Golf

Ocean City promotes itself as a major golfing destination; many courses offer vacation packages with O.C. hotels. The courses we've listed welcome visitors and can be contacted directly or through the Ocean City Golf Getaway Association, 9935 Stephen Decatur Hwy. (tel. 800/462-4653; www.oceancitygolf.com).

All courses are open year-round from dawn to dusk. Most courses in the area use a multitiered system for greens fees, which means they vary from morning to afternoon to evening. However, fees generally range from $40 to $96, with cheaper rates in the off-season and on summer afternoons. Fall rates are usually the highest; if you're a January golfer, you'll find bargains then. Tip: Consider starting a round at about 4pm; the rates often drop in the early evenings, and the temperatures go down, too.

Just for Kids: Minigolf Mania

Ocean City may have the highest concentration of minigolf courses of any barrier island on earth. Here's a rundown of the best on the island.

Jungle Golf, Jolly Roger Park, 30th Street and Coastal Highway (tel. 410/289-3477): Plastic lions and a rhino look on as you negotiate 18 holes that climb the sides of a series of man-made waterfalls. Although this course has 1 lame hole early on -- a flat, straight 10-foot putt -- most are fun. Challenging holes on the back 9 ensure that you'll end your round with a thrill. Open Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Lost Galaxy Golf, 33rd Street and Coastal Highway (tel. 410/524-4FUN [4386]): Here you can play golf in outer space. Sure, the special effects are cheesy and the water is the oddest blue, but you've got to love the spaceships, aliens, and fun maze of holes. This is one of the few courses open year-round.

Old Pro Golf, 68th Street and Coastal Highway (tel. 888/OLDPRO1 [653-7761]; www.oldprogolf.com): All seven Old Pro courses at four locations are good, but this is the best. Enclosed in a hangarlike barn, it's one of the most fun O.C. places to be when it's raining. Props include a submarine and a plaster killer whale. If you really like minigolf, get the Old Pro Pass for $15, which lets you play every Old Pro course as much as you'd like until 5pm. Takes about 7 hours. Open year-round.

Professor Hakker's Lost Treasure Golf, 139th Street and Coastal Highway (tel. 410/250-5678): You can't miss this place -- it's got an airplane in the roof. There are two courses: Gold and Diamond. The decor is reminiscent of the Indiana Jones movies, with water traps, caves, and even a bridge. Closed December through March.