 AVENEL REVISITED
An Exclusive Sneak Peak at the New TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm
When the PGA Tour decided to initiate a monumental $25 million renovation of the venerable TPC Avenel in Potomac, Maryland, it set the bar extremely high. With a goal of elevating the private club experience for members while creating a compelling and visually stunning test of golf for the best players in the world, the tour began the project by enlisting some of the greatest minds in golf to lend their talents in dramatically overhauling the course - virtually re-building it from scratch.
Golf course architects Steve Wenzloff and Jim Hardy were tapped to design the layout, which has hosted PGA Tour tournaments since 1987 — most notably the Kemper Open and the Booz Allen Classic. Prior to the start of construction in 2007, some of the world's most acclaimed golf course architects provided input, including Pete Dye, Tom Fazio and bunker specialist Gil Hanse. Additionally, no fewer than 50 PGA Tour players were consulted on the design, including Davis Love III and Maryland native Fred Funk. Some players provided "broad strokes" suggestions based on their experience playing the course, while others, like Funk — an eight-time PGA Tour winner and University of Maryland alum - made detailed suggestions on the architectural plans for every hole.
A brigade of bulldozers and other heavy equipment worked tirelessly for many months, carving, grading, re-routing and re-building every hole to accentuate the beauty of the natural landscape while incorporating numerous aesthetic and competitive enhancements. The result is a dramatically different layout with a new look and feel - a 7,124-yard par-70 design.
Funk calls the changes "remarkable," saying, "the new course is strikingly different from the original ... considerably more aesthetically appealing and demanding. The addition of new elevated greens and the overall beauty of the course have definitely been huge improvements, while the new clubhouse and practice facilities are both fantastic."
The renovation was highlighted by rebuilt Bentgrass greens, tees and fairways; the addition of some Scottish-style bunkering detail with tall fescue grasses; relocation of the par-3, ninth green to the top of the hillside adjacent to the clubhouse; new stone walls, steps and accent features; and eight new timber bridges, adding to the charm, mystique and picturesque ambience of the course. Additionally, great care was taken to incorporate the distinct nuances and indigenous flora of the Middle Atlantic topography into the new design, to create an inspiring, strategically diverse and strikingly beautiful playing field for golfers of all skill levels.
 Perhaps most important to the renovation were many infrastructure improvements that may not be readily apparent to golfers, but which play a significant role in ensuring premium playing conditions regardless of the weather. The course's irrigation and drainage systems were replaced with new technologically advanced systems, while the historic Rock Run Stream Valley - one of the main tributaries of the Potomac River - was completely restored. During the last century, the stream had become badly eroded, causing frequent flooding of the course during heavy rains. In addition to restoring eroded stream banks, an additional 12 acres of wetlands were added to the property, which will allow the high water runoff from the stream to be slowed and absorbed into the wetland areas without impacting the course.
The addition of the wetlands, along with more than 15 acres of new trees, will continue to support a dynamic eco system for the many fox, shrew, cottontails, raccoon, chipmunks, migratory birds, reptiles and other wildlife species that call the course home, and which make the property such a pristine natural setting for members to enjoy.
Further enhancing the golf experience, the club initiated a new caddie program, helping members emulate what it's like to be a tour player. Managed by CaddieMaster, the world-wide caddie provider at Whistling Straits, Pinehurst, Augusta National and TPC Sawgrass, caddies do much more than just carrying bags. From offering club selection advice, spotting wayward shots and reading greens to tending pins, cleaning balls and getting yardage, the club's team of extensively trained caddies help members enjoy the game of golf the way it was originally played.
Members can now hone their skills at the club's re-designed tour-caliber 15-acre practice facility, the most comprehensive facility of its kind in the region, with a dedicated on-site attendant. The facility features oversized tee decks; target greens; chipping greens; a significantly expanded short-game area featuring separate areas for chipping, pitching and bunker play; a separate private lesson area complete with a chipping area, putting area and bunkers; and a 10,000-square-foot practice putting green, all designed to help members improve every aspect of their game. The practice facility is led by a talented team of top PGA professionals who use state-of-the-art instructional tools like video swing analysis and launch monitors to customize programs tailored to each student's individualized needs.
Off the course, the vastly expanded new clubhouse provides members with a dramatically enhanced private club experience in a warm, inviting ambience, underscored by the uncompromised level of personalized service for which the PGA Tour has become known. The new clubhouse features casual dining in the White Oak Grille; seasonal al fresco dining on the patio overlooking the 18th green; an exclusive members-only lounge highlighted by a dramatic new fireplace; and delicious Continental cuisine in 2118, the club's new upscale adults-only dining room for members and their guests on Friday and Saturday nights, including private wine lockers and a climate-controlled, walk-in wine room. The wine room features more than 325 selections from around the world and an inventory of more than 2,000 bottles. 
Also included in the clubhouse is a full-service golf shop offering premium-brand equipment and apparel; completely renovated men's and women's locker rooms, complete with individual steam showers; the richly-appointed Chesapeake Room for member-hosted social events and member gatherings, with seating for up to 180; a 16-seat boardroom equipped with the latest audio-visual technology for business meetings and private dining; and an executive suite featuring wireless Internet access.
To signal the re-birth of the club and more closely align it with the rich history of the Middle Atlantic region, as well as highlight the many environmental efforts undertaken during the renovation, the club has been re-named TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm - which pays homage to the site's historic Avenel Farm, once home to the state's largest short-horned cattle farm.
TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm offers a variety of individual, family and corporate memberships available by invitation on a space-available basis. Among the myriad of outstanding benefits offered, full golf members receive complimentary enrollment in the TPC Passport Program, enabling them to extend their membership privileges to exclusive private clubs and resorts through the TPC Network. Other benefits of TPC Passport include priority access and member pricing on all Tour Academy golf instruction, streamlined access to PGA Tour tournament tickets, and special member discounts on PGA Tour vacations.
The PGA Tour's TPC Network of clubs is comprised of premier private, resort and partner golf properties designed by some of golf's most elite architects. Distinctive in character but consistent in quality, each TPC has hosted or has been designed to host tour-sponsored golf tournaments. From TPC Boston, home to the Deutsche Bank Championship, to TPC Sawgrass, home to The Players Championship and the famed 17th island green, this superb collection of clubs offers members and fans the unique opportunity to test their skills on the same sensational layouts where the world's best players compete. TPCs are known for their outstanding conditioning and amenities, environmental stewardship, and commitment to charity.
TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm is located in Potomac, Maryland. For membership information, please call (310) 469-3700 or visit www.tpc.com/potomac.
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