The game of golf was created when Scottish groundskeepers, tired of whacking moles with a foam mallet, started rolling skee-balls instead. Hit the open fairway arcade with today's Groupon: for $45, you get 18 holes of golf for one player, plus a golf-cart rental, at Blue Mash Golf Course (up to a $91 value), located in Laytonsville. This deal is not valid for redemption before 11 a.m. on Saturdays, Sundays, or holidays.

Named for the blue clay soil dotting the low-lying marsh around which it's built, Blue Mash Golf Course showcases 18 holes designed by renowned golf-course architect Arthur Hills. Send a messenger pigeon of the mind to your cranial caddy and materialize at Blue Mash for a round of golf for one (up to an $89 value). This deal also includes a yardage book ($2). Novice nine-iron knights traversing the course's rolling greens will take solace that no holes require hitting the ball over a wetland. A golf-cart rental is included in this deal, and complimentary warm-up balls are included in all greens fees.

Call ahead for your tee time to determine the precise hour at which you'll unleash rabid Mark O'Meara from the clubhouse of your soul. As an additional bonus, Groupon users can shave $75 off the registration fee for Blue Mash's Blue SMASH Junior Camp by mentioning "Groupon" when signing up.

Reviews

The Washington Post calls Blue Mash Golf Course "worth seeking out," and Mid-Atlantic Golf praise its matured design. Six Golf Link reviewers give three stars:

• The rolling fairways, wide landing areas and tiered greens make Blue Mash a must-play course for the serious golfer. – Washington Post
• [The designer] did his usual masterful job in creating a course that is full of risk-reward choices and is challenging but not overly penal. – Jake Schaller, Mid-Atlantic Golf