L’Hirondelle Club is a private social club located in Ruxton,

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

and is the oldest such club in the

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

region. Established in 1872, L'Hirondelle remains true to its original mission of being "a club formed by friends for the purpose of creating a place in which they and their families can gather for social and athletic activities in a gracious and intimate atmosphere." L’Hirondelle provides its membership with resort-style racquet and aquatics facilities as well as excellent dining and social event offerings.

Facility

Dining

The club is noted for its American Fare as well as its

seafood Seafood is any form of sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of molluscs (e.g. bivalve molluscs such as clams, oysters and mussels, and cephalopods such as octopus an ...

. It features two main dining rooms: the Grille Room for casual and family dining, and the Lounge Room for formal dining.

Gentlemen A gentleman (Old French: ''gentilz hom'', gentle + man) is any man of good and courteous conduct. Originally, ''gentleman'' was the lowest rank of the landed gentry of England, ranking below an esquire and above a yeoman; by definition, the ra ...

are required to wear jackets in the Lounge, and sportswear is prohibited. Dining is also offered in the bar area, with a full menu and

bar food A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

available. The club hosts numerous

fête In Britain and some of its former colonies, fêtes are traditional public festivals, held outdoors and organised to raise funds for a charity. They typically include entertainment and the sale of goods and refreshments. Village fêtes Village f� ...

s for its members, including an annual

Crab Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" (abdomen) ( el, βραχύς , translit=brachys = short, / = tail), usually hidden entirely under the thorax. They live in all the ...

Feast, poolside grill nights, wine tastings, and

Oyster Oyster is the common name for a number of different families of salt-water bivalve molluscs that live in marine or brackish habitats. In some species, the valves are highly calcified, and many are somewhat irregular in shape. Many, but not al ...

Roasts.

Bar

The club features a large dine-in bar area which was constructed in 2007. One of the most popular drinks at the club has been the "Southside."

Other facilities

The Tavern Room, on the ground floor, features a bar and bowling. The Great Room, in the center of the main level, is the usual site of balls and buffets. The club also features locker room facilities in the clubhouse, as well as in the tennis house, a paddle hut for winter activities, and parking facilities. Use of cellular phones is prohibited within the clubhouse.

Membership

Exclusivity

Membership is attainable only through nomination by a current member. Nominees must then be approved by a membership committee. An initiation fee and a monthly fee are required.

Guest policy

A private club, L’Hirondelle members are permitted to host guests. Moreover, members of select local clubs are also permitted to attend under certain conditions and circumstances. L’Hirondelle has such arrangements with sundry Baltimore area clubs, including the

Baltimore Country Club Baltimore Country Club is a private club in Baltimore, Maryland, with two campuses, one in the city's Roland Park neighborhood and the other in the north suburb of Lutherville. It is one of only twelve clubs nationwide to operate two campuses. T ...

, the Sparrows Point Country Club, the Greenspring Valley Hunt Club, and the Elkridge Club.

References

{{Reflist, 2

External links

Official websiteUnited States Paddle Tennis Association (USPTA)"Satellite Bar" at Facebook.com
Sports clubs established in 1872 Tennis venues in the United States Sports clubs in the United States Buildings and structures in Baltimore County, Maryland 1872 establishments in Maryland