Courtesy of Laurence Lambrecht
Courtesy of Laurence Lambrecht
Courtesy of Laurence Lambrecht
Courtesy of Laurence Lambrecht
Courtesy of Laurence Lambrecht
Baltimore Country Club: East
Lutherville Timonium, MD • Private
Baltimore Country Club: East
11500 Mays Chapel Rd
Lutherville Timonium, MD 21093-1818
United States
Overview
The East Course at Baltimore Country Club, also known as the Five Farms Course, was one of many outstanding A.W. Tillinghast designs nationally ranked for decades by Golf Digest. Still, even jewels need polishing now and then. The club brought in Keith Foster, perhaps the most modest of modern-day course architects. He chooses to work solely on restorations, no more than two at a time, and declines to self-promote. At Baltimore Country Club, Foster removed trees (which nearly everyone is doing these days), rebuilt greens to make them manageable with today’s green speeds, re-established Tillinghast’s bunkering, regrassed everything and brought back sparkle to the East Course. The par-3s here rank among the best Tillinghast built, as does the stretch run from the par-5 14th to the strong par-3 17th.
About
Awards
Ranking history:
Second 100 Greatest: Ranked from 2013-'16 and since 2019.
Previous ranking: 106th.
2025-'26 ranking: 112th.
100 Greatest: Ranked 1966 and 1969-2004.
Highest ranking: 42nd, 1995-'96.
Best in State: Ranked second, 2013-'26. Ranked third, 2011-'12.
2025-'26 ranking (and previous): 2nd.
Panelists
Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“Baltimore Country Club is set on a hilly piece of land north of Baltimore with more room and larger scale than most other Golden Age designs. This makes the overall course and allows for the holes themselves to be quite distinctive. Approach shots to the long par-4 2nd, 11th, and 15th holes evoke a particularly strong sense of grandeur and heroism. The same is true for the green complex at the par-5 14th hole. It is big, brawny, and full of trouble off all sides. The course also offers more subtle and quiet featured holes like the pondside green on the 10th hole and the par-3 13th green set in a grove of trees. All in, the course ebbs, flows and crescendos in a wonderful way."
Read More2026
Review
“Returned to BCC after 17 years. The course is as strong as ever, with greatly enhanced views and conditioning compared to my original visit. The design features are similar but there wasn't much to mess with. Great mix of holes and a fun amount of challenge on great terrain."
Read More2026
Review
“BCC doesn’t get the credit it deserves. A wonderful layout and challenge, mixed with enough fun and shot options. Great greens and conditioning, this course deserves to make the top 100 each and every year. A Tillinghast gem."
Read More2026
Review
“This is one of the few courses I've played where the course probably ought to rank from roughly #50 to #125 in every single category. I know we strive to get dispersion between individual categories, but in this case, i think the scores are merited."
Read More2025
Review
“Very fun course to play! Had it's charm and definitely worth playing."
Read More2025
Review
“Along with Somerset Hills, Baltimore CC may be the best Tillinghaust design. It combines challenge and interest over a delightfully rolling property."
Read More2025
Review
“Beautiful Golden Age A.W. Tillinghast design that was restored by Keith Foster. Big, rolling greens that places a premium on approaches and lag putting. The front nine is strong, but the back nine really shines. Options abound and you'll hit every club in the bag. The staff and membership were very welcoming. Definitely accept the offer to play here."
Read More2025
Review
“Baltimore Country Club East is a solid challenge today, but will become an even better venue after the Keith Foster scheduled renovation in 2027. The Course places a premium on driving the ball and finding the best angle to the green for approach shots. The greens are very large with subtle undulation. Most are classic Tillinghast back to front contours. The two most distinctive features are the excellent routing, especially the par 3s that vary in length and direction, and the dramatic elevation changes. The layout is a carefully crafted puzzle where the pieces fit perfectly together. The green complexes and bunkering present a visual challenge to all levels of player. When the wind is blowing, which it can over this open area, club selection for the stronger player is a challenge. The many false fronts require precise approach shots if good scores are expected. Bring on Keith Foster, as his renovation work may result in BCC moving to the top ranked course in Maryland."
Read More2025
Review
“Baltimore Country Club East is a solid challenge today, but will become an even better venue after the Keith Foster scheduled renovation in 2027. The Course places a premium on driving the ball and finding the best angle to the green for approach shots. The greens are very large with subtle undulation. Most are classic Tillinghast back to front contours. The two most distinctive features are the excellent routing, especially the par 3s that vary in length and direction, and the dramatic elevation changes. The layout is a carefully crafted puzzle where the pieces fit perfectly together. The green complexes and bunkering present a visual challenge to all levels of player. When the wind is blowing, which it can over this open area, club selection for the stronger player is a challenge. The many false fronts require precise approach shots if good scores are expected. Bring on Keith Foster, as his renovation work may result in BCC moving to the top ranked course in Maryland."
Read More2025
Review
“Hard for me to rank the difficulty of this course as it's pretty straight forward tee to green but extremely challenging on and around the greens. Wonderful sets of greens and classic bunkering."
Read More2025