Baltimore Country Club

The Baltimore Country Club is a private club in Baltimore, Maryland, with two campuses, one in the city's Roland Park neighborhood (39°21′20″N 76°38′43″W / 39.35556°N 76.64528°W / 39.35556; -76.64528) and the other in the north suburb of Lutherville (39°26′32″N 76°39′59″W / 39.44222°N 76.66639°W / 39.44222; -76.66639). The club was founded on January 12, 1898, and hosted the U.S. Open later that year.

Its current golf facility at Five Farms has two courses, its East Course was designed by A. W. Tillinghast and is listed as one of the 50 best golf courses in America. It hosted the PGA Championship in 1928, the U.S. Women's Open in 1988, the U.S. Amateur in 1932, the Walker Cup in 1965, and the Champions Tour's Senior Players Championship.

The Club was a success from the start, with 600 members enjoying its 150-acre facility less than five miles from downtown Baltimore. Just one year after opening, the Club gained immediate recognition in the golf world by hosting the fifth United States Open Championship, which was won by Willie Smith of Scotland. By the 1920s the decision was made to acquire land to the north of the city and expand the popular golfing amenities to a second location. The East Course at Five Farms, designed by A. W. Tillinghast, officially opened in September 1926 and was instantly recognized as a masterpiece of golf course architecture.

In October 1930, the Roland Park Clubhouse sustained fire damage; prior to completing repairs, it was virtually destroyed by a second fire on January 5, 1931. The new “in-town” Clubhouse was formally opened on April 1, 1932. The fine Federal-style detailing of the Georgian Room, the paneling and black Belgian marble of the foyer, and the rough stone and pine of the Grille remain practically unchanged to this date. The duckpin bowling lanes were built in 1932 and remain in use today. During the late ’30s and early ’40s the grass tennis courts at Roland Park were selected by the National Lawn Tennis Association to host the qualifying rounds for the Davis Cup matches. Teams from Australia, Cuba, Japan, Mexico, Spain, and the United States all participated. The Roland Park Golf Course was officially closed in 1962 when all of the property on the west side of Falls Road was sold. That same year, the West Course at Five Farms opened. Two years later, the stately Olivier Mansion, which served as the original Five Farms Clubhouse, was demolished and replaced with a new building.

Squash courts, now international, were added to the Roland Park facility in 1963. The Club continues to host professional squash tournaments that draw participants worldwide. The Club expanded its racquets program and added paddle tennis courts to the Roland Park campus in 1976. The Club’s swim complex was first built circa 1960. Renovations began some thirty years later, and the current facility, consisting of three independent pools, opened at Five Farms in 1996. New tennis courts, also at Five Farms, debuted in 2007.

The USGA lists Baltimore Country Club as one of the first 100 clubs established in the United States. Today the Club is some 3,000 members strong. It is widely recognized as one of the top 50 country clubs in the nation and top 100 in the world. In 2013, LINKS magazine named Baltimore Country Club as one of the 100 Most Prestigious Clubs in the World. BCC is one of only seven clubs nationwide to operate on two campuses.

Roland Park Clubhouse

External links

• Official website

Coordinates: 39°26′31″N 76°39′47″W / 39.442°N 76.663°W / 39.442; -76.663