CAVES VALLEY GOLF CLUB
Architect: Tom Fazio (1991), redesign (1997)
Year Opened: 1991
Location: Owings Mills, Maryland
Slope: 144. Rating: 77.2
Par: 71
Yardage: 7,631
Hole-by-Hole: 1 - Par 4 481 Yds 10 - Par 4 467 Yds
2 - Par 5 525 Yds 11 - Par 4 334 Yds
3 - Par 3 227 Yds 12 - Par 4 521 Yds
4 - Par 5 590 Yds 13 - Par 3 245 Yds
5 - Par 4 367 Yds 14 - Par 4 469 Yds
6 - Par 3 220 Yds 15 - Par 4 491 Yds
7 - Par 4 434 Yds 16 - Par 5 599 Yds
8 - Par 4 476 Yds 17 - Par 3 245 Yds
9 - Par 4 470 Yds 18 - Par 4 470 Yds
Par 36 3,790 Yds Par 35 3,841 Yds
Key Events Held: Constellation Senior Players Championship (2017), LPGA International Crown (2014), NCAA Women's Division I Championship (2009), Men’s Ivy League Championship (2013), Palmer Cup (2007), NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship (2005), AJGA Canon Cup (1997, 2004), U.S. Senior Open (2002), Middle Atlantic Amateur (1997), U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship (1995), BMW Championship (2021, 2025), Chesapeake Cup (1991-present).
Awards Won: Rated #3 - Best in State by Golf Digest (MD) (2013-26), ranked #154 by Golf Digest in America's Second 100 Greatest (2025-26).
Website: cavesvalley.net.
HISTORY: Although this venue has been open just a short period of time compared to the other great courses in America, it does possess a very interesting background. Caves Valley is the smallest of three valleys north of Baltimore, and was named for the natural caves found in the area.
Originally a land grant from Lord Baltimore, the property was owned and farmed for nearly two hundred years by Charles Carroll -- a noted barrister and a patriot during the American Revolution, and author of Maryland's Declaration of Rights -- and his heirs.
In 1988, a group of prominent business and civic leaders got together in an effort to build a world-class golf facility. Their intent was to mold a course in the finest tradition of this country's great golf clubs. As luck would have it, the founders came across 962 acres of pristine countryside located in the rolling hills of Baltimore County's estate and hunt country.
Famed architect Tom Fazio was commissioned to design a course that "is a collaboration of the client, the architect, and Mother Nature." Caves Valley is privately owned and managed, and operates exclusively as a golf club. Membership is made available by invitation only to outstanding citizens across the nation who share a commitment to the highest standards of sportsmanship and responsibility. The club's membership is not restricted by race, color, creed or sex.
The first noteworthy event to make its way to Caves Valley was the 1995 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship. Jerry Courville, Jr defeated Warren Sye, 1up. It was the first of three finals that Courville Jr. appeared in at this event (1999, 2002). Along the way, Courville, Jr needed 109 match-play holes before capturing this title, the most in event history.
Next up was the 2002 United States Senior Open. Don Pooley outlasted Tom Watson in a five-hole playoff, sinking a nine-foot putt for the win. Pooley carded a third-round 63 to take the lead, however Watson shot 67 in the final round to force the playoff. “To win the U.S. Senior Open as my first senior event, it doesn’t get any better than that. That is the top,” said Pooley. Pooley earned a spot in the championship by qualifying in a playoff to become the first qualifier to win a Senior Open.
The first LPGA International Crown made its way to Caves Valley in 2014, as Spain captured the title, finishing four points ahead of Sweden, with South Korea and Japan tying for third. The United States finished sixth out of eight nations.
The Champions Tour players return to Caves Valley in 2017 for the Constellation Senior Players Championship. Scott McCarron carded a bogey-free, 6-under-par 66 to make up a six-shot deficit and defeat Bernhard Langer and Brandt Jobe by one shot. McCarron moved into contention with four straight birdies on the opening nine and finished his round with eight straight pars for the win.
The PGA Tour mades it’s first visit to Caves Valley in 2021 for the BMW Championship. Patrick Cantlay defeated Byron DeChambeau on the sixth playoff hole for the title. The BMW returns to Caves Valley in 2025. For better spectator views on the closing holes, the nines were reversed in 2021.
COURSE REVIEW: Downhill from the tee, the 1st (formerly the 10th), is a wonderful par four that bends to the right and has been stretched to 481 yards from the championship tees. Trees and sand guard the entire right side while the putting surface is protected by a deep bunker on the left. The small green, which is hard to hold, makes what looks to be an easy birdie hole into a tough one to par.
Another downhill dogleg to the right, the 2nd might be considered the most difficult hole on the inward nine. The members play it as a par five, however the Tour players plays this gem as a 525-yard par four. The fairway slopes left and even with a perfect tee shot the player is left with an approach to a green that is 40 feet above the fairway. It's another hole where par is a great score, but the scenery is the real winner.
The course just gets better and better as you reach the downhill par-3 3rd (12 percent elevation change), with its beautiful view from the tee box to a narrow, but wide green that slopes from left to right and is guarded by three bunkers. At 227 yards from the back markers, you’ll soon find out that a long iron or fairway metal is needed to reach the putting surface.
The first par-5 on the back nine is the 590-yard monster 4th, where the best angle to attack is from the left side of the fairway, leaving yourself a short approach to a long sloping green that runs left to right and is extremely fast. A long fairway bunker guards the corner of the dogleg, as the hole moves uphill and to the left. Two bunkers protect the right side of the layup area, while a trio of traps guard the smallish green.
At 367 yards, the fifth is one of just two par fours under 400 yards, giving the player a real chance at birdie. The hole slopes from left to right and plays downhill. Placing your tee shot in the fairway is a must, as your approach will be uphill and from short range. The small difficult green features a hogback crossing the center that runs from left to right and is guarded by two bunkers on the right. A back-left pin could spell trouble for the aggressive player.
The 220-yard sixth is the most demanding par-3 at Caves Valley. Not only are you asked to hit over the corner of wetlands and through trees, but uphill as well to a 40-yard long, undulating green. If the pin is placed back right, your shot must clear a large bunker and take an extra club.
With trees down the entire right side and sand down the left, you’ll need to be precise with your tee ball on number seven. As the hole swings slightly to the left, you’ll have a short to medium iron to a multi-tiered putting surface. Your approach shot must guard from missing the green to the right or long, as an up-and-down is unlikely. Birdies can be made, but post a par and you'll walk away with a smile on your face.
If you thought the fairway was a must on the last hole, well the eighth is a definite. This 476-yard, par-4 requires a strong tee shot, leaving yourself with a long, slightly uphill second shot to a green saturated by bunkers, mainly left and short. Make par and consider yourself "The Man".
The closing hole on the outward nine is a long par four stretching 470 yards and features a slightly uphill tee ball to a fairway bunkered left and right. The tee at nine originally sat 50-60 feet
higher than the eighth green, but Fazio tinkered with the course and now the two are virtually at the same level. After a successful first shot, your approach will travel downhill to a two-tiered green that is surrounded by a pair of traps. The green can feature great pin locations and is extremely fast from right to left.
Originally the first hole, the 10th is a long par four that slopes downhill from right to left and tops out at 467 yards. The fairway is flanked with two bunkers on the right and one left. Your approach shot will play uphill to an elevated green, with a deep trap to the right and with a back pin on the right, well you get the picture. Play towards the center of the green and work on your putter.
One of the shorter holes on the course, the par four second, is just 334 yards and is truly a birdie opportunity. The left to right sloping fairway bends towards a pond all along the right side. Fairway metal is the play, as a pair of bunkers guard the landing area. The green is tucked behind a gaping pond and is relatively small, but very quick. Many players will bail out left, which will find the bunker.
It's risk-reward time when the players step to the 12th tee box. This reachable par-five features water from top to bottom on the right side. The serpentine fairway features a bunker on the left and right, which pinches in the landing area off the tee. The green, guarded by a deep bunker right, is
accessible and can be had. The putting surface slopes to the right, so be careful.
The 13th is a titanic par-3 (245 yards from the tips) over water with the largest green on the course as your target. Although the putting surface is expansive, the green is extremely narrow and hugs the bank of the pond, with a bunker fronting the surface. I would have been happy with a bogey! How is it possible that this is ranked as the easiest on the course!
The straightaway par-4 14th is one of the most underrated holes on the course, stretching 469
yards from the back tees. This brute requires an accurate tee ball, as two huge bunkers border each side of the fairway. Second shot selection depends upon the wind and pin location, as the green is 40 yards long. Two large bunkers will snare any errant shots on the right side.
The hardest hole on the inward nine is the 15th at 491 yards and moving from left to right. Trees guard the entire right side, along with a 30-yard bunker. Two bunkers guard the undulating putting surface on the left side, while fall offs to the right get plenty of action.
Next up is the massive, par-5 16th at 599 yards. The opening shot must carry 230 yards just to reach the fairway and must negotiate between three fairway bunkers. The approach shot must be placed to the correct portion of the green, as the putting surface is one of the fastest and most sloped on the course. Toss inn two deep bunkers on the left side and you’ll be scratching your head wondering how you made double-bogey.
Ranging anywhere from 130 yards to a whopping 245 yards, the 17th is a wonderful par three. Playing downhill from the tee, proper club selection is key to conquering this one-shotter. A pond to the right of the putting surface is daunting and most players will bail out left, only to find a deep bunker. The green slopes from back to front and left to right. Count on your short game for a par.
The signature hole on the course is the uphill, par-4 closer. At 470 yards and playing uphill and into the wind, this is one brute of a finisher. An eight-foot-wide creek winds down the entire right side of the hole, making your tee ball quite exacting. Make sure you take enough club to reach the green, as the surface is a 2-to-3 club rise from the fairway. To make matters worse, the two-tiered green is 40-yards deep, features three bunkers and again, has a stream on the right.
FINAL WORD: As they say at Caves Valley, this course looks as good backward as forward.
The vistas and scenery are breathtaking and don't forget the golf. What a supreme test of golf situated in the Maryland countryside, just 20 minutes from Baltimore. "If I could write a program for what I'd like to do as a course designer and a golf fanatic, this is it," said Fazio, who created a
layout that takes a back seat to no course.
The course conditions are excellent and the putting surfaces are meticulous. There are plenty of elevation changes, which boast the wonderful views of the layout.
The clubhouse is a converted old farmhouse, overlooking the valley and dating back to the 1930s.
Caves Valley is for the private sector and difficult to get on, but if you can, make the effort to play this wonderful golf course. Although the caddies are wonderful, you might want to take a cart, as you’ll be exhausted at rounds end!