Article in Washington Post about upgrading muni courses

[Carl Nichols]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/an-upscale-future-pondered-for-dcs-proletarian-public-golf-courses/2014/05/20/e149dc74-dc62-11e3-bda1-9b46b2066796_story.html?tid=hpModule_13097a0c-868e-11e2-9d71-f0feafdd1394

[Sean Remington (SBR)]

God save us.  The "ruling class" wants it's own Augusta.

[Jason Thurman]

Having played East Potomac, I can understand the logic behind a major renovation. The views from the property are wonderful, the location is easily accessible from downtown, and they could possibly find a creative way to keep an 18 hole course together throughout the course of the renovation so that it would still be playable in some form. The course on the ground is one of the most boring I've ever played, but the surroundings are phenomenal and, while the property isn't great, it does seem like it could produce one of the coolest urban courses in the US.

Then again, I have pretty big reservations about making changes to any course that generates a profit in 2014, and it is already a pretty cool urban course in a sense despite the generally below-average golf holes.

The idea of turning Langston into a CCFAD is the kind of thing I find infuriating. It's a course and club with a rich and significant history, and really one of the most visible bastions of accessibility in a game that has garnered an appallingly discriminatory reputation in this country. It needs a bit of an upgrade, but any changes made there should honor the history of the club as opposed to leveling it. Turning it into a CCFAD is like putting a shopping center with an Old Navy, Panera, and Whole Foods in on the site of the battle at Gettysburg - completely tone-deaf. We need clubs like Langston far more than we need more mini-Augustas.

[Paul Carey]

Having played East Potomac, I can understand the logic behind a major renovation. The views from the property are wonderful, the location is easily accessible from downtown, and they could possibly find a creative way to keep an 18 hole course together throughout the course of the renovation so that it would still be playable in some form. The course on the ground is one of the most boring I've ever played, but the surroundings are phenomenal and, while the property isn't great, it does seem like it could produce one of the coolest urban courses in the US.

Then again, I have pretty big reservations about making changes to any course that generates a profit in 2014, and it is already a pretty cool urban course in a sense despite the generally below-average golf holes.

The idea of turning Langston into a CCFAD is the kind of thing I find infuriating. It's a course and club with a rich and significant history, and really one of the most visible bastions of accessibility in a game that has garnered an appallingly discriminatory reputation in this country. It needs a bit of an upgrade, but any changes made there should honor the history of the club as opposed to leveling it. Turning it into a CCFAD is like putting a shopping center with an Old Navy, Panera, and Whole Foods in on the site of the battle at Gettysburg - completely tone-deaf. We need clubs like Langston far more than we need more mini-Augustas.

This post is right on every point.  Each course could use some more money for conditioning and upgrades but we need more courses like these, not fewer.  I would start with Rock Creek by removing trees and improving conditioning.  It is an interesting piece of property and could be a lot of fun if the greens and fairways were not dirt much of the year.  

Playing and hanging around "the Point" and Langston remind you what a great game this is.  On a nice afternoon at "the Point" you will have guys who have played there for 50 years, college kids, congressional staff, white, black, young and old all just enjoying the beautiful views, wonderful weather and this great game.

[Ben Hollerbach]

I recall reading something a few years ago about the USGA exploring the possibility of re-doing East Potomac in the hopes of using the facility for a USGA championship venue, a sort of DC version of Bethpage. Much like the Boston's Ponkapoag project, it never got off of the ground.

I also found this grad thesis a while back that discusses the history of East Potomac as well as presents a suggested plan for renovations:

[Tom_Doak]

The grad thesis is by one of my former interns and shapers, Mike McCartin.  He lives in the area and he would do a great job with a renovation there, without trying to make a million dollars off it.  However, if it requires the action of the United States Congress, it is never going to happen.

[Terry Lavin]

Rumor has it that historic Jackson Park in Chicago may soon be the agronomic and architectural beneficiary of a substantial renovation, complete with a legitimate caddie program.   I'll report when it's able to be disclosed.