• 
• 
• 

When The Courses at Fort Meade became known as the "East Campus" in May, golfing ceased to exist on the installation for the first time in more than seven decades.

The closure left golfers looking for a new place to work on their game. Through a partnership with Anne Arundel County, two courses opened their greens to Fort Meade golfers at discounted rates.

"These agreements are an example of the partnerships we have worked hard to develop with our county counterparts," Garrison Commander Col. Edward C. Rothstein said. "Our county partners have agreed to step in to ensure Team Meade is still able to enjoy the game at a discounted rate."

During the first two months of the county's agreement with Fort Meade, nearly 1,500 rounds of golf were played at the Eisenhower Golf Course in Crownsville and Compass Pointe in Pasadena.

"We are very pleased with the response," Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold said. "We hope that participation will continue."

Following the closure of the Courses, Leopold said the county wanted to "set up" and "give men and women of Fort Meade a new home for golf."

The agreements between the county and installation were formed through the Fort Meade Regional Growth Management Committee and the Mission Growth Initiative. The RGMC serves as a liaison between Fort Meade and Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George's, Queen Anne's and Talbot counties, and the cities of Baltimore and Laurel.

"[The Mission Growth Initiative is] formalizing and strengthening the framework for communication, collaboration, long-range planning and partnership between the fort and its surrounding jurisdictions by creating a permanent bridge of processes and structures between the installation and surrounding communities," said Robert Leib, Leopold's special assistant for Base Realignment and Closure, and Education.

The two golf courses, which are operated by Anne Arundel County, agreed to allow discounted play and membership fees. Anyone eligible to play at the Fort Meade course will be eligible for discounted rates at the county courses, with a larger discount for players who are active-duty enlisted service members ranked sergeant and below.

"Anything that we can do to alleviate the stress, we want to do," Leopold said. "We want to make sure our veterans are taken care of."

Local courses offering discounts for Meade golfers
* Hobbits Glen Golf Club, 11130 Willowbottom Drive, Columbia. For information, call 410-730-5980.

* Fairway Hills Golf Club, 5100 Columbia Road, Columbia. For information, call 410-730-1112.

* Compass Pointe Golf Course, 9010 Fort Smallwood Road, Pasadena. For information, call 410-255-7764.

* Eisenhower Golf Course, 1576 Generals Highway, Crownsville. For information, call 410-571-1167.