[MCirba]

The original Baltimore Country Club course was at Roland Park, designed by Willie Dunn and opened in 1897.   

Two years later it hosted the US Open, won by Willie Smith.   In the 1920s, a new course was created by A.W. Tillinghast at Five Farms and by 1962 the original Roland Park course was abandoned.

However, it appears from aerials that what had been the steeply downhill 1st, (most of) 17th, and steeply uphill 18th holes of the course remain to this day.   I was unaware of this fact until I happened upon it today and I find this to be very cool.   

Do any of the members still go out and play these relics?

A 2004 aerial view (looking at a more recent google map it appears that the bunkers may no longer be kept in sand but the green looks to be maintained)



A map of the original layout

[Jeff_Brauer]

Gotta love golf course archaeology.  Have seen old Pinehurst greens in the woods, and there are remnants of  the Dan Jenkins made famous "Goat Hill" remaining on the TCU campus today.  Probably can find some more examples out there.

[Stephen Britton]

Where is that aerial taken from? Is it still club property?

[Sam Ramage]

Here is an image from a couple of years ago from what used to be the first tee. It is a very substantial downhill shot - made me think of the first tee at Pittsburgh Field Club.


My dad grew up in the area and played the course many times before the land west of falls road was sold (i think it was in early 60s).  Club still owns the land east of Falls Rd and has clubhouse with squash, duckpin bowling, dining, fitness there. 

[Bret Lawrence]

Here is the same shot from the Official Golf Guide-1899:

[Bret Lawrence]

A couple more photos from 1899:
USGAGolfBulletin-October 1899:

[Paul Carey]

Gotta love golf course archaeology.  Have seen old Pinehurst greens in the woods, and there are remnants of  the Dan Jenkins made famous "Goat Hill" remaining on the TCU campus today.  Probably can find some more examples out there.

Not much left of “Goat Hill” but a couple tees still around only because of the flatness.  The old Woodmont country club in Bethesda Maryland can still be identified by an old tee.  The rest long gone and now the National Medical library a part of NIH.   I love finding those spots but they make me sad.   

[Sven Nilsen]

A few more early photos:

July 1899 Golf Magazine -



1905 Spalding Official Golf Guide -



1905 Spalding Official Golf Guide -



1900 Harpers -

[Jim Franklin]

From time to time we will have various events using the first tee. We recently had a long drive contest using hickories on this hole.

I also hosted a former GCA poster on this hole as he wanted to play ever existing hole that ever hosted a US Open. Our GM at the time even had the fairway cut, green cut, flag put in, and bunker raked. It was a misty morning and I walked the hole with him. I did not have golf shoes on and it was a challenge to get back up with leather soled shoes. I won't make that mistake again.

[MCirba]

Josh Bills emailed me a very cool Roland Park 1938 aerial that has some very cool bunkering that looks a mix of Dunn and Park Jr.  It is too big to post here in any meaningful way at over 100mb but I can see why the course survived til 1962 as it appears to have been great fun. 

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