Baltimore Country Club
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) and the other in the north suburb of Lutherville (39°26′32″N 76°39′59″W). The club was founded on January 12, 1898, and hosted the U.S. Open later that year.
 Roland Park Clubhouse | |
| Club information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Baltimore (Roland Park) and Lutherville, Maryland |
| Established | January 12, 1898 |
| Type | private |
| Tournaments hosted | 1899 U.S. Open; 1928 PGA Championship; 1988 U.S. Women's Open; 1932 U.S. Amateur; 1965 Walker Cup; 2007–09 Senior Players Championship |
| Website | bcc1898.com |
| East Course at Five Farms | |
| Designed by | A. W. Tillinghast |
| Par | 70 |
| West Course at Five Farms | |
| Designed by | Redesigned in 1990 by Bob Cupp and Champions Tour member and World Golf Hall of Fame member Tom Kite |
| Par | 72 |
Its current golf facility at Five Farms has two courses, its East Course was designed by A. W. Tillinghast. 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 opened in 1898 in its 125-acre Roland Park location with a membership of approximately 1,000.[1] Just one year after opening, the Club hosted 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.
In October 1930, the Roland Park Clubhouse sustained fire damage, and 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. 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. It is unknown how many members the club has. In 2013, LINKS magazine named Baltimore Country Club as one of the 100 Most Prestigious Clubs in the World. It is one of the top 100 courses in the US. BCC is one of only seven clubs nationwide to operate on two campuses.
The club has had some racial controversy in the past. In the 1970's signs were posted that stated "No Dogs, No Coloreds, No Jews" on the campus.[2] In 1995, Baltimore Country Club accepted their first black member.[3] Today, Baltimore Country Club continues to welcome members of all races and is an equal opportunity employer. The club has a zero-tolerance policy for any type of violence or racism.
References
- "A New Country Club". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Maryland. 1898-06-04. p. 7. Retrieved 2019-07-09.
- https://www.newstatesman.com/node/149688
- http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1995-02-03/news/1995034059_1_baltimore-country-club-club-simply-jews