Review: Forest Park Golf Course (Part 2)

It's time to take a look at the back nine at Forest Park, go here to see the front.

The tenth hole is 325 yards and a pretty big departure from what we saw on the front nine. The landscape is bolder and there's actual peril on the tee shot in the form of trees and brush immediately left of the fairway, which bends around the forest toward the green, perched up at the top of a hill. A bold drive, aimed over the corner of the forest, can get you quite close to the green, which is fairly large and has a single bunker right. A more safe drive will bring that bunker more into play.

The tenth hole.

Approaching the tenth green.

The tenth green.

The eleventh is likely Forest Park's best and most memorable hole. It's a 170-yard par 3 that plays slightly downhill to a medium-sized green surrounded on three sides by a massive horseshoe-shaped bunker. It's not an especially deep bunker, but it is certainly intimidating to look at, and since the hole isn't exactly short, it's not something you can ignore. The green here is sloped pretty significantly from front to back, which does help shots hold the green. At the very least, you'll remember this hole, and that's better than nothing.

The eleventh hole.

The eleventh green.

The twelfth hole is a drivable short par 4 at just 280 yards, and boy does it basically nothing going for it. There's really no reason not to go for the green. The only feature this hole has is a greenside bunker right, and even that barely comes into play. If you don't walk away from this hole with a birdie, it's completely on you. Naturally, I made a bogey here because I hit a giant hook into the trees way left of the fairway.

The twelfth hole.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is not a long par 4 at 350 yards, but while it's lacking in distance, it makes up for it with narrowness. There's forest and O.B. immediately left of the fairway, with large overhanging trees right giving you very little space to work with. Fortunately, since the hole is short there's no reason to use driver. A 3 wood or long iron will still get you in wedge distance on the second shot. The approach shot here is a little tough, with the green perched precariously over dropoffs into forest both left and long; there's also bunkers on both sides, and the green itself is quite small. It's not a hole you approach boldly, and you're happy to make par.

The thirteenth hole.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole is quite a short par 5 at just 465 yards, but when you step up to the tee, you probably won't be thinking of this as an eagle opportunity. This fairway is narrow and tilted sharply from right to left, with dense forest left and more trees right (though you can at least find golf balls right). Accuracy is the name of the game on the tee shot, as even a modest drive will get you close enough to bring the green into range in two. Still, this green is small, sloped severely from back to front, and closely guarded by bunkers on each side. Not exactly an inviting target, especially with a fairway wood or long iron in hand from a hanging lie back in the fairway. I played this with a 3 wood, a mid iron to about 50 yards, and a pitch onto the green to a few feet. That's the way to play this hole.

The fourteenth hole.

Approaching the fourteenth green.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is a 200-yard par 3 that doesn't have much going on. There's a bunker right, and a bit of a falloff left, but the green is pretty big and not very interesting. It's basically just a mid iron here.

The fifteenth hole.

The fifteenth green.

The sixteenth hole is 330 yards and plays to a blind fairway. The hole is pretty straight and there aren't any hidden hazards, so a good driver can get you well within a hundred yards, leaving just a partial wedge for the second shot. The green here is medium sized and while it's pretty flat, it's flanked by sand and there's a big dropoff behind. 

The sixteenth hole.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is a few yards shorter than the previous hole and has a similarly blind tee shot. Unlike 16, this hole bends pretty significantly left at around 225 yards, which means a solid driver will easily run through the fairway. Now, there isn't any immediate punishment for doing this, as there's nothing but open space right (there's even what appears to be an alternate green, though I don't know if it's still being used). However, this green is quite small and flanked by bunkers; the best angle to approach it is from the left, flirting with the left tree line. Playing safely out right brings the bunkers more directly into play.

The seventeenth hole.

The seventeenth green.

The eighteenth hole is the longest hole at Forest Park by a significant margin, playing over 550 yards. You feel every bit of it too, as the drive is ... well, it's not my favorite thing in the world. Basically, the hole swings hard left at 225 yards (much like the previous hole), but with tall grass beyond the fairway, you're forced into either hitting a fairway wood or swinging a hard draw around the forest left. And since I don't imagine too many really good golfers are playing Forest Park who can play that sort of purposeful hook, the vast majority are stuck playing it safe. The second shot is basically just a matter of advancing the ball, though a series of mounds do interrupt the fairway about 150-200 yards out from the green. After the lay-up, the third will be a wedge or short iron into a medium-sized green sloped significantly from back left to front right with a single small bunker front left.

The eighteenth hole.

Approaching the eighteenth green.

The eighteenth green.

While Forest Park is pretty similar to Mount Pleasant in terms of conditions and appearance, this course is let down by having some really dull holes. The opening in particular is quite bland, and while the back nine is generally better, the twelfth and fifteenth offer very little behind a fairway and green. I don't think it would take too much to spruce up this golf course, but that is the struggle with municipal golf. Especially in a city like Baltimore which is not exactly swimming with money. So, we just have to take Forest Park for what it is: an occasionally interesting golf course set over moderately interesting terrain. There are some solid and memorable holes, like the eleventh and fourteenth, so Forest Park is definitely worth at least one look if you're in the area. The price is relatively modest (sub $50), and while the conditions aren't spectacular, I would classify them as adequate. Still, I don't think this is worth a second round.