Evening star., 1938-12-07
Congressional Club
Contemplating New
1S-HoIe Course
Cox Maps PIons, Leaders
Agree There Is Need
For More Facilities
BY WALTER McCALLUM.

Almost any time now the Con-
gressional Country Club may bust
out with scheme for constructing
an entire new 18-hole course to give
the big club in Bradley Hills SO
holes of golf. So far the scheme
has been restricted to paper and is
more or less the brain child of Witty
Cox. but at the same time the
moguls of the club, visualizing the
usual crowded condition of the pres
ent course in the spring and fall of
each year. ardently want Increased
links facilities.
Eight years ago when Sandy Ar
mour was the club pro, Sandy and
Donald Ross, the eminent course
architect and constructor Of the lay
outs at Pinehurst. N. c., traipsed
over wooded, rolling piece of coun-
try south and east of the clubhouse
and north of the present 18th hole.
They took with them a few stakes
and a tape, with which they some
what crudely marked nine new
holes. Soon after that the new
holes were planted to coarse crops,
with the idea Of getting ready for
fairWay sowing of finer grasses.
They laid out sites for putting
green's and marked the lines of fair
ways of a complete 9-hole course.
Another Scheme Considered.
Since that time still another
scheme has been brought forward
for changing the golf course around.
Major changes involved in this
scheme center around the first five
holes, all of which were scheduled
for rearrangement when Maj. F. M.
Dawson headed the Greens Com
mittee. The lengthy first hole was
to be cut down to a two-shotter
around $40 yards in length. The
second hole was to be one-shotter
played to the top OF the hill over
looking the present first green. The
second hole would become the third,
and the present third would be
abandoned. In its place would
come a par-5 fourth hole, played
across the ditch to the present
fourth green. Otherwise the course
would remain much the same.
Witty Cox. looking over the prop
erty during recent days when there
wasn't much golf activity, mentally
has laid out an entirely new l8-hole
course. using much of the plan of
Donald Ross, but going further.
That property lying directly east
of the clubhouse would be utilized
in the Cox conception of Congress
sional's new layout, with the 18th
hole ending where now is the auto
mobile parking space. Part of the
plan would be lengthy water hole
across the pond lying to the left OF
the present 10th hole. Cox also pro-
poses that the present course be
rearranged somewhat along the lines
proposed by Maj. Dawson.
Has Become Crowded.
Like most Of the golf courses
around Washington, the Congress
sional course is pretty crowded dur
ing April, May, June. September,
October and November. These are
the months when golfers flock out,
when starting time is hard to get
and when it takes four hours or
more to play golf course. Most OF
the courses around the Capital are
jammed from the first tee to the
18th green on any busy day during
these months. Congressional could
step out ahead of the procession
with SO holes of golf. But the main
question, as at most clubs, is Where
is the money coming from?"
George Diffenbaugh, Kenwood pro,
has turned club designer. George