Backroads to Heaven #3 The Old Course @ Briar Hill Traditional Cache

This cache is part of a seven part series celebrating the life and times of Andy M. Inkrott.  Andy lost his fight with cancer in August of 2015 at the age of 33.  Andy was a husband, father, son, brother, and friend to many, and will truly be missed by all.

The “Old Course” at St Andrews is considered by many to be the home of golf because the sport was first played on the Links at St Andrews in the early 1400s, and where many rules of modern golf came into existence.  Similarly, Briar Hill (now known as Birch Run) was the birthplace of golf for Andy, which quickly became his best sport.

Briar Hill Country Club originally opened in 1965 at the southern edge of North Baltimore as a 9-hole course.  In 1988, the course expanded to 18 holes, and in 2006, the course was sold and renamed Birch Run Golf Course.  The design of the course is credited to Leonard Schmutte and Robert Williams.

Andy began his golfing career on the fairways of Briar Hill in the summer of 1996 in the months leading up to his freshman year in high school.  After only a few rounds it was easy to see that Andy was a natural at the game, and thus joined the golf team at Elmwood High School.  During his four year run at Elmwood he earned two 1^st Team All-SLL Selections as well as two Honorable Mention All SLL Selections.  In his junior year, the Elmwood Golf Team qualified for the Division III Ohio State Golf Tournament.  At the state tournament Andy excelled, and finished with rounds of 76 and 79, which placed him 13^th at the competition, only one shot away from being named All-State.

It was also on this course that Andy had his one and only hole-in-one.  It occurred on August 11, 2000 on hole number 6.  He used a pitching wedge from 130 yards to ace the hole.

Some of the fondest memories we have of Andy we associate with golf, and this course in particular will always be a special place because it is where Andy learned the game he loved so much.

The cache contains a logbook only, you will need to bring your own writing utensil. The cache has been place with permission from Birch Run Golf Course.