Review: Mount Pleasant Golf Course (Part 1)

Municipal golf courses can be very hit or miss. Sometimes you get a gem like Keney Park or Shennecossett, or sometimes you get something that is ... not so impressive. I grew up playing on a basic 9 hole muni, one that was one step above a field with some flags stuck in the ground. You can't get much more basic than that.

In terms of municipal golf, Baltimore is pretty well equipped. It has five courses with 81 holes; considering the size of the city, that's not too bad at all. To compare, D.C. only has three municipal courses, and it's a bigger city. Mount Pleasant isn't the most played of the Baltimore munies (that honor goes to Pine Ridge), but it's generally considered to be the best of the bunch. Not the most scenic (again, that honor goes to Pine Ridge), but the best in terms of strategy and architecture. It's a Golden Age design in the northern part of the city, built in the 1930s, so it's got that going for it. It's also got some history too; the course actually hosted a PGA Tour event back in the 1950s. The list of winners during that decade is seriously impressive, including the likes of Sam Snead and Arnold Palmer. That's some serious pedigree, but the question is: Does Mount Pleasant still stack up today? Let's find out.

Things start off in a less than thrilling fashion. The first hole is actually the longest hole on the golf course at 560 yards, but that's about all the hole has. There's one fairway bunker, but it's not big, and considering all the room everywhere else, you'd have to really try to get into it. The second shot is also not particularly interesting unless you've got the length to get home in two, which most people playing the course wouldn't have. Really, the most noteworthy thing about the first hole is the two greens. I'm not entirely sure why this is the only hole with two greens, but I didn't build it. The right green looks a bit more interesting, as it's more sloped, but both are flanked by bunkers. Okay, this isn't the worst hole in the world, but I was expecting a little bit more.

The first hole plays over fairly level ground.

The first hole, with its two greens. Obviously, the left one was being used the day I was there.

The first green.

The second hole is a short 350 yard par 4. It's a dogleg right, with trees encroaching on the right preventing the use of driver. You don't want to go too far left either, as there's a road and O.B. close by. That means you'll be using a long iron or 3 wood on the tee, and obviously, the ability to hit a fade will benefit you immensely. The green is guarded by three bunkers, one left and two right. The green is quite large and tilted from back left to front right.

Driver is a bad idea off of the second tee.

The second green.

The third hole is where the round really starts to pick up. Mount Pleasant has a pretty strong set of par 4s, and this is one of the best on the course. It's about the same length as the last hole, and it doglegs right in a similar manner, but the two could hardly be more different. The hole drops down into a valley and then back up. You have two primary options off the tee: Either use a long iron and lay up in the widest part of the fairway, or use a driver and hit into the narrower upper section. Obviously, the first option is easier at first, but then you're left with a blind shot up over a series of bunkers. If you go more aggressive, you get a shorter shot, an actual view of the green, and an open look. The green itself is big and not hugely complicated.

The third hole.

The third green.

The fourth hole is another par 4, this one just under 370 yards. The tee shot is blind, but the ideal line is as close to the trees on the left as you can. A single bunker guards the green short right, any drives not hit down the left side will have to go right over it. Not a dramatically difficult or complicated hole, but definitely not a bad one either.

The fourth fairway is blind from the tee.

The fourth green.

The fifth hole is significantly longer than the last three holes, playing about 415 yards. Once again, the tee shot is blind. That makes sense, the hole plays parallel to the last hole, so it has to traverse the same sort of terrain. The fairway slopes from right to left, and if you're a long hitter, a dip in the fairway may make you reconsider using a driver. The green is quite substantial, and there's a fair amount of slope from back right to front left.

Another blind drive on 5.

The very large fifth green.

The sixth hole is a tiny little 135 yard par 3. There are a couple bunkers short, but they're pretty easy to clear. On the surface, it looks really easy. Few hazards, big green. However, that green is sloped sharply from back to front; the front of the green is easily 5 feet below the back. It is extremely easy to 3 putt, something I can attest to. It really isn't enough to hit the green, you really do need to be close, because there are some big breaks to be found.

The sixth hole, with another very large green.

The seventh hole is a mid-length par 4, curving right around trees and a small stream. Much like the second hole, the ability to hit a fade comes in handy here, though the need isn't quite so urgent. There's no O.B. left this time. Even so, I don't imagine driver is used too often off the tee. The second shot is a short iron to a small green with bunkers left and right.

The seventh hole.

The seventh green.

The eighth hole is another not particularly long par 4, playing under 370 yards. It doglegs sharply to the left, and the fairway slopes down in a similar fashion. You need to hit your drive far enough to clear the dogleg, as the trees left encroach quite a bit, but you also don't want to go through the fairway, as there are more trees. The green is on the smaller side and surrounded by sand and a steep dropoff behind. I'd say that long is dead, but I went almost 50 yards past (like I said, it's a big drop), and then I pitched to a foot and made par. Okay, unless you hit the miracle shot, long is dead.

The eighth hole.

The eighth green.

The ninth hole is always going to be a difficult proposition. At 465 yards, it's a very long par 4, but the day we played, the hole was playing straight into a fairly stout breeze. That made the act of clearing the big valley eating into the fairway a whole lot more difficult. If you don't clear it, you'll be left with a blind and very long second shot. If you do hit a good drive, your reward is a mid iron to a not particularly large green guarded by several bunkers. Honestly, 5 is not a bad score here, and I imagine there are quite a few people who can't reach the green in two. It's a very tough way to close out the front nine.

The ninth hole, with a drive over a valley.

I was happy to get my drive far enough to get this good a look at the green.

The ninth green.

That's it for now, come back next week for the back nine.