For many people now visiting Ocean City, visions of fairways and greens come to mind. In fact, Ocean City has become the hub around which some of the world's finest golf course architects have built a dazzling array of championship-caliber showplaces.

Names such as those of two-time Masters champion Gary Player, Dr. Michael Hurdzan, Arthur Hills and Russell Roberts along with renowned design teams Ault & Clark and Pete and P.B. Dye can be found on the scorecards of these breathtaking beauties.

The Town of Ocean City's own municipal course, Eagle's Landing, is consistently rated as one of the top public courses in America by Golf Digest.

No matter what your group's golfing skill level, there are courses perfectly suited to their game, and each is eager to be your host. All told. some 17 courses are within a very short drive of the beach itself, and more are under construction.

The ocean and bay are teeming with fish. No license is required to fish our waters, and a wonderful array of fishing opportunities are available to suit your desires.

Ocean City is known as the "White Marlin Capital of the World." Deep-sea charter trips head out from our docks to the canyons of the Atlantic Gulf Stream to hunt for tun, marlin, sailfish and blues.

Closer to shore, bottom fishing is available just outside the Inlet and in the bay waters. Or cast a line from the piers and other fishing areas around Ocean City. Surf fishing and crabbing are also enjoyable pastimes.

You can take a nature cruise to watch for dolphins and whales off Ocean City's coast. Eco-cruises are also offered in our inland bays in search of wildlife that abounds closer to land.

The back bays of Ocean City and Assateague Island provide recreational opportunities ranging from birding and boating to crabbing and kayaking. Cruise the waters behind Assateague Island and look for the wild ponies wandering the beaches and marshland.

Birding has become a popular activity. Numerous species of wild birds inhabit the areas in and around Ocean City, including pelicans, herons, egrets, piping plover and bitterns, to name just a few of the more than 300 species that have been sighted in our area.

Nature trails beckon you to take in the glorious coastal environment. Trails are easily accessible and "hiker-friendly" for all ages.

Ocean City offers many water sport activities. For those seeking calm, rent a sailboat or pontoon boat and watch the sun set over the bay. You can even take a try kayaking or canoeing. For the more daring, take out a Jet Ski and dash across the waves. For a bird's eye view, enjoy parasailing high above the bay or ocean.

There's always time to shop, and Ocean City has you covered in this pursuit. You'll find the perfect souvenir in one of the many unique shops in Ocean City. Just across the bay on the mainland, you'll find bargains galore at outlet stores. Antique shopping is nearby, too. Once you are back in Ocean City, you will find the Boardwalk abounds with shops of every kind.

Along with the shops, Ocean City's world-famous Boardwalk has a fantastic selection of eateries and amusements. Starting south at the Inlet, you will find the Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum, which is housed in one of the oldest buildings in town. Here, you'll step back in time to the days when men fought the sea to earn a living, protect the island and save lives. Intriguing exhibits include items recovered from long ago shipwrecks, aquariums and a sampling of the bathing suits worn over time.
Your Boardwalk stroll will also take you to amusement parks with hundreds of rides, including the hand-carved wooden animals on the restored antique carousel and the hair rising loop roller coaster.

Continuing to the north, you'll come to the pier. For every seaside resort, one of the main attractions has been the pier with its varied forms of entertainment. First built in 1907, and again in 1929, the pier offers the carnival feel of days gone by with its Ferris wheel, rides and games of chance.

This area of the Boardwalk is home to come of the most famous food at the beach including delicious French fries, caramel corn, saltwater taffy, chocolate fudge and soft ice cream.

Sample the fare while you take a seat on one of the Boardwalk's comfortable benches and watch people go by. For a relaxing view of the entire Boardwalk consider the tram. Trams operate daily from the Inlet to 27th Street daily during the summer and on weekends in the spring and fall.

Ocean City is the place where people come to have fun. From one end of the island to the other, you can play, shop, excercise, dine, snack and be entertained.

You can play a game of miniature golf, drive a go-kart or play a virtual reality laser game. Work out in a fitness center, bicycle, jog or roller blade. Bowl, play tennis, relax in a sauna ot hot tub.

Of course, our 10 miles of whitesand beach will always be the main attraction. Any time of year you can enjoy the beach. From your balcony or perched on the sand, watch the sun rise over the Atlantic Ocean before you start your day. Take an early morning stroll along the shore as the seagulls and sand pipers call out to you. Catch a moonlight sparkle on the sea before you turn in for the evening.

As the waves roll in and out, endlessly fascinating to watch, you will find yourself relaxing and realizing that the irresistible combination of fresh air, surf and sand offers a reason to visit Ocean City in any season.