TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm
| Club information | |
|---|---|
   | |
| Coordinates | 38°59′20″N 77°12′07″W / 38.989°N 77.202°W |
| Location | Potomac, Maryland, U.S. |
| Elevation | 270 feet (80 m) |
| Established | 1986, 38 years ago |
| Operated by | PGA Tour TPC Network |
| Total holes | 18 |
| Events hosted | Booz Allen Classic (formerly Kemper Open, 1987–2006), Quicken Loans National (2017–2018) Wells Fargo Championship (2022) |
| Greens | Penn A1 / A4 Bentgrass |
| Fairways | Independence Bentgrass[1] |
| Website | tpc.com/potomac |
| Designed by | Ed Ault, Tom Clark, & Ed Sneed (1986); Stephen Wenzloff & Jim Hardy (2007) |
| Par | 70 |
| Length | 7,107 yards (6,499 m) |
| Course rating | 75.5 |
| Slope rating | 146 [2] |
| Course record | 62 - Kevin Streelman (2018), Abraham Ancer (2018), Francesco Molinari (2018) |
TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm (formerly TPC Avenel) is a private golf club in the eastern United States, located in Potomac, Maryland, a suburb northwest of Washington, D.C. It was formerly a regular stop on the PGA Tour as host of the Booz Allen Classic (originally Kemper Open). After a major renovation to both clubhouse and course, the clubhouse reopened in late 2008 while the course reopened on April 28, 2009.[3]
Renovation
[edit]Opened thirty-eight years ago in 1986, the original TPC Avenel course was roundly criticized for poor design in its early years. It was also plagued by years of flooding and drainage problems and by various turfgrass issues which affected the greens and often produced less than satisfactory tournament conditions. As a result, many top players on the PGA Tour stayed away, and the Kemper/Booz Allen tournament became unofficially relegated to "B" event status.
In the summer of 2005, Dewberry and Davis land surveying crews were regularly seen taking measurements across the facility, sparking rumors that the long criticized course would finally be reconfigured. Confirmation came in 2007, when a $32 million golf course and clubhouse renovation commenced in an effort to bring back a tournament to the Washington D.C. area. The renovation covered the entire course, which has been reshaped into a new 7,139-yard (6,528 m) course at par 70 with Rock Run Creek being expanded and cleaned up.
The controversial sixth hole (conceived as a weak copy of the 13th at Augusta National) was changed to a straightaway long par-four with the green now short and left of the creek. The par-3 ninth (famously maligned by Greg Norman, who suggested the original be "blown up with dynamite") was rebuilt with a new green up on a hill near the old practice green. The old 10th and 11th holes have been combined into the new tenth, a long par-five playing around the restored creek feature. The old 12th is now the 11th, with the old par-five 13th (another popular target of player angst) eliminated and replaced by a new, uphill par-three 12th and a short, par-four 13th.
In addition to the golf course, the project also included a new practice facility and short game area, and clubhouse renovations.
In November 2015, the 7th and 16th greens were renovated to flatten contours and provide additional hole locations in anticipation of hosting the Quicken Loans National in 2017. Additionally, small improvements were made to a number of holes, including creating bent grass chipping and collection areas around the 3rd, 4th, and 18th greens, widening the 5th and 6th fairways, and flattening the front portion of the 13th green to create additional hole locations. Finally, the on-deck putting green was quadrupled in size from 1,500 square feet (140 m2) to over 6,000 sq ft (560 m2).[4][5]
The course was scheduled to host the PGA Tour's Wells Fargo Championship in 2021, as its regular site, Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, was to host the Presidents Cup. Following scheduling changes due to the coronavirus pandemic, this was delayed a year to 2022.
Scorecard
[edit]Redesigned layout
[edit]| Tee | Rating/Slope | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | 75.5 / 146 | 440 | 619 | 225 | 440 | 365 | 484 | 452 | 467 | 201 | 3,693 | 560 | 470 | 168 | 360 | 299 | 490 | 412 | 190 | 465 | 3,446 | 7,107 |
| Black | 73.5 / 142 | 415 | 570 | 210 | 440 | 365 | 449 | 420 | 435 | 175 | 3,479 | 532 | 420 | 161 | 360 | 278 | 440 | 390 | 190 | 426 | 3,197 | 6,676 |
| Yellow | M:70.6 / 135 W:76.7 / 153 |
400 | 495 | 185 | 379 | 312 | 422 | 395 | 415 | 155 | 3,158 | 510 | 378 | 144 | 302 | 256 | 418 | 327 | 170 | 401 | 2,906 | 6,064 |
| White | M:69.3 / 128 W:75.0 / 148 |
392 | 478 | 160 | 352 | 299 | 379 | 383 | 390 | 136 | 2,969 | 482 | 365 | 144 | 279 | 239 | 397 | 319 | 152 | 380 | 2,757 | 5,726 |
| Red | M:65.2 / 122 W:70.2 / 133 |
301 | 455 | 135 | 335 | 275 | 283 | 266 | 275 | 120 | 2,445 | 438 | 339 | 130 | 258 | 225 | 353 | 305 | 115 | 340 | 2,503 | 4,948 |
| Par | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 35 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 35 | 70 | |
| SI | Men's | 3 | 11 | 13 | 7 | 17 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 15 | 8 | 2 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 4 | 10 | 12 | 6 | |||
| SI | Women's | 6 | 2 | 16 | 4 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 14 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 9 | 5 | 17 | 7 |
Original layout
[edit]| Tee | Rating/Slope | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TPC | 74.0 / 133 | 393 | 622 | 239 | 435 | 359 | 520 | 461 | 453 | 166 | 3648 | 374 | 147 / 165 | 472 | 524 | 301 | 467 | 415 | 195 | 444 | 3339 / 3357 | 6987 / 7005 |
| Back | 72.0 / 129 | 376 | 584 | 185 | 408 | 340 | 447 | 422 | 409 | 150 | 3321 | 349 | 136 / 156 | 413 | 503 | 275 | 458 | 401 | 181 | 425 | 3141 / 3161 | 6462 / 6482 |
| Middle | 70.0 / 123 | 362 | 553 | 162 | 342 | 328 | 410 | 396 | 394 | 136 | 3083 | 314 | 125 / 140 | 403 | 481 | 239 | 418 | 391 | 156 | 4000 | 2927 / 2942 | 6010 / 6025 |
| Forward | 68.1 / 115 | 310 | 437 | 127 | 294 | 234 | 338 | 279 | 281 | 118 | 2418 | 280 | 100 / 125 | 363 | 370 | 208 | 351 | 292 | 118 | 318 | 2400 / 2425 | 4818 / 4843 |
| SI | Men's | 10 | 4 | 16 | 6 | 14 | 12 | 2 | 8 | 18 | 11 | 17 | 1 | 7 | 15 | 3 | 9 | 13 | 5 | |||
| Par | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 36 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 35 | 71 | |
| SI | Women's | 6 | 2 | 16 | 8 | 14 | 4 | 12 | 10 | 18 | 11 | 17 | 1 | 9 | 13 | 3 | 5 | 15 | 7 |
Tour events
[edit]- Kemper Open from 1987 to 1999
- Kemper Insurance Open from 2000 to 2002
- FBR Capital Open in 2003
- Booz Allen Classic in 2004 and 2006 (moved to neighboring Congressional in 2005)
- Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship in 2010
- Neediest Kids Championship presented by Under Armour in 2012 and the Mid-Atlantic Championship in 2013
- Quicken Loans National in 2017 and 2018
- Wells Fargo Championship in May 2022
In 2006, the tournament ended on Tuesday due to persistent storms in the D.C. area. It was the first time a Tour event had been played on a Tuesday since 1968. The conclusion of the final Booz Allen Classic was not televised.
In 2007, Tiger Woods announced his new tournament, the AT&T National, was to be played at neighboring Congressional Country Club. When it was preparing to host its third U.S. Open in 2011, there was speculation that TPC Potomac could serve as a replacement venue for 2010 and 2011.[6] However, the tournament was held in Aronimink Golf Club instead, as the club "sees how the reconfigured course played and how members responded to it before considering hosting major tournaments."[3]
In 2010, the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship was moved from Baltimore Country Club in Timonium to the TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm.[7] The renovated TPC Potomac received many positive reviews from the players during the tournament.
TPC Potomac hosted Web.com Tour events in successive years; the Neediest Kids Championship in 2012 and Mid-Atlantic Championship in 2013.
In 2014, the PGA Tour announced that TPC Potomac would host the Quicken Loans National in 2017.[8] The tournament marked the first time the PGA Tour had held an event at TPC Potomac since 2006.
On April 30, 2019, the PGA Tour announced that TPC Potomac would host the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship due to Quail Hollow Club hosting the Presidents Cup.[9] With the postponement of the Ryder Cup from 2020 to 2021 and subsequent rescheduling of the Presidents Cup to 2022, TPC Potomac instead hosted the Wells Fargo in 2022.[10]
Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records.
Source:
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Quicken Loans National" (PDF). GCSAA. Tournament fact sheets. June 2017. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
- ^ "Course Rating and Slope Database™ - TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm". USGA. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
- ^ a b "Avenel golf course reopens after renovations". Gazette.net. May 13, 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-13.
- ^ "TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm Practice Facility". YouTube.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
- ^ "DC Grind". YouTube.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
- ^ "Tiger Woods speaks on tourney's future". Gazette.net. November 5, 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-13.
- ^ "Senior Players Championship goes to Potomac for 2010". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2009-11-13.
- ^ "TPC Potomac to hold 2017 Quicken Loans National". PGA Tour. Retrieved 2015-05-17.
- ^ "PGA Tour to Return to TPC Potomac for one year with 2021 Wells Fargo Championship". Washington Post. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
- ^ Lavner, Ryan (8 July 2020). "Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow pushed back to 2022". Golf Channel. Retrieved 8 July 2020.