TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm (formerly TPC Avenel) is a private golf club in the
eastern
Eastern may refer to:
Transportation
*China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai
*Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways
*Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991
*Eastern Air Li ...
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, located in
Potomac, Maryland
Potomac () is a census-designated place (CDP) in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, named after the nearby Potomac River. Potomac is the seventh most educated small town in America, based on percentage of residents with postsecondary deg ...
, a suburb northwest of
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
It was formerly a regular stop on the
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour (stylized in all capital letters as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in the United States and North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also ...
as host of the
Booz Allen Classic
The Kemper Open was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 1968 to 2006.
Perhaps more so than any other "regular" PGA Tour stop, the event wandered about, not just from course to course within a given metropolitan area, but along the East Co ...
(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.
Renovation
Opened 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 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
Augusta National Golf Club, sometimes referred to as Augusta or the National, is a golf club in Augusta, Georgia, United States. Unlike most private clubs which operate as non-profits, Augusta National is a for-profit corporation, and it does no ...
) 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
Gregory John Norman AO (born 10 February 1955) is an Australian entrepreneur and retired professional golfer who spent 331 weeks as world number one in the 1980s and 1990s. He won 89 professional tournaments, including 20 PGA Tour tournament ...
, 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
The National, originally titled for sponsorship reasons as the AT&T National and later as the Quicken Loans National, was a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 2007 to 2018. It was hosted by Tiger Woods and benefited the Tiger Woods ...
in
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...
. 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 to over .
The course was scheduled to host the PGA Tour's
Wells Fargo Championship
The Wells Fargo Championship is a professional golf tournament in North Carolina on the PGA Tour. Held in early May at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte (except in 2022, when it was played at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm), it has attracted some of t ...
in
2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...
, as its regular site,
Quail Hollow Club
Quail Hollow Club is a country club and golf course in the southeastern United States, located in the Quail Hollow neighborhood in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is a private member club, founded by James J. Harris on April 13, 1959.
The club ho ...
in
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
, was to host the
Presidents Cup
The Presidents Cup is a series of men's golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world minus Europe. Europe competes against the United States in a similar but considerably ...
. Following scheduling changes due to the
coronavirus pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identifie ...
, this was delayed a year to 2022.
Scorecard
Redesigned layout
Original layout
Tour events
*
Kemper Open
The Kemper Open was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 1968 to 2006.
Perhaps more so than any other "regular" PGA Tour stop, the event wandered about, not just from course to course within a given metropolitan area, but along the East Coast. ...
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
The Senior Players Championship, stylised by the PGA Tour as The SENIOR PLAYERS Championship, is one of the five major championships on golf's PGA Tour Champions. The inaugural event was played in 1983 and the age minimum is 50, the standard f ...
in 2010
*
Neediest Kids Championship presented by Under Armour in 2012 and the
Mid-Atlantic Championship
The Mid-Atlantic Championship was a professional golf tournament on the Web.com Tour played at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm. Proceeds from the Mid-Atlantic Championship benefited thSalute Military Golf Association
From 2007 to 2011, it was played ...
in 2013
*
Quicken Loans National
The National, originally titled for sponsorship reasons as the AT&T National and later as the Quicken Loans National, was a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 2007 to 2018. It was hosted by Tiger Woods and benefited the Tiger Woods ...
in 2017 and 2018
*
Wells Fargo Championship
The Wells Fargo Championship is a professional golf tournament in North Carolina on the PGA Tour. Held in early May at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte (except in 2022, when it was played at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm), it has attracted some of t ...
is scheduled for 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 year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide.
Events January–February
* January 5 – " Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia.
* Janu ...
. The conclusion of the final Booz Allen Classic was not televised.
In 2007,
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer. He is tied for first in PGA Tour wins, ranks second in men's major championships, and holds numerous golf records.
*
*
* Woods is widely regarded as ...
announced his new tournament, the
AT&T National
The National, originally titled for sponsorship reasons as the AT&T National and later as the Quicken Loans National, was a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 2007 to 2018. It was hosted by Tiger Woods and benefited the Tiger Woods ...
, was to be played at neighboring
Congressional Country Club
Congressional Country Club is a country club and golf course in Bethesda, Maryland, United States. Congressional opened in 1924 and its Blue Course has hosted five major championships, including three U.S. Opens and a PGA Championship. It was a ...
. 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. 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."
In
2010, the
Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship
The Senior Players Championship, stylised by the PGA Tour as The SENIOR PLAYERS Championship, is one of the five major championships on golf's PGA Tour Champions. The inaugural event was played in 1983 and the age minimum is 50, the standard f ...
was moved from
Baltimore Country Club in
Timonium to the TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm. The renovated TPC Potomac received many positive reviews from the players during the tournament.
TPC Potomac hosted
Web.com Tour
The Korn Ferry Tour is the developmental tour for the U.S.-based PGA Tour, and features professional golfers who have either not yet reached the PGA Tour, or who have done so but then failed to win enough FedEx Cup points to stay at that level. Th ...
events in successive years; the
Neediest Kids Championship in
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
and
Mid-Atlantic Championship
The Mid-Atlantic Championship was a professional golf tournament on the Web.com Tour played at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm. Proceeds from the Mid-Atlantic Championship benefited thSalute Military Golf Association
From 2007 to 2011, it was played ...
in
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...
.
In 2014, the PGA Tour announced that TPC Potomac would host the
Quicken Loans National
The National, originally titled for sponsorship reasons as the AT&T National and later as the Quicken Loans National, was a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 2007 to 2018. It was hosted by Tiger Woods and benefited the Tiger Woods ...
in
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...
. 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
The Wells Fargo Championship is a professional golf tournament in North Carolina on the PGA Tour. Held in early May at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte (except in 2022, when it was played at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm), it has attracted some of t ...
due to
Quail Hollow Club
Quail Hollow Club is a country club and golf course in the southeastern United States, located in the Quail Hollow neighborhood in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is a private member club, founded by James J. Harris on April 13, 1959.
The club ho ...
hosting the
Presidents Cup
The Presidents Cup is a series of men's golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world minus Europe. Europe competes against the United States in a similar but considerably ...
. With the postponement of the
Ryder Cup from 2020 to
2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...
and subsequent rescheduling of the Presidents Cup to 2022, TPC Potomac will now host the Wells Fargo in 2022.
''Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records.''
Source:
See also
*
Tournament Players Club
Tournament Players Club (TPC) is a chain of public and private golf courses operated by the PGA Tour. Most of the courses either are or have been hosts for PGA Tour events, with the remainder having frequently hosted events on the Korn Ferry Tour ...
References
External links
*
PGA Tour Official Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tpc At Avenel
Golf clubs and courses in Maryland
Potomac, Maryland
1986 establishments in Maryland
Buildings and structures in Montgomery County, Maryland
Sports venues completed in 1986