Washington Golf and Country Club

Posted by Michael on 26 June 2010 | 0 Comments | Tags: , , ,

A lie in was crucial after being led astray by the members at RTJ the night prior.  And in the comfort of Keith’s place this was all too manageable. So it was with delight that an afternoon tee time beckoned at the Washington Golf and Country Club. 

Outside was like a furnace again, it seems we’re following a heat wave up the East Coast of the US. I expected an endless summer this year, but not an endless heat wave. If it stays like this, we’re going to get the shock of our lives when we arrive in the UK.

Our host at the Country Club was Nina Pacer who we met for a spot of lunch before she had to duck away for a work meeting.  I had a burger… She had arranged for us to play with the head pro here, Frank, and the program director of the local first Tee chapter, Shaun.  Nina is part of the 67 strong board of the Washington Chapter of the First Tee – welcome to DC and the home of bureaucracy.  Although Nina’s involvement with TFT here is a recent development and she has taken a hands on involvement particularly in the marketing and pr area. Nina is also the only female member of the golfing committee at WGCC.  A mover and shaker perhaps, or just a late starter to golf (she used to play Tennis) who has seen the light and really embraced this fine game.

WGCC is a buzzing place. People swarming around everywhere as the 19th hole and dining room overlooks the 18th green.  It’s cheap entertainment watching people play up the 18th and try to putt the ball from above the hole or even get a rare up and down.

We were joined by the resident pro here, a gent named Frank. Frank could play a bit and knocked it around the front nine in 33 – 2 under par. It could have been lower too had he sunk some putts. Unfortunately it wasn’t one of those days when a quality golfer makes you rise to his standard…

On the 11th hole we were also joined by Shaun – the program director for the local First Tee Chapter. Shaun is taking a group of kids up to the local First Tee tournament in Philidelphia next week and then taking them out to watch the PGA Tour event at Aronomink GC.  It sounds like the First Tee chapter here is a roaring success. It is based at Langston which sounds like an awesome wee 9 hole course right in the middle of the Capitol that we should have visited. From the Langston Website:

“Frequented by golfers of many ethnic backgrounds, Langston is traditionally played by African American golfers.  Over Langston’s long history, African American golfers have been consistently loyal to Langston.  Since the 1930s, it has been the home course of the Royal GolfClub, and the Wake Robin Golf Club, the nation’s first golf clubs for Black men and women, respectively.”

Back to WGCC which is a gem of a wee Donald Ross course. It’s really short. But it’s really classy. It traverses through gully’s up hills and along plateaus before eventually climbing up the 18th to the clubhouse for this grand finish on the elevated 18th.  The greens are wee postage stamps and are on some severe tilts. I ’d say they were designed when there wasn’t a 20 strong green staff double cutting and rolling the greens to get them rolling at a 12 on the stint meter.  But that makes it all the more fun. A couple of these holes (e.g, 10) become almost unplayable when they have their annual member guest and the course is set up in tip top shape.  Bring your short game to WGCC.  It’s a tight course as well.  Look carefully at the photographs below to see some of trademark signs of Donald Ross.

On the par three 11th. The green slopes violently from back to front, so much so that none of us could make 3. With a 9 iron. 

An example of the tight fairways here at WGCC. 

How cool is the WGCC sign that you look out at from the clubhouse. Dog-legging left is the par four 17th played over a ravene. 4 iron, 9 iron. 

All smiles and handshakes on the last. Jamie almost replicated Franks front nine with some Good Golf. 

After golf, we were entertaining again. But this time with our host Keith and a group of young guys who had contacted us through our website & were keen to share golfing lies.  We headed to Rays the Steaks – a great steakhouse in Arlington and feasted and talked to our hearts content.  And talk we did, of golfing stories, life in the paradise that is New Zealand, life in DC and one chap, Robert, of how the Democrats are ruining the country.  A brilliant impassionate display sparkled with a dashing of humor.   What else could we ask for to round off our DC experience but dinner with a couple of Politico’s from inside the machine that is the US Government. 

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