U.S. Adaptive Open heads to Maryland

The USGA selected Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Maryland, to host the 2025 and 2026 U.S. Adaptive Opens, as well as the 2028 U.S. Junior Amateur, and Columbia Country Club in nearby Chevy Chase to host the 2027 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur and the 2035 U.S. Senior Amateur.

This marks the USGA’s first return to Maryland since 2021 and a commitment to host five championships in the state over an 11-year period.
 
“We are excited to return to Maryland, which is home not only to historic golf venues, but also supportive and engaged fans familiar with USGA championships,” USGA chief championships officer John Bodenhamer said. “We know that Woodmont Country Club, Columbia Country Club and the surrounding communities will be thoroughly engaged in hosting these five championships. We look forward to partnering with our host clubs to stage top-tier events for some of the best players in the world.” 
 
For Woodmont Country Club, these three competitions will be the second, third and fourth USGA championships at the 36-hole facility. In 2020, rising star Rose Zhang outlasted defending champion Gabriela Ruffels in a 38-hole final match to win the 120th U.S. Women’s Amateur. It was the second-longest match in championship history.

Developed to follow through on a 2017 pledge by the USGA to establish a championship for the adaptive golf community, the U.S. Adaptive Open Championship serves as the association’s 15th and newest national championship. Earlier this year, Ryanne Jackson (women’s) and Kipp Popert (men’s) captured the championship’s overall titles. In 2022, Kim Moore (women’s) and Simon Lee (men’s) earned the championship’s inaugural medals. 
 
While Woodmont traces its roots to 1913, the club moved to its current location in 1950. Alfred Tull designed the courses, with input and assistance from Woodmont member Leopold Freudberg and superintendent Rudy Will. Since then, Woodmont has gone through several renovations with the most recent a major redesign of the North Course in 2018. This past year, a renovation of the South Course was completed. Golf course architect Joel Weiman created a unique layout with a complete bunker re-construction, expansive fairway and teeing grounds that offer multiple options and angles, and revisions to all 18 greens with updated turf varieties.  
 
Columbia Country Club is set to conduct its fourth and fifth USGA championships. It most recently hosted the 2021 U.S. Girls’ Junior, also won by Zhang, who became the eighth player to win both the Girls’ Junior and the Women’s Amateur titles. With that victory, Zhang also became the only player to win the Women’s Amateur prior to winning the Girls’ Junior. 
 
Originally designed by Herbert H. Barker in 1911, and updated eight years later by Walter Travis, the course remains similar to the original design. Columbia is known for its hilly and narrow setup, with challenging greens and a signature 18th hole that provides a spectacular view of the clubhouse. The prestigious club’s membership has included U.S. presidents and five-star generals.  
 
There have been 24 USGA championships contested in the state of Maryland through the 2023 season. The Old Line State is set to host several more championships in the coming years, including the 2026 U.S. Senior Amateur, which will be the first USGA senior amateur championship ever conducted in the state, and the 2031 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Baltimore Country Club.