Far Hills, N.J. (June 15, 2011) – The USGA Museum and Arnold Palmer Center for Golf History has developed special programming in conjunction with the 111th U.S. Open Championship, to be played at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md., from June 16-19, 2011. “The Power Game: Golf and American Politics” features on-site exhibits, a Web-based exhibition with photos, video and artifacts from a variety of politicians, and a Newspapers In Education supplement.
“Beginning with William Howard Taft in 1909, nearly every resident of the White House in the 20th and 21st centuries has played golf as a leisure activity despite fluctuating political climates, various economic woes, wars or congressional battles,” said Rand Jerris, senior managing director of Public Services for the USGA. “These special programs celebrate the connection between golf and American politics and provide a wonderful opportunity for the USGA Museum to engage U.S. Open spectators as well as golf fans around the world.”
Interactive kiosks are on display through the end of July at three Marriott hotels in the Washington, D.C. area – the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Bethesda North Marriott and Bethesda Marriott. These displays include touchscreen videos and artifacts from politicians, including Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Dwight D. Eisenhower.
During the week of the U.S. Open, more than 20 artifacts will be on display at Congressional Country Club in the American Express Championship Experience Tent. Several history touchscreens will also be accessible, showing iconic photos and rarely seen videos of presidents on the golf course, allowing visitors to explore more than half a century of presidential golf history from Dwight D. Eisenhower to Barack Obama.
The Web-based exhibition, which can be found at http://www.usga.org/powergame/, provides an interactive experience in which the viewer can learn about a century of golf history through historical landmarks in the Washington, D.C. area. Visitors can view hundreds of photos and artifacts, including political cartoons, of dozens of government officials from President John F. Kennedy to Dan Quayle to Sandra Day O’Connor. Exclusive interviews with President George W. Bush, Condoleezza Rice, Tom Ridge and Arnold Palmer have been incorporated to add first-hand accounts of why politicians play golf and the life lessons they have learned from the game.
A 16-page Newspapers In Education (NIE) supplement called “The Power Game: A Scrapbook of Presidential Pals” was inserted into the June 1 edition of The Washington Times, which has a daily circulation of 45,000 in the Washington, D.C., metro area. The supplement was also provided to every congressional office and 130 Washington, D.C.-area schools, reaching more than 400 teachers and 20,000 students. The supplement, geared toward students in grades 4-7, looks at a century of presidential golf and aims to teach students how the game builds character and leadership traits both on and off the course. Additional copies will be available on Sunday, June 12, at U.S. Open Junior Golf Day at Congressional Country Club, at the three Marriott hotel locations through the end of July, and at the USGA Museum in Far Hills, N.J.
About the USGA Museum and Arnold Palmer Center for Golf History
The USGA Museum and Arnold Palmer Center for Golf History is home to the world’s premier collection of golf artifacts and memorabilia. The greatest champions and greatest moments in American golf history come alive through entertaining and engaging exhibits. Throughout its galleries, the USGA Museum features a world-class collection of more than 50,000 artifacts.
Visitors also have the opportunity to tour the USGA Research and Test Center and play a round on the Pynes Putting Course, a Himalayas-style green that is open annually from early spring through late fall.
The USGA Museum is located in Somerset County, N.J., near the intersection of Interstates 78 and 287. For more information, please call (908) 234-2300 or visit the Museum website at www.usgamuseum.com.
Contact:
Beth Murrison (bmurrison@usga.org)
Web Address: www.usga.org
USGA Phone: (908) 234-2300
