Clifton Park Golf Course

About Clifton Park Golf Course

Clifton Park is where public golf in Baltimore started. A private nine was proposed for the grounds in 1898; the 18-hole course was built in 1915 and opened to the public in 1916, on what had been Johns Hopkins' summer estate. The 1st hole starts right beside Clifton Mansion, and from the first green you look south to the downtown skyline and Clifton Tower. In 1948, after a six-year legal fight, a court ruling opened the course to Black golfers, who until then had been limited to a nine-hole course at Carroll Park.

It's a par 71 with a par-5 finish, and the Baltimore Municipal Golf Corporation runs it as one of its Classic Five. The map survey shows a dry course: no water holes, trees along 12 holes, eight doglegs (six of them bending right), 51 bunkers and up to about 42 feet of rise or fall on a hole. A fade fits it better than a draw. Course character from OpenStreetMap contributors' survey data.

It's a neighborhood course in Belair-Edison with a strong junior program run with First Tee of Baltimore, and the Baltimore Sun marked its 100th year as a public course in 2015.

It's one of 5 courses in Baltimore on Yoink, and the closest alternative is Mount Pleasant Golf Course, about 3 miles away — handy when your first choice is booked solid.

What it's like to play Clifton Park Golf Course

There's real elevation change: some holes rise or fall about 42 feet from tee to green.

Course character from OpenStreetMap contributors' survey data (ODbL).

Booking a tee time at Clifton Park Golf Course

On weekend mornings, the first 75 minutes are a nine-hole special off the back nine, which is a good way in if you only have a couple of hours. Classic Five Player Card holders get discounted replays at Clifton or at the other four city courses. The pro shop is 410-243-3500.

How to get a tee time at Clifton Park Golf Course