Assawoman Bay from Ocean City, is
the newest OC area course to open. It has spectacular views of the bay and the OC skyline.
Bear Trap Dunes is a very enjoyable layout in Ocean View, Delaware, just outside Bethany
Beach and about a 30 minute drive from Ocean City. It is a fair layout featuring some of the
best greens you will ever putt.
Other Ocean City area courses of distinction include
Rum Pointe,
Eagle's Landing,
Ocean City Golf & Yacht Club, and
River Run.
Ocean City Golf
