The Clifton Park Golf Course, built in 1915, is the first public golf course in Baltimore. Hole #1, directly adjacent to the Clifton Mansion provides a starting point for a panoramic journey through new and old Baltimore. From the first green, players can look south to the city skyline and Clifton Tower. You can imagine Johns Hopkins himself standing in the tower with his telescope, searching the horizon for one of his many merchant ships. With any luck, he could discern his personal flag from the others, hop in a carriage down to the harbor, and greet the captain, personally. To the distant east is the silhouette of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. A few blocks away, Baltimore City College High School (est. 1839) is perched on high; the “Castle on the Hill”.
The golf course has beautifully maintained greens, well manicured fairways, and a delightful layout. Convenient, value priced and PGA managed, Clifton Park is a perfect answer to today’s fast paced, time-restricted lifestyle. It is an ideal natural resource, adding charm and value to the neighborhood; ecologically, socially, economically, and psychologically.
I got a text from my buddy Rob last fall: “Heading to Scottsdale for some winter golf. Want in?” My immediate thought wasn’t “yes, that sounds amazing.” It was “how much?” Scottsdale means $150-300 per round. Phoenix resorts. Snowbird crowds. And here I was, living three hours from Muirfield Village Golf Club – one of the top courses in America – and paying attention to Arizona real estate advertisements.
That’s when it hit me: Ohio golf is genuinely incredible, and almost nobody talks about it.
Ohio has a remarkable concentration of high-quality golf,
