Baltimore Golf — Calling Out an Underachiever

As the creator of Baltimore Municipal Golf Corporation I am embarrassed by the fall from grace of its premier course, Pine Ridge. About two decades ago Pine Ridge and its sister course, Mount Pleasant, were by far the two best public courses in Maryland. Both were rated 4.5 by Golf Digest. Both were good tracks; but Mount Pleasant was land-locked and Pine Ridge, built on a large peninsula jutting out into Loch Raven reservoir, always had much more potential. 

In the lated 90's five other courses rated 4.0 or better were built near Baltimore:

1. Bulle Rock (1998), in Havre de Grace, designed by Pete Dye is the only 5.0 rated public course in the state;
   
2. Beechtree (1998), in Aberdeen, designed by Tom Doak has a 4.5 rating;
   
3. Greystone (1997) (now operated by Baltimore County) is rated 4.0;
   
4. The Woodlands (1998) built by Baltimore County is 4.0; and
   
5. Timbers at Troy (1996) Southwest of Baltimore is also 4.0.
   

Pine Ridge slid to second rate status, now a lowly 3.5 in the Golf Digest ratings, apparently with neither a bang nor a whimper. 

Pine Ridge sits on a better piece of land than any of the above higher-rated courses. Pine Ridge had all the play. BMGC apparently sat by without taking any action whatsoever to defend it preeminence. I am offended. A lot of people put forth a lot of effort to make BMGC a success. It is unthinkable that no apparent corrective action was taken.

There are two issues at Pine Ridge:

1. The pace of play is too slow; and
   
2. It has failed to fufill its enormous potential.
   

Pace of play was a problem when BMGC first took over; but it was solved by simply identifying and correcting the reasons for the slow play. Drop areas were added on holes with difficult water carries, e.g., #8; low lying limbs and brush were cleared out at the corners of the doglegs; and the marshals were given the authority and responsibility for maintaining the pace of play. Based on these changes the average round dropped from over 5 hours to 4 hours and 20 minutes. I can only assume that these corrections have have been allowed to degrade.

The much more offensive problem is the failure to compete, i.e., to fulfill Pine Ridge's potential. Because of the presence of Loch Raven reservoir Pine Ridge had and still has enormous potential. Let me prove my point by example. The first and fifth holes are fine; but let's look at the holes in between.

Water is highly prized as a hazard in golf. It is visibly challenging and unyielding — you are either in or out and if you are in you will be penalized. Yet, unlike a lost ball anywhere else on the course, the penalty is light. Certainly you lose a stroke but you get to drop where the ball last entered the hazard rather than return to where you struck the original shot. This difference lightens the penalty and significantly reduces the time lost both hunting for the ball and returning to the spot of the last shot. Many courses have spent millions of dollars piping in water to create artificial water hazards. Pine Ridge has water all around; but it is for the most part unused.

As shown in the inset (left) aerial photograph, 2 and 3 share a peninsula but you wouldn't know it from the ground. The problem is the trees between the fairways and the greens and the water. The photo is oriented so #2 plays bottom to top on the left and #3 plays from top to bottom on the right. Because the photo was taken at a time when the water level in the reservoir was very low there is a white gap between the water and the green of the pine trees that grow up to the edge of the high water mark. The border of trees blocks both the view of the water and eliminates the water as a hazard. The #2 green is, for no apparent reason, more than 60 yards from the high water mark in any direction.

Here are some potential changes:

1. Move #2 green back and left so that the water to the left and rear are in play on shots to the green.
   
2. Move #2 fairway left so that the water and particularly the long water carry on the left is in play when trying to shorten the hole.
   

The impact of these moves would change #2 from a relatively boring nearly straight away dogleg left to a longer, much more challenging, sharper dogleg especially when the winds are blowing from the left.

The suggested changes for #3 are similar:

1. Create a new #3 back tee at the top right of the large peninsula.
   
2. Clear out the trees on the left that block the water and the wind and orient the fairway along the water.
   
3. Move the green to right, near the #1 green,  so that it is slightly tucked into the woods.
   

The new tee would significantly lengthen the hole for the big hitters. The changes would bring the water on the left into play even though the hole is a dogleg right. The player would have to pick his poison.  He should hit to the left to get the best angle on the green; but this would be closer to the water. If he played his tee shot left to right, he would be safe from the water but have a poorer angle of approach.

Number 4, see inset photo (right), is a 196 yard, downhill, par 3. Sitting out in the open it is neither particularly attractive nor challenging. But, the peninsula to its left and rear creates interesting possibilities:

1. Move the #4 green to the left, South, end of the peninsula.
   
2. Play the hole as a short, approximately 335 yard, par 4 from the present tee; or 
   
3. Play the hole as a slightly longer, perhaps 210 yard, par 3 from a new back tee to the left and forward of the existing tee. 
   

Clearing most of the trees to the rear and left of the new green provides both a water hazard and wind access.

I note that all these changes could occur without any significant interference with play. The new tees and greens could be constructed and grown it before any cutover. 

These theoretical changes are presented as mere examples of Pine Ridge's potential. They are put forth as neither the right ones nor the only ones that should occur. BMGC should not undertake any serious changes without top shelf professional guidance. The quality of the property calls for the very best of architects, e.g., Bill Coore or Tom Doak, to identify and design the right changes.

If BMGC were to makeover and, hopefully expand Pine Ridge, it could be the beginning of a resurgence that could lead again to the course's preeminence both in Maryland and beyond. The reservoir access gives the property enormous potential — potential that has been lying fallow while better designs on lesser properties have passed Pine Ridge by. I challenge BMGC to fulfill that potential. Nothing is so offensive as a potentially great athlete resting on his backside while those with lesser talent pass him by.