PAUL PIERCE
The Washington Monument dominates the background at East Potomac .
said in a press release . “ National parks are about making memories with family and friends , and this 50-year agreement means that children who learn to golf today can look forward to playing with their children and grandchildren right here on their home courses .”
PAST PROJECTS McCartin gained notoriety for his design of the Schoolhouse Nine , a nine-hole , par three course in Sperryville . The project was the idea of owner Cliff Miller , who owns several other successful businesses in the area . He had the idea for a golf course adjacent to his Schoolhouse property in Sperryville and was referred to McCartin . The course is short , easy to play , and affordable , as McCartin said he designed it to be as accessible as possible . On this project , McCartin said , “ We ’ re seeing that golfers respond to fun architecture and good green conditions at a very affordable price point — a combination that encourages community involvement and also attracts the tourists / vacationers that come through Sperryville in large numbers .”
How affordable ? Golfer pay $ 15 for unlimited play on the weekdays and $ 25 on the weekends , and monthly unlimited golf memberships are available for $ 49 .
He also recently redesigned the Washington Golf and Country Club , which he knew very well from when it was his high school golf team ’ s home course . McCartin says he thought about Washington Golf from a design aspect and would think about what he would change while playing there in his high school days . His thoughts became more focused when he saw an aerial photo of the course taken in 1934 , showing him how much the course had changed since William Flynn ’ s initial redesign , which was a major influence on his redesign of the course .
THE D . C . REDESIGN For McCartin ’ s latest project , he looks to draw inspiration from the rich history of each of the three courses he ’ s redesigning .
“ When he wrote his thesis about this exact redesign of East Potomac , he assumed it would never happen and he ’ d never get to do it , so it ’ s pretty amazing he ’ s getting the opportunity to do something he ’ s always dreamed of doing and I ’ m excited to see that course finally get all the love it deserves .”
— Chris McCartin , brother and winner of the 2006 VSGA Amateur Championship
Upgrading the East Potomac practice facility is a priority for McCartin and the National Links Trust team .
Langston Golf Course was one of the very first golf courses built for African Americans and served as a hub for the community , hosting several successful youth programs . McCartin said he wants to focus on the community aspect of Langston and is looking for input from people who make up the vibrant surrounding area .
Rock Creek was a course originally designed by William Flynn , the designer of the Cascades Course at The Homestead . Unfortunately , three of Flynn ’ s holes were lost to construction on Military Road through Rock Creek Park . The course had to be significantly altered in order to squeeze 18 holes into the remaining land . McCartin says he plans to restore as much as Flynn ’ s original plan as possible and is also planning to give a huge upgrade to the practice facilities .
East Potomac ’ s original 18-hole course was very popular and well regarded and hosted the second ever USGA Public Links Championship in 1923 . The 18-hole , reversible links layout designed by Walter Travis is now a one-way course known as the Blue Course . It proved so popular that Flynn was brought in to design an additional nine-hole course , which is now known as the White Course . Despite remaining incredibly popular , the facility has greatly deteriorated since the 1930s .
McCartin ’ s plan to restore it draws from the original Travis design , while also maintaining and upgrading the other elements of the property , including the White Course ( now dubbed the property ’ s “ family course ”), the par-3 Red Course , and the facility ’ s driving range .
Madden served as a P . J . Boatwright intern at the VSGA this past summer .
vsga . org N OVEMBER / D ECEMBER 2020 | V IRGINIA G OLFER 29