Golf Tournament in Potomac Offers Free Admission

In about a month, Potomac will be flooded with golf enthusiasts and esteemed players attending the Senior Players Championship, a major championship on the PGA TOUR's Champion Tour for professional golfers ages 50 and older.

But unlike other PGA events, this one will be free to spectators; it's the first modern major championship to offer complimentary admission.

The Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship will take place at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm on Oaklyn Drive from Oct. 7 to Oct. 10 and will bring in golf legends such as Jay Hass, Tom Watson, Nick Price, Hale Irwin, Jeff Sluman, Craig Stadler and Fred Funk.

Corporate sponsors are funding different days in the tournament and providing complimentary tickets to the tournament grounds all week. Sponsors like Constellation Energy, Golf Galaxy, Telos Corporation and OMNITEC Solutions, Inc. will post signs indicating their support throughout the tournament, said Tournament Director Steve Schoenfeld.

"We decided to offer free admission because we had seen it done with great success at other golf events, and it really brought more spectators out to the event," Schoenfeld said.

However, spectators who want to help local nonprofits do have the opportunity to purchase a ticket in the Tickets Fore Charity campaign, Schoenfeld said. The tickets are $20 each. All of the proceeds outside of taxes and fees will go directly to the participating charities.

Also, bundles of complimentary tickets will be distributed to restaurants and hotels in Potomac, Bethesda and Rockville as way to reward loyal customers and encourage attendance at the event, Schoenfeld said. The locations receiving tickets have not yet been finalized, he added.

"Our thought was that if we put tickets out into the marketplace, people will be more likely to come to the event," Schoenfeld said. "If you are a frequenter of a restaurant and the host or hostess can give you four tickets to the event, that is added value for their customers."

People do not need a ticket beforehand to attend the Senior Players Championship.  Anyone can show up at the door and receive a ticket.

The TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm is hosting its first event since it was renovated in 2008. The course last hosted the Booz Allen Classic in 2006. The PGA TOUR owns the course and chose it for the Senior Players Championship because no other pro-golf tournaments are occurring in the D.C. area in 2010, said Michael Sullivan, general manager of the facility. 

"With the remodeling, it was a great opportunity to bring an event to the course since it hasn't hosted an event since 2006 and really put the course back on the map and showcase the D.C. area to the world," Shoenfeld said. "It was really a perfect storm for us to bring the event to TPC."

The private course will be closed to its members beginning Sept. 30, and crews will start maintenance for the event in the coming weeks, including assembling several stages on the course to host a concert, Sullivan said.

The performer at the concert is not yet confirmed, Shoenfeld said.

"We are very excited and nervous about the event and how players will perceive the new course," Sullivan said. "We will be working to make the course look its best and focusing on taking care of the players and their families."

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