Hopping the 36 To The U.S. Open

Editor’s note: Scott Maucione is a summer intern for Patch. Tuesday, he took the Ride On 36 bus – which runs between and the Bethesda Metro station– to give readers a sense of what it’s like to take the bus to the 2011 U.S. Open. Practice rounds are ongoing at the national golf championship, which will officially tee off Thursday.

Ride On Route 36 buses look like many other Montgomery County buses. Blue and white paint decorate the outside and funky colored upholstery line the seats. But this week, the 36 has a special job --  to bring U.S. Open spectators to and from the Congressional Country Club. 

Running every half hour from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., the buses will take riders to the Connolly School stop. From there, riders can walk to a recently-constructed pedestrian bridge over Bradley Boulevard to reach the fifth hole at the club. (Spectators can’t hop off directly in front of Congressional’s front gate, because walk-up spectators aren’t allowed to access the grounds there, according to the county.)

Today I sat in the depths of Bethesda Metro Station's bus bay to get a feel for the commute. After waiting 20 minutes on a bench that was missing a plank on the seat, the 36 arrived. 

Surprisingly, only two other passengers were on the bus with me and neither were going to the U.S. Open. We departed at 12:41 p.m. as the bus roared onto the street. 

The commute to the club is only about ten minutes from the Bethesda Metro. But according to our bus driver, the route has been relatively quiet so far. Despite today being the second day of practice rounds for the U.S. Open, he said that the bus, which costs $1.70 to ride, has been like any other day. 

"I think everybody drives," he said, "around [Congressional] everybody is using their front yard for parking. I saw a sign for $30 parking yesterday." 

While several homeowners are renting out their yards for Open parking, there's no official onsite parking at Congressional and the county is urging drivers to park at massive satellite lots in Gaithersburg and take shuttles down to try to ward off neighborhood traffic. Metro or RideOn, of course, are alternate options.

Traffic is expected to tick up once the Open officially tees off on Thursday.

The two other passengers on the bus get off on Bradley Boulevard far before the stop for the U.S. Open. I'm left to bounce over the bumps alone. 

Two stops before the Congressional Country Club, a group hops on the bus. Dressed in Polo shirts and brimmed hats, I figure they have to be going to the Open. 

"[We took the bus] because she lives a about 150 yards or a solid eight iron from the bus stop," said rider Colin Fitchwell as he pointed to his friend.

A few minutes later the bus pulls into its stop. The pedestrian bridge is about a quarter mile away.

 I begin the walk uphill, the gradient is easy, even enjoyable. At the crest I can see the flashing lights of police cars and the gestures of officers waving through traffic.

Just further ahead is the bridge, its aluminum stairs stand out amid the overcast of the sky. A sign with a dizzying number bullet-points outlines prohibited items, including cell phones and water bottles.

After reading over the Bill of Wrongs, I cross over the road towards the golf Mecca that is the U.S. Open.    

For more information about getting to and from the U.S. Open, check out our