Baltimore Country Club

Baltimore Country Club was founded on January 12, 1898 at its Roland Park location. 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, 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 of 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.