[V_Halyard]

www.NationalLinksTrust.com


I sit on the advisory board a one of the youth groups partnered with National Links Trust in DC to revive and restore some courses in the DC area.
I am a firm believer the we are in an era where compelling and well architected golf architecture is able to add value to areas in need of value creation.
The biggest challenge has been, and continues to be, fashioning development in a manner that does not repeat a pattern of exclusion and gentrification in areas that were likely redlined, ultimately locking the inhabitants into a cycle of exclusion from the wealth created by the great golf Restoration in their neighborhood. 
Early days here and I Applaud and have great hope for these projects.
Thought I would post this here for no particular reason... just in case a participant in the project might go on record.

[Bernie Bell]

One of the cool things about current East Potomac is the "gathering of the tribes" aspect outside the clubhouse, with the golf bags and bikes lined up together while people enjoy a beer.  The loop around the courses is a very popular place to ride, run, etc.  There's also a decent amount of fishing going on, although heaven knows what they're catching in there.  I read the press release to mean that they aim to preserve that.

“We plan to  develop attractive community gathering venues and are committed to maintaining environmentally sound open spaces for the benefit of all those who want to come and enjoy these parks, golfers and non-golfers alike.”

[Tom_Doak]

Vaughn:


Were you calling me out here or something?  It's still not a done deal, but that the NPS asked the National Links Trust to put out a press release of their own to follow up the RFP process must be a good sign.


Will Smith and Mike McCartin, the co-founders of NLT, both worked on various projects for me for several years, and both of them live in D.C., so the project is personal to them.  They asked me to sign on, and I offered to contribute my time for free if they got the gig.  [Mike actually did his Masters thesis about restoring the reversible Travis design at East Potomac Park, so I figured I'd have a lot of free help there.]


When I first went to look at the course, I assumed there were things they wouldn't be able to put back -- such as, today's big driving range trampled the original 10th & 11th holes.  But when you use the word "restoration" around the National Park Service, they get excited, and they are much more definitive about what it means than some golf course architects!  So, my understanding is that they want to see the golf course FULLY restored.  That will be a huge undertaking, and I'm not sure where the money is coming from to do it -- but that's my clients' job, not mine.   


At least by volunteering for free I should have a pass to avoid the politics of it all.

[V_Halyard]

Vaughn:


Were you calling me out here or something?  It's still not a done deal, but that the NPS asked the National Links Trust to put out a press release of their own to follow up the RFP process must be a good sign.


Will Smith and Mike McCartin, the co-founders of NLT, both worked on various projects for me for several years, and both of them live in D.C., so the project is personal to them.  They asked me to sign on, and I offered to contribute my time for free if they got the gig.  [Mike actually did his Masters thesis about restoring the reversible Travis design at East Potomac Park, so I figured I'd have a lot of free help there.]


When I first went to look at the course, I assumed there were things they wouldn't be able to put back -- such as, today's big driving range trampled the original 10th & 11th holes.  But when you use the word "restoration" around the National Park Service, they get excited, and they are much more definitive about what it means than some golf course architects!  So, my understanding is that they want to see the golf course FULLY restored.  That will be a huge undertaking, and I'm not sure where the money is coming from to do it -- but that's my clients' job, not mine.   


At least by volunteering for free I should have a pass to avoid the politics of it all.

Ha. No not calling you out. lol.
Although I would love for you to Doak on the politics of it.
“Look, your policy is a 4. Fix it.”
The hope would be that the overall project master plan would consider how it impacts the greater community. That’s not a golf architecture issue as much as a project consideration.

[Chris Buie]

[Jonathan Cummings]

Here's a piece from a few months ago about the Trust's vision....


https://www.bluetoad.com/publication/?m=2173&i=654895&p=14

[Steve Sayre]

The National Links Trust proposal focuses, in some detail, on plans beyond the course work and related golf operations such as instruction, driving range, short course and putting course options. The goal is certainly to deliver benefits to the neighboring communities: for example, food and beverage options, community gathering venues, nature trails and green space rehabilitation, youth programming (e.g., junior golf, educational programs, summer camps. seasonal employment opportunities) access and support for disabled golfers, interpretative signage documenting the civil rights significance of the properties, and supporting historic user groups such as the Royals and Wake-Robin golf clubs.


The constant thread is accessibility and affordability. And, as you have read above, engaging golf architecture. 

[Andy Shulman]

I live just over a mile from Langston.  With subway trains rumbling past and police and ambulance sirens constantly wailing, the ambience leaves a lot to be desired.  And, did I mention the consistently awful conditions on the tee boxes and in the fairways?

But, it's an easy walk, has some architectural potential and the greens are usually in good shape.  As a result, it's pretty popular and I'm praying that NLT or someone else will renovate the place.   

As for East Potomac, I've seen threads on GCA that included photos showing the course almost completely underwater, so hopefully Messrs. Smith, MccCartin and Doak have a plan to address that

[James Brown]

This is the best thing to happen to DC golf in forever.  I remember with such curiosity and joy discovering the Master’s thesis that explored the history of EPP.  How cool that that guy ended up working for Tom. 


Played the Blue Course since 2001 and maybe 200 times.  If you can turn a flat site into Harbortown, you can restore this course to something that is amazing on this site. 


I wanna see a routing map.  Especially since reading the Getting to 18 post. 


The key strategy for this site will be managing the transition and not having to close the site for a year or more. 


My advice:  Move the driving range first to the practice holes. That range is the heart of the operation. 

[Tom_Doak]

Chris:  The clipping about Ross at EPP is interesting.  If he was really involved why do you think his name fell away over time?  Usually it works the opposite way around.


Travis was the one obsessed with reversible play so he had to have been involved all the way through.

[Craig Disher]

Chris,I hadn't seen that article. Does it post-date this one from 1917 that mentions only Travis? Ross was around DC immediately after the war working at Bannockburn and then in 1921 starting work on Indian Spring. I'd guess that both submitted plans but perhaps because of Travis' work at Columbia he was better known to the DC crowd. I wonder if the presentation is in the Congressional Record.

[Chris Buie]

Craig, that article is from Feb 23 1919 - Sunday Star Washington newspaper.

Tom, I would guess that Ross got absorbed in other things while Travis showed particular interest in EPP.
Ross had a huge amount of projects going at this point. Travis didn't have as many course projects. Travis was his friend. He'd lived in Pinehurst for many seasons. If Travis was especially keen on EPP then Ross probably would have been fine with him taking the lead.
These two collaborated on a number of courses. The first iteration of Pinehurst No. 2 was credited to both. Travis had a hand in Essex, as well. No doubt there were others.
That's all speculation, of course.
It appears likely that Ross had in a hand at the beginning but it ended up essentially being a Travis project.


1909 Oct 26 Washington Times

[Jerry Kluger]

East Potomac Park was apparently designed by Travis to be a public course a long time ago and I wonder if restoration is the way to go as opposed to renovation.  I just think that perhaps what was thought to be a good public course back then might not be the right way to go. Anyone who has played CommonGround can see that a public course on a not so interesting piece of property can be really good and perhaps a similar concept would work better at EPP.

[Tom_Doak]

East Potomac Park was apparently designed by Travis to be a public course a long time ago and I wonder if restoration is the way to go as opposed to renovation.  I just think that perhaps what was thought to be a good public course back then might not be the right way to go. Anyone who has played CommonGround can see that a public course on a not so interesting piece of property can be really good and perhaps a similar concept would work better at EPP.

I'm more interested in the restoration and the reversible course, and so is Mike McCartin . . . and so is the National Park Service.  I will be happy to build another public course somewhere else, if someone wants to sign me up.

[Tom_Doak]

Tom, I would guess that Ross got absorbed in other things while Travis showed particular interest in EPP.
Ross had a huge amount of projects going at this point. Travis didn't have as many course projects. Travis was his friend. He'd lived in Pinehurst for many seasons. If Travis was especially keen on EPP then Ross probably would have been fine with him taking the lead.
These two collaborated on a number of courses. The first iteration of Pinehurst No. 2 was credited to both. Travis had a hand in Essex, as well. No doubt there were others.

Thanks, Chris.  I didn't know Travis had anything to do with Essex.  That probably explains the 3rd green!

[Tom_Doak]

As for East Potomac, I've seen threads on GCA that included photos showing the course almost completely underwater, so hopefully Messrs. Smith, MccCartin and Doak have a plan to address that

We don't have a plan, yet, but we spent a lot of my day on site talking about just that:  do we build up the whole course three feet, or do we dig a bunch of drainage canals and put in hundreds of sumps to make it drain?  I wish I could hire Pete Dye as a consultant.

[Craig Disher]

As for East Potomac, I've seen threads on GCA that included photos showing the course almost completely underwater, so hopefully Messrs. Smith, MccCartin and Doak have a plan to address that

We don't have a plan, yet, but we spent a lot of my day on site talking about just that:  do we build up the whole course three feet, or do we dig a bunch of drainage canals and put in hundreds of sumps to make it drain?  I wish I could hire Pete Dye as a consultant.

You may want to do both. Having lived in DC for nearly 40 years I saw a continuing increase in flood events. K St in Georgetown and the basement of the Kennedy Center are more recent, frequent victims. The water always recedes but the E Potomac course still has ponds for days after. 

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Golf courses that are public, affordable and good? Sounds like a major victory.

In the midst of a global pandemic and a national discussion about race, where does the redesign of three golf courses fit? Maybe right in the middle.
Let’s be clear: Golf has a history of being, shall we say, less than inclusive — indeed, in some cases downright racist and sexist. Fitting it into the current national conversation might seem a stretch. But what’s likely to happen in Washington, where this week a local nonprofit announced it is planning on overhauling and improving the District’s three municipal golf courses, could move the sport and the city forward, hand in hand.


Read more...



https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/06/27/golf-courses-that-are-public-affordable-good-sounds-like-major-victory/

[Chip Gaskins]

Is Chris' article implying that Donald Ross had some involvement at Columbia CC?

[Craig Disher]

Is Chris' article implying that Donald Ross had some involvement at Columbia CC?

Sure seems to. Ross was working at Chevy Chase shortly after 1909 when Columbia bought the new site but I've never seen any other reference to him working there. If he'd been responsible for any of the design work, it's hard to believe there wouldn't have been some evidence, either from Columbia or more widely discussed in the press. Is it possible the author confused Harban and Travis, the member and the architect of GCGC.

[Tags:]

Tags:

[Tags:]

Tags:

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()