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Long shuttle rides test fans' patience

2011-06-17T18:02:47Z

By: Liz Farmer 06/16/11 8:05 PM
Examiner Staff Writer Follow Her @LizFarmerDC

Congressional Country Club may be a golfer's dream, but it's a commuting nightmare for the more than 45,000 daily visitors to the course this week for the U.S. Open Championship.

On the first day of the highly anticipated tournament, the U.S. Golf Association's transit plan of shuttling most visitors from remote lots in Maryland and Virginia was put to the test as the two-lane roads around Congressional and the distance from public transit tested golf fans' patience.

The system, which shuttles fans at no charge from two lots in Gaithersburg and a third parking lot at Washington Dulles International Airport, barely received a passing grade from attendees who have been to other golf championships. A fourth shuttle costs riders $8 per day and runs from the Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro station, but has sold out its available seats.

"I've been to five Opens, and this is the slowest of them all," said John Bush, of Toronto, as he waited on the shuttle at Grosvenor for 20 minutes Thursday.

Golf spending in region rises as U.S. Open begins

2011-06-17T17:51:32Z

By: Liz Farmer 06/15/11 8:05 PM
Examiner Staff Writer Follow Her @LizFarmerDC

The U.S. Open Championship is expected to bring in $140 million this weekend for the Washington region -- an area where golf-related spending is increasing and bucking a national trend.

Spending in Maryland, home of host golf course Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, increased by 8 percent in 2010 compared with the prior year, a new American Express Business Insights report shows.

Spending, which includes retail and at golf courses, rose in Virginia by 5 percent and in Delaware by 12 percent. Data was not available for the District of Columbia.

U.S. Open set to bring $140m to area

2011-06-17T15:24:05Z

By: Liz Farmer 06/11/11 8:05 PM
Examiner Staff Writer Follow Her @LizFarmerDC

The U.S. Open Championship is expected to bring in $140 million in spending when the world's top

golfers tee off in Bethesda this week, but local residents and commuters are bracing for the onslaught of visitors that will descend on the Washington region's roads and rails for the blockbuster tournament.

The tournament, played at the prestigious Congressional Country Club, is expected to sell out with a total of 250,000 spectators through next Sunday -- even without Tiger Woods playing. And Montgomery County's 10,000 hotel rooms are sold out for the entire week, although the tournament itself doesn't kick off until Thursday and Monday marks just the beginning of practice rounds.

Jock tax coming to D.C. athletes?

2011-04-20T21:00:02Z

By: Liz Farmer 04/20/11 10:32 AM
Examiner Staff Writer Follow Her @LizFarmerDC

D.C. Councilmen Jack Evans and Harry Thomas Jr. have proposed a bill that would tax the income of the District's nonresident professional athletes, estimating it could be a $5 million annual boon to the city.

Known as a "jock tax," the practice was first used by California in 1991 when it decided to tax Michael Jordon and the Chicago Bulls after the Los Angeles Lakers lost to Chi-town in that year's NBA finals.

Dreary days for long-suffering Nats fans

2011-04-13T14:17:42Z

By: Liz Farmer 04/02/11 8:05 PM
Examiner Staff Writer Follow Her @LizFarmerDC

Gloomy skies and a cold drizzle ushered in the 2011 baseball season as the Washington Nationals played before the smallest Opening Day crowd since the squad's days in Montreal.

As with every new spring, most of the 39,055 fans were optimistic on Opening Day, even for a team that has yet to post a winning record since it moved here in 2005.

"I'm still thrilled, no matter how low the quality of the team, that Washington has a baseball team," said David Dreyer, a longtime D.C. resident.

(More) 'Beer here' on Opening Day

2011-02-10T23:03:10Z

Opening Day at Nationals Park this year may not include a win for our beloved basement dwellers, but it will give fans more chances to drown their sorrows.

The Bullpen, the outdoor bar, music and food joint that has operated across the street from the center field gates on Half Street, has announced plans to open a beer garden on the same block, according to the blog JDLand.

Nationals' baseball academy close to construction after delays

2011-01-04T02:53:00Z

Story forom the Washington Examiner

By: Liz Farmer 01/03/11 8:05 PM
Examiner Staff Writer

The Washington Nationals are close to realizing their promise of bringing a youth baseball academy to the inner city -- thanks to the District footing at least two-thirds of the bill.

More than five years after baseball returned to D.C., a baseball academy in Southeast's Fort Dupont Park is expected to get the go-ahead for construction if approved by the city zoning board Thursday. The cost to build the academy is $13 million to $15 million, according to the Nationals. D.C. has authorized a grant of more than $10 million.

New name for D.C. college bowl could prove to be game changer

2010-11-30T03:43:09Z

By Liz Farmer, Examiner Staff Writer

Move over, EagleBank Northrop Grumman is now the main sponsor of the Districts rebranded Military Bowl, a move officials say will bring national recognition and boost attendance and spending for the college football game.

The financial details were not disclosed, but D.C. Bowl Committee Chairman Jeffrey Fried said the defense contractor has made a very large commitment, and it is tied to the USO, which supports U.S. troops abroad and is the games primary benefactor. The sponsorship agreement runs through 2013.

The nonprofit USO will receive proceeds from game revenue and Northrops sponsorship support. The company, which announced this year it was moving its corporate headquarters to Falls Church, is also providing services like transporting wounded soldiers to the December bowl.

Nation's Football Classic is coming to RFK in 2011

2010-11-30T03:17:19Z

By: Liz Farmer 10/06/10 11:00 PM
Examiner Staff Writer

September football is returning to RFK Stadium next year -- and with it could come millions of dollars of spending in the region and much-needed revenue for the District.

The Washington Convention and Sports Authority board on Thursday approved a marketing contract to bring a match-up between two historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to D.C.'s RFK Stadium next Labor Day weekend.

Table games could save Rosecroft

2010-08-17T13:03:00Z

Officials at Rosecroft Raceway in Prince George’s County say the closed harness racing track may still have a chance to be reincarnated as a table games destination.

When the track closed July 1, owner Cloverleaf Enterprises Inc. said it would convert from a Chapter 11 bankruptcy to a Chapter 7 bankruptcy and auction off the track. Potential buyer Mark Vogel also said the track was losing too much money for him to keep investing and that he could no longer afford the monthly mortgage payments.

But now the Greenbelt-based developer says he is still making the track’s mortgage payments and is in talks with a few interested gaming partners and “in advanced discussions” with one.