Baltimore to Host Championship Golf

Baltimore (Md.) Country Club’s East Course has been chosen by the USGA as the host site for the 2026 U.S. Senior Amateur and 2031 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championships. The club has previously hosted four USGA championships, most recently the 1988 U.S. Women’s Open.

“We are thrilled to return to Baltimore Country Club and rekindle our relationship with a club that has produced memorable USGA moments dating back to 1899,” said Mark Hill, USGA managing director, Championships. “The process of awarding these two championships has been seamless, and we appreciate the club’s staff and membership for their friendship and partnership and look forward to working closely together over the coming years.”

Baltimore Country Club hosted the fifth U.S. Open back in 1899, when Willie Smith, of Scotland, prevailed by 11 strokes over 80 other players to capture his only major title. The total purse that week was $750. Baltimore Country Club also hosted the 1932 U.S. Amateur, with C. Ross Somerville, of Canada, defeating eventual two-time USGA champion John Goodman, 2 and 1, in the final; the 1965 Walker Cup, when the USA Team retained the cup after an 11-11 tie; and the 1988 U.S. Women’s Open, when 13-time LPGA winner Liselotte Neumann, of Sweden, captured her only major title with a 3-stroke victory over Patty Sheehan.

“It is a privilege to be able to partner with the USGA to bring the U.S. Senior Amateur and U.S. Women’s Amateur to our club,” said Thomas Carroll, club president. “Since its founding in 1898, some of the cub’s most memorable and historic moments have occurred during its USGA championships – including the 1932 U.S. Amateur, the 1965 Walker Cup and the 1988 U.S. Women’s Open. Our membership is looking forward to hosting the nation's best amateur golfers on our courses. It’s exciting to see Baltimore emerge as a premier destination for championship golf.”

Baltimore Country Club was founded on January 13, 1898, at its Roland Park location. After the early success of landing a U.S. Open Championship, the decision was made to acquire land to the north of the city, in Lutherville, and expand to a second location. The East Course at Five Farms, designed by A.W. Tillinghast, opened in September 1926 and underwent a renovation in 2015 by Keith Foster, restoring the course to Tillinghast's original design. 

“We’re excited to welcome the USGA back to Maryland for these two championships and look forward to the opportunities that this incredible relationship with the USGA presents for the state and its golf industry,” said Maryland Governor Larry Hogan. “Maryland is proud to be a top destination for tourism and world-class sporting events.”

In addition to the USGA championships, Baltimore Country Club also hosted the 1928 PGA Championship as well as the Senior Players Championship from 2007-2009.

The 71st U.S. Senior Amateur will be held Aug. 29-Sept. 3, 2026. Earlier this month, Rusty Strawn became the fourth player from Georgia to win the U.S. Senior Amateur with his 3-and-2 victory over fellow Peach State resident and 2013 champion Doug Hanzel in the championship match of the 2022 U.S. Senior Amateur at The Kittansett Club in Marion, Mass. The U.S. Senior Amateur is open to amateur golfers who have reached age 55 on or before the start of the championship who have a Handicap Index® not exceeding 7.4. The championship features 36 holes of stroke play before the field is cut to the low 64 scorers for match play. Next year’s U.S. Senior Amateur will be held at Martis Camp Club in Truckee, Calif.

The 131st U.S. Women’s Amateur will be held Aug. 4-10, 2031. First played in 1895, the U.S. Women’s Amateur marks the beginning of women’s competitive golf in this country. It features a field of 156 golfers playing 36 holes of stroke play before the field is cut to the low 64 scores for match play. In August, Saki Baba, of Japan, captured the 122nd title at Chambers Bay in dominant fashion with an 11-and-9 victory over Monet Chun, of Canada, in the final match. The 2023 U.S. Women’s Amateur will be held at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles, Calif.