Shocker: People Like Well-Designed Municipal Golf Courses

It's always cool seeing a golf course I've played show up in the news, especially when it's positive and it's a course I genuinely liked. So, after the absolute disaster that's befallen the DC municipal golf courses (and the less said about it, the better), this article from Golfweek on Wilmington Municipal in North Carolina was very much appreciated.

The eighteenth hole at Wilmington Municipal.

It doesn't actually say all that much about the course, and obviously the sort of work they've been doing isn't exactly exciting, but that logistical work on irrigation and the like still matters a lot. And it just goes to show that when you invest in public golf, you will be rewarded. As I mentioned in my review (read it here and here), when we played the course, it was very busy, but the round still took comfortably less than 4 hours. We rarely waited, and that's because Wilmington Municipal is well designed but user friendly. It's tough losing golf balls there, and that matters for pace of play. It's also great for the course's bottom line — fast rounds means they can get more people out, which means more money for them.

So, it's pretty safe to say that, as Wilmington Municipal approaches its 100th anniversary, it's doing better than ever. If only DC were so lucky as to have a course like it. 

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.

Review: Forest Park Golf Course (Part 1)

This is not the first time I've talked about Forest Park, one of Baltimore's municipal golf courses. Back in 2021, I wrote about an interesting National Geographic story about a rare type of rock being discovered in Maryland. One of the locations where this rock could be found was Forest Park. Back then, I'd never played it, but now I have.

Forest Park is likely most notable as the center of Baltimore's Black golfer community, a role it's filled for more than 50 years. Which is very cool, but is there anything worthwhile in terms of design? Mt. Pleasant, the other Baltimore muni I've played, was quite good, so we'll see if Forest Park can compete in that regard.

The first hole is, aside from a rather large tree just left of the tee, about as basic as a golf hole can get. There is no elevation change, no bunkers, and the green is basically just a flat oval. It's really just a 410-yard par 4. Just don't hook it off the tee and you'll be fine.

The first hole.

The first green.

The second hole is 335 yards and is a bit more interesting than the first simply because there's a little bit of elevation change and the green is actually protected by a pair of bunkers. A tee shot down the left is favored, especially if you want to use driver. (And since there are no fairway bunkers or other hazards in play, why not use driver?) 

The second hole.

The second green.

The third hole is 200 yards and plays slightly uphill to a small green with a decent amount of back-to-front slope and a bunker front right. It's not a terrible hole, though the green speeds are very slow at Forest Park, which does remove a significant portion of the challenge. You really don't have anything to fear from being above the hole.

The third hole.

The third green.

The fourth hole is another par 3, this one 225 yards. It does play downhill, which does mitigate some of the length. The green here is quite large and a single bunker protects the front left portion. The green is highest in the middle and falls away slightly toward the left and right sides. A running shot will do well here; unfortunately, the prodigious rains Maryland received in May (I played here in early June) really nullified any chance of that happening.

The fourth hole.

The fourth green.

The fifth hole is 420 yards and uphill the entire way, making it the longest par 4 at Forest Park in every sense of the word. The tee shot is quite straightforward, though there is O.B. lurking left of the fairway. It's not exactly close, but it is there. The tee shot is a short or mid iron up to a small narrow green with a significant back-to-front slope. There are two bunkers and a former bunker protecting it, making the second shot much more difficult than anything the golfer has seen so far.

The fifth hole.

Approaching the fifth green.

The fifth green.

The sixth hole is 350 yards and doglegs right around a cluster of pines that sits directly between the green and tee. You can't really hit driver without running out of fairway unless you hit a big fade, and while there's a lot of space left, you need to reach a crest in the fairway about 225-250 yards out in order to get a view of the green. The green itself is quite well defended, with one bunker left, two right, and a big dropoff behind. Honestly, really not a bad hole at all.

The sixth hole.

The sixth green.

The seventh hole is 330 yards but plays pretty significantly uphill to a blind fairway. It's a pretty easy drive, but the fairway does slope from right to left. This slope makes the second shot more challenging, as the green is quite small and also sloped from right to left, with a pair of small bunkers protecting the left side. It's definitely best approached from the right, so that means hitting a fade down the right side on the tee shot is the best play.

The seventh hole. I swear it's up there.

The seventh green.

The eighth hole is a potentially drivable par 4, playing just 280 yards. It's downhill too, though a cluster of three pine trees directly between the green and tee, just like on the sixth, does make the green a slightly less tempting target. Only slightly though; that green is just too alluring to pass up, at least for me. If you're smart, you can play a long iron out right, then have a pretty simple pitch to a green sloped from back left to front right. There's a large bunker left of the green and three small ones around the back right.

The eighth hole.

The eighth green.

The ninth hole is the first par 5 at Forest Park, playing 500 yards as it bends right the entire way. The big tree right of the fairway isn't a big concern unless you're a short hitter, but it is a pretty major obstacle. The green is reachable in two for long hitters, but most will look to lay up, and for that, you're best off favoring the left side, flirting with a long fairway bunker about 75 yards out. It does make the hole play a bit longer, but it does give you a better angle into the green, which is angled from left to right and has a bunker front right.

The ninth hole.

Approaching the ninth green.

The ninth green.

That's it for this week, next week we'll take a look at the back nine.

Review: East Potomac Golf Links (Blue Course)

There is not a lot of golf to be played within the confines of Washington, D.C. This is probably not a surprise. D.C. is not very big, and it's all city. However, there are three golf courses: East Potomac, Rock Creek, and Langston. Of the three, East Potomac is the crown jewel, hosting 36 holes in total. The Red course is a 9-hole par 3 course, the White course is a 9-hole executive course, and finally the Blue is a 6,600-yard par 72, designed in the early 1920s by Walter Travis. It's located on Hains Point Island in the middle of the Potomac River, and in its day it was actually very ambitious. The land is extremely flat, so Travis bunkered the course extensively; not only that, the holes were originally reversible.

The fourth hole.

The fifth green.

Very little of that grand ambition remains today. An occasional odd slope bordering a green, or a green with a bit of a fallaway at the back is all you can really see of East Potomac's original form. 100 years of neglect, mismanagement, and many, many rounds have reduced the course to its most basic form. Very few bunkers, all of which are basic ovals, and fairly simple greens. There are too many trees in places, especially around the perimeter of the course, blocking out views of the surrounding river. Though perhaps I can let that one slide, since there are running/biking paths going around the course which were very heavily used and very much in range of wayward golf shots.

The seventh hole. Yes, the Washington Monument does appear several times during the round.

The eighth hole.

This is usually the point where I go into the individual holes, but I'm not going to do that today. For one, I'm writing this a few months after I played there, so I can barely remember the holes. Two, what I do remember is honestly not worth talking about, unless I really want to stretch for strategies that really aren't there. And three, the course in its current form won't be around too much longer. The three D.C. municipal courses are now under the management of the National Links Trust, which is seeking to revitalize, renovate, and redesign the courses to their former glory. Tom Doak is tackling East Potomac and will restore the reversible design.

The tenth hole.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth green.

I will say this about the course; in several ways it reminds me of Charleston Municipal. Now, I don't know what that course was like pre-renovation, but both courses are very flat, next to a river, and both seem to have a solid walking culture. Admittedly, the weather was ideal for my round at East Potomac (can't beat 75 degrees in the middle of November), but something like three-quarters of the golfers I saw (and there were many) walked. That made me very happy. With Tom Doak overseeing the redesign, something really special could result, and it would be a shame if carts dominated a course that should be walked.

The sixteenth hole.

The seventeenth hole.

The seventeenth green.

If you're looking for value, obviously East Potomac isn't brilliant, but compared with the area, it isn't terrible either. Conditions weren't too bad, though the tees were pretty grim. To put it bluntly, I'd rather drive an hour (or way more if we're talking rush hour traffic) to play Mount Pleasant in Baltimore than go 10 minutes to East Potomac in its current state. Prices are similar and Mount Pleasant is actually interesting. But I'm glad I went to see it at least one, and I'm very eager to see it again once its been restored. That should be an interesting round.