PHOTO GALLERY

CONGRESSIONAL CC (BLUE COURSE)

Course Architects: Devereaux Emmet (1924), Donald Ross (1930), Robert Trent Jones, Sr. (1959- 64), Rees Jones (1990s, 2006), Andrew Green (2019-21)
Year Opened: 1924
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Slope: 142. Rating: 75.4
Par: 72
Yardage: 7,569
Hole-by-Hole: 1 - Par 4 402 Yds    10 - Par 3 218 Yds
                       2 - Par 3 233 Yds    11 - Par 5 507 Yds
                       3 - Par 4 466 Yds    12 - Par 4 471 Yds
                       4 - Par 4 470 Yds    13 - Par 3 193 Yds
                       5 - Par 4 413 Yds    14 - Par 4 467 Yds
                       6 - Par 5 555 Yds    15 - Par 4 490 Yds
                      7 - Par 3 173 Yds    16 - Par 5 579 Yds
                       8 - Par 4 354 Yds    17 - Par 4 437 Yds
                       9 - Par 5 636 Yds    18 - Par 4 523 Yds
                       Par 36  3,702 Yds      Par 36  3,867 Yds

Awards Won: Ranked #1 by Golf Digest - Best in State (Maryland) (2005-08),
            #30 by Golf Connoisseur - 100 Most Prestigious Private Clubs,
            Ranked #61 by Golf Magazine - America's Top 100 Courses (2024-25),
            #67 by Golf Digest - America's 100 Greatest Courses (2025-26).

Key Events Held: U.S. Junior Amateur (1949),
                  U.S. Women's Amateur (1959),
                 U.S. Open (1964, 1997, 2011),
                 U.S. Senior Open (1995),
                 PGA Championship (1976, 2030),
                  Kemper Open (1980-86),
                 Booz Allen Classic (2005),
                 AT&T National (2007-09),
                 Quicken Loans National (2016, 2018, 2020), Senior PGA Championship (2025, 2033), KPMG Women’s PGA Championship (2022, 2027), PGA Professional Championship (2029), Ryder Cup (2037).

Website: ccclub.org.

HISTORY: When one talks about the history of a golf course, all you have to do is look at what championships have been staged at the venue to know where it ranks among the greats. That certainly is the case with Congressional Country Club's Blue Course. From the U.S. and Senior Opens and PGA Championship, along with PGA Tour stops, Congressional is as storied a venue as it gets. The list of past winners at Congressional reads like a who's who, with  such notable
victors as: Gay Brewer, Ken Venturi, Dave Stockton, Craig Stadler, Fred Couples, Greg Norman, Tom Weiskopf, Ernie Els and Rory McIlroy.

Founded in 1924, Congressional was first laid out by Devereaux Emmet, who also crafted some notable venues; St. Georges Golf and Country Club, Garden City Golf Club, Leatherstocking Country Club and Meadow Brook Club. With most of his work done in the state of New York, Emmet's work at Congressional, nine holes each of the Blue and Gold, was his only design in the state of Maryland. Six years later, the one and only Donald Ross was brought in for a revision of
the course. Congressional Country Club was the centerpiece for one of the world's most famous regions, Washington D.C.

Congressmen Oscar E. Bland and O.R. Luhring of Indiana helped found the venue with Herbert Hoover as the Club's first president. Their intention was a club designed for members of Congress to socialize with the most influential businessmen of our time. The list included such luminaries as John D. Rockefeller, the DuPonts, William Randolph Hurst, Harvey S. Firestone  and Walter Chrysler to name a few.

Congressional is synonymous with the Presidents of the United States. Former Commanders-in-Chief who  were lifetime members were Calvin Coolidge, Howard Taft, Hoover, Woodrow Wilson and Warren Harding. President Dwight Eisenhower and his Cabinet frequented the lush fairways on
many occasions, as did recent leaders George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

Robert Trent Jones, Sr was brought to Congressional in 1959 to redesign the course in time for the U.S. Women's  Amateur and the 1964 U.S. Open, while his son Rees, who took over as the "Open Doctor" from his father, came aboard in the early 1990s for the last major renovation work for the 1995 U.S. Senior Open and the 1997 U.S. Open.

Jones rebuilt every green and bunker, re-graded many fairways and added considerable mounding. He returned to Congressional in 2006 to design a new par three to replace the original 18th, which played back to the clubhouse. The new hole is now the 10th and plays away from the main
building, stretching as much as 218 yards. "I think what they've done to this golf course is they have made it better," commented Tiger Woods. "They have made it more fair, but they have also made it more challenging."

In just the second year of the tournament, the USGA brought the U.S. Junior Amateur to Congressional, as former Masters champion Brewer defeated Mason Rudolph, 6 & 4 in the championship match. The 1959 U.S. Women's Amateur saw Barbara McIntire capture the first of her two championships, as she defeated Joanne Goodwin, 4  & 3.

The  best was yet to come,  as  the 1964 U.S. Open  was awarded to Congressional. With temperatures approaching  100, Tommy Jacobs played the first two days in four-under par and led  Arnold  Palmer by one  with Sunday's final  36 holes remaining.

Six shots back  was  Venturi, who after  losing to Palmer  at the 1960 Masters, suffered through  numerous injuries  and by  1964 was  hardly noticed.  That would  all change  on Sunday. Despite the heat and humidity, Venturi opened with a front- nine 30  to take  the lead.  After adding  another birdie  on 12, the weather conditions began to take its toll on Venturi, as he missed a pair of short par putts  on the final two holes of the third round for a 66. Jacobs fashioned an even-par  70 to  lead by two heading into the afternoon's final round. Visibly drained, Venturi was given salt tablets and tea and was advised by a doctor, a Congressional  member, to withdraw from the event.

The former CBS commentator played  steady  golf, making 14  pars, two birdies and  two bogeys for a final score of 70, a 278 total and a four-stroke win over Jacobs, who collapsed down the  stretch with a 76. Venturi's final  54-hole total of 206 set a record at the time and his last 36 of 136 tied the record.

In the press room afterwards, Venturi  was asked what  he thought of  Congressional and without hesitation, "Best  course I ever won the Open on." Interestingly enough, due to additional television
revenues and the enormous physical circumstances Venturi withstood, the  USGA opted in  1965 to play the Open over four days, ending the final day marathon that the last  day of the Open had become. Palmer, who played in the final group with Jacobs,  shot 74 and tied for fifth. Venturi would later add two more wins  in 1964 and was voted  PGA Tour player of the year.

The PGA of America  made its first stop at Congressional in 1976 for the PGA Championship. Tom  Weiskopf opened with  a tournament-low 65 to take the lead, but could not continue  his fine  play, closing with 74-73-72 to tie for eighth. Trailing by eight  shots at the halfway point, Dave Stockton roared into contention with a 69  to trail Charles  Coody by only four.

With the final round being played on Monday  for the  first time in history  due to rain, Stockton shot an even-par round  of  70 for a one-shot  win over Ray Floyd, who played with Venturi for those  final 36  holes during the 1964 Open, and Don January. Standing on the final tee (17th hole was the final hole for the PGA, 1964 Open and 1995 Senior Open),  Stockton needed  to make par to avoid a playoff. The 14-time Champions Tour  and 10-time  PGA Tour winner calmly  knocked in his 15-foot putt for par for  his second  PGA  Championship title. Stockton's  total  of one-over  281 matched  the  highest winning total at the time. Congressional certainly came out  on top, as  the four-day average was 74.44 and the halfway cut came in at nine-over  par.

The PGA Tour's regular stop in the area, the Kemper Open, made Congressional its home,  as the course hosted the event from 1980-86. Playing as  a par 72, Craig Stadler became the first back-to-back winner of the event, as  he titled in 1981-82 after finishing second to John Mahaffey in 1980. Fred Couples  won a  five-way playoff in 1983  for his first career PGA Tour title. Norman won
his first Tour title in 1984, as he cruised to a five-shot win over Mark O'Meara  at Congressional. Norman added  his second Kemper Open title in 1986, when  he knocked  off Larry Mize  in a playoff.  Mize, of course, would return the  favor  the  next  year  at The  Masters.

The  USGA  returned  to Congressional  in 1995  for the U.S. Senior Open. Perennial runner-up Tom Weiskopf, who  never won a  USGA event before, became only the second Senior Open winner to  post all  four rounds  in  the 60s,  as  he defeated  longtime rival  Jack Nicklaus  by  four shots. Weiskopf, who finished second at the 1976 U.S. Open and  was  runner-up at  four Masters,
missed  only 16 greens  all week and his final  round of 68  ranks as one of the best final rounds by a champion in the history  of the  Senior Open.

It took  33 years, but the U.S. Open returned to Congressional  for the 1997 edition. Colin Montgomerie opened with 65 and held a  one-shot  lead over Hal Sutton,  as he hit 13  of 14 fairways and 16 greens in  regulation. Monty would struggle in day two, shooting 76 while Tom Lehman carded  70  to take the lead,  just one clear  of 1994 champion Ernie Els, who fashioned  a 67. Day three  was a  mixed bag,  as 21  players were  forced to complete  their third  round on  Sunday, including  Els, who  at the  time was struggling  at two-over par through 13. Els came out of the box smoking, as he rolled  in a 12-foot par save on 14 and then birdied holes 15 through 17 for a 69. Lehman, who was playing in the final group for the third consecutive year, led  Els and  Jeff Maggert by two.

Despite a shaky start, Lehman was tied for the lead with Maggert after six holes, with Els and Montgomerie just one back. Playing holes  7-12 in three-under,  Els took a  one-shot lead over the trio, but fell back  into a tie with a  bogey at 13. Maggert fell out of contention with bogeys on 13  and 16 and a double on 17. Montgomerie was the next player to fall  back. After making bogey  on 17 the three previous days, Montgomerie was faced  with a five-foot  putt for par. He  waited several minutes for the group  of Jay Haas and Tommy Tolles to putt out on the nearby 18th green, and Montgomerie missed his putt and then two-putted from 40-feet on the last for a 69  and a second-
place finish. After a solid tee shot on 17, Els, playing with Montgomerie, hit  his five-iron approach on  the green and two-putted for par and  then made par on the  last for a 69.

Sitting in the fairway at the 17th hole,  Lehman decided  to hit seven-iron from  190 yards out, as he trailed by one. After striking his shot, Lehman knew his chances were sunk as he splashed his  approach  into the water. Despite getting up  and down for bogey, Lehman could only par the last for a 73 and a third-place finish. The win by Els made him  the first non-American to capture two U.S. Open titles since 1910 and the youngest  two-time champion at  the age of 27 since Jack Nicklaus in 1967. The key  to victory was  the South African's play over the final five holes, as he played  them the last two days at three-under par. Lehman played them at even- par, Montgomerie  at one-over  and Maggert five-over.  Nicklaus, who tied for 52nd,  played in his 41st consecutive Open, 142nd straight major and his 150th major  championship. The  10th hole  during the  third round  also marked  his 10,000th  hole played in  his  major  championship  career. At  7,213  yards, Congressional was the longest course in U.S. Open history at the time and was 160  yards
longer than the 1964 Open.

The field also included Tiger Woods, who was  competing  at the U.S.  Open for the first  time as a professional. Woods broke 72 only once (second round 67) and finished tied for 19th. Congressional once  again was  the winner, as the average score for the week was 73.65 with 403 rounds over par.

After hosting the Booz Allen Classic in 2005, won by Spaniard Sergio Garcia, Congressional became the site of the PGA Tour's newest event, the AT&T National, hosted by Tiger Woods.

The first staging of the event was in 2007, as K.J. Choi held off the tournament host and the Tour's best, as he recorded a three-shot win over Steve Stricker. Choi opened with 66 and was tied for the lead with four other players. A second-round 67 moved Choi atop the leaderboard with Stuart
Appleby. The talented Australian moved in front with his third straight round in the 60s to lead Choi by two shots. Appleby struggled right from the start on the final day, with a double-bogey on two and four straight bogeys from the fourth to fall out of contention. Tied with Choi after 14 holes, Stricker bogeyed the 15th, while Choi, playing in the final group, birdied from 12 feet
to take a two-shot lead. Stricker had birdie chances on the final two holes, but missed and after a Choi hole out from the bunker on 17 for birdie, the tournament was his. After an opening round of 73, Woods rebounded with 66-69-70 to tie for sixth.

When the USGA returned for the 2011 U.S. Open the course played to a par of 71 and was stretched to 7,574 yards. Rory McIlroy opened the championship with a six-under-par 65 to take a three shot lead over Y.E. Yang and Charl Schwartzel. McIlroy continued his stellar play with a 66 for a six-stroke lead over Yang. More of the same continued for the Irishman, as he added a 68 to his total and stood at 14-under-par, eight clear of Yang. On Sunday’s final round, McIlroy completed the rout with a 69 for an eight shot win over Jason Day. McIlroy became only the third player in history to shoot four rounds in the 60s at a U.S. Open. Lee Trevino (1968) and Lee Janzen (1993) were the others. Yang closed with 71 and tied for third.

More recently, the PGA of America brought its Senior PGA Championship to Congressional in 2025, as Angel Cabrera edged Padraig Harrington and Thomas Bjorn by one shot. For the week, the Blue Course played to a scoring average of 74.45, with the 17th and 18th playing as two of the top three hardest holes. Despite opening with a first-round of one-over-par 72, Cabrera rebounded with three sub-par rounds to finish at eight-under-par. A key to his victory was his play on the par-5 11th, as he made three birdies and one eagle for the week.

COURSE REVIEW:  From an elevated tee, the first hole is a straightaway par four, just over  400 yards from  the blue tees. Bunkers dot both sides of the landing area  with  two left and one right.  A mid to  short-iron will remain to a fairly  flat green  with three  traps, right,  left-front and back-right. The putting  surface is one  of the smallest on the course at 28 yards deep with a back-right  pin placement the most difficult. Rumor has it that during the 1964 U.S.  Open, Chi Chi Rodriguez drove in the rough and asked the starter, "Can I have  a  mulligan?"

The  first demanding  hole on the  course is the par-three second.  Stretching as much as  233 yards, this hole  plays uphill to a slick green  guarded by six strategically placed bunkers. The putting surface slopes severely  from back-left to front-right with  a ridge in the center. Whatever you do, avoid long and left, as getting up and down will certainly be a chore.

Your next test at Congressional comes in the way of the third. Bending ever so slightly  to the  left, this par four plays downhill to the fairway and uphill to  the  green. Two  fairway traps  with high lips  protect the right side, while one trap and thick rough flanks the left. The undulating green has a large and small trap  to the  left and a pair of  pot bunkers on the right. The second deepest green  on the course slopes from back to front and is quite intimidating. Stay below the hole, or else!  Charles Coody, who  led  the PGA  with one  round remaining, fell out of the lead on this hole as he made double-bogey.

A dogleg to  the right,  the  fourth  is another  outstanding  hole  that features  several fairway  bunkers down the right and a pair to the left. Although played  off  an elevated tee, the  second shot will  once again be uphill to a tiny  25-yard  green. Sand comes into  play around the putting surface, with a deep trap left and right. Back to front is the slope of the green, so stay below  the  hole for  any shot  at birdie.  Ken Venturi  made mincemeat of the fourth en route to his 1964 U.S. Open title with three birdies in four rounds.

From  an  elevated tee,  the fifth  doglegs sharply  to the  left. At just 413 yards,  this  is a definite birdie  hole, but it must be played strategically. Three  or fairway  metal off  the tee  is all  that is  needed to  dissect the sloping  fairway that  boasts three bunkers on the right and two left. Miss the fairway left and  you'll end up in trees. Drive through the fairway and you'll have no shot at  holding the  green. Ideally, a short  iron remains to a green guarded by a pair of bunkers left and one deep  bunker right.  The putting  surface features a ridge in the center and slopes from back to front. A  shaved  chipping area will  collect any shot that  misses right or long, so club  selection  will be key.

If  you're a member,  you'll play the sixth as a par five of 555 yards, however for the 1997 U.S. Open it played as a par-four. A big drive down the right side of the fairway is required to have any type of success.  The key however,  is too avoid the thick rough down the left side. Next  up is deciding what to do, as your second must either avoid  the pond fronting the green  or lay up  to a negotiable yardage. To be honest, there is  no choice. Lay up  and leave yourself 100 yards. This takes all  the
trouble out of  play and can  set up a  real birdie chance. The deep putting surface  can be tough,  especially with  a front-right or a back-left pin. Missing left of the green will put you in one of the quartet of bunkers.

One of the  toughest greens on the course, the seventh is two-tiered and slopes wickedly  from back  to front. Playing uphill,  this par-three gem is fronted  by four  traps and  requires pinpoint  accuracy. Long  and left  will require  a magic hat and wand to get up and down. Jack Nicklaus made his usual Sunday  charge at  the 1995 U.S. Senior  Open when he aced the seventh.

The only par four under 400 yards, the eighth is thought of as a birdie hole, but  if you're not  careful, it can result in bogey. The defense of the eighth is that the hole plays as a dogleg to the right
with bunkers on the right and left  and  a small, well-guarded  green. A fairway metal  or long iron is all that is needed to attack the hole off the tee. From there, just a little wedge is  left to  a putting surface that slopes from back to front, is quite narrow and has four surrounding traps.  The key to
success  is the tee shot, because missing right will  lead to  trouble.

The final hole on  the outward nine is one of the most demanding  par fives around.  It's a  roller-coaster of  a hole  that requires pinpoint  accuracy. First  of  all, length.  The ninth  is  a 636-yard  beast. Second,  your drive plays down into a valley  of a fairway with traps flanking each  side of the landing area. Next, your lay-up must be towards  the left side of  the fairway to avoid  being blocked by tall trees that  overlook  the fairway. By  the way,  going for the  green in two is sure suicide,  as  a
deep  ravine in  front of  the green  features thick rough and leaves  a blind,  uphill third  shot. Negotiating  the putting  surface is  no bargain either,  as it slopes  quickly from left to  right and back to front, with numerous bunkers around. One final thought, any shot on the beginning of the
green will fall off due to the shaved area fronting the surface.

Completely redesigned for a second time by Andrew Green in 2019 (first time by Rees Jones in 2006), the 10th is now a downhill par three of 218 yards. The putting surface has been moved in front of the pond, where it previously resided beyond the pond. Before Jones redesigned the hole, it was the 18th and played towards the clubhouse. Now the green is one of the longest on the course with bunkers short and left and water right and deep.

Most  of  the talk around Congressional  has 18 as the signature hole, however the second hole on the  back nine has  to be considered  as one of the best holes on the course. Played as a par four for championship events, the 11th is regularly  played as a three-shotter for us mere mortals. From an elevated tee box,  the golfer needs  to play for the left side of the fairway, as the slope in  the landing  area goes to the  right. Two bunkers protect the left side of the fairway while trees and a steep slope guard the left. Let's not forget the stream  that runs the entire length of the right side towards the green and then dissecting the fairway. No doubt a long iron is left, maybe even a fairway  metal to this 34-yard deep green. Laying up is no bargain either with three  traps left of the narrow landing zone. My advice, play it as a par-five and  take your par and move on.

Although the 12th is a severe dogleg left of a par four of 471 yards,  it most definitely can be had. That being said, the key is the tee shot,  which must  be played from right  to left off the elevated ground, thus avoiding  the handful of bunkers guarding the left side and the 30-yard bunker on the right corner. A short iron will remain to a fairly large green. A back-left  or  front-left pin could be  difficult, but play below the hole to give  yourself the best  shot at birdie.

The final par three on the back nine, the  13th features a  narrow entry to the front of the green, and although not that deep, the putting surface is quite wide. Two enormous traps protect the front-left and right of the green, while the putting surface is two-tiered and slopes  quickly to the front. A back-right or back-left pin could prove costly if  you err  in club selection. Avoid the three bunkers that lay in waiting in the rear of the green, as this will make for a difficult up and down.

There is  no let up when you reach the 14th, a brute  of a par four. Another elevated tee box allows the player to see what's in  store.  With that  in mind, pull  out the big  dog and  let it rip. Out of bounds left and deep rough and trees will make you think twice about accuracy. Your second shot
will be played uphill to a long and narrow, two-tiered green guarded by  three deep bunkers left and one right. Make sure you take an extra club or two when hitting your second shot or you'll end up short and your shot might come back down the fairway.

From no fairway traps on the 14th to a quartet on the  15th,  that's what awaits  you on the tee  box, not to mention 490 yards. What makes matters worse, missing  left will result in  deep  rough and the fearsome foursome of sand, giving  you virtually  no shot  at reaching  the uphill green. This hole  was so difficult in 1964 that champion Ken  Venturi made bogey  here  three  times.  The  putting surface  is  quite difficult with a ridge in the middle and it slopes from back to front and left to right. Also, six bunkers, three short and three deep will catch any errant shot. Getting up and down is next to impossible, especially if you’re long. If the flag is back-right, don't fight it, just take your medicine and move on.

The final par five on the course, the 16th  is reachable,  but in the real world this is definitely a three-shotter. After  the tee shot,  the hole plays uphill all the way to the green. The hole bends  to the  left after the tee ball and your opening shot must dissect the traps right  and left. Your lay-up must avoid the series of traps on the left side, so leave yourself 100 yards  for your third. Remember, it's uphill, so take an extra club or you'll fall short of your target. The putting surface  is quite small
with deep traps protecting both sides. Although the view of the Presbyterian Church in the foreground is appealing (Founded in 1874),  do not miss  long, as the green will not allow you to get up and down.

Another  great  hole, the 17th  requires some thought  on the tee. The fairway runs  out from  the back tee at 295  yards, so for you big blasters, you might want  to  take three-metal,  as a shot  played too far  might leave an awkward downhill lie second. A mid  to short  iron will remain  to one of the
slickest  greens  on the  course. One traps on either side of the putting surface that slopes  from  back to front. Not  used in the 1964  Open and the 1976 PGA, the 17th was back in play for the 1995 Senior Open and the 1997 Open.

If there was one  shot Tom  Lehman would like to have  back, it has to be his second at the 18th that he deposited in the water (played as the 17th for that event). The Blue Course's signature hole is, in a word,  awesome. The scorecard says 523 yards,  but for the 1997 U.S. Open, it played  at 480
yards.  The elevated tee shot must be played with a slight draw to  catch  the slope. Anything  missed right will result in sand (6 traps await) and left is thick rough. The real test comes with the second shot, as water surrounds three sides of the green, not to mention one bunker to the right of the surface. The problem here is that  your approach is played off a downhill lie, so choosing the
correct club  and committing to the  shot is of utmost importance. With a ridge  in the center  of the green and the shaved slope on the left, the smart play  is  right-center and two-putt  for par. Cute will  get you wet. What a dramatic finish!

FINAL  WORD: Over the  years, some of the greatest architects of our time have converted  Congressional into one of the premier courses in the country. There is  a  reason why it has  been ranked in the  top-100 for so many years.

Let's begin  with the  intangibles, such as the history of the course. Congressional has  hosted  U.S. Opens,  the PGA  Championship and a  Senior Open, along with being  a Tour  stop for many years.  In fact, a Ryder Cup will be making its first visit in years to come.

The membership can't get much better than the  Presidents  of the  United  States. Speaking of
membership, you'll have to pony up well over $100,000 to join, not to mention be patient, as the waiting list is around a dozen years.

You'll be hard pressed to find a clubhouse with more charm and ambience than Congressional. But, let's not forget about the course. The practice facility is outstanding and the course, well, top notch.

When Rees  Jones came in the  early 1990s, he rebuilt every green,  lowering 17  of them, changing many  of the contours to make them more receptive. Jones also elevated many of the tees and re-graded the fairways to take  out many of the blind  looks the  course had.  With the changes, Jones brought strategy back into focus for all shots, not just the tee ball. "I want the golfer  to stand on the  tee and think about  how he's going to play it," said Jones. The changes were needed, but they did not damage the integrity of the course. Even his work on the 10th, made the venue more complete.

When Andrew Green stepped in, Congressional became even better.

What’s missing and what has been added?

Missing are the thousands of trees that had encroached the original design. The views from one end to the next are as clear as a bell.

Added are more than 40 bunkers, reaching 138 in all, fairways enlarged and green complexes increased by an acre, making them wider and deeper with open fronts.

“What I hope they see is a golf course that matches the caliber of the club that they have,” Green said. “It’s interesting and different and plays differently every day. Holes with character and are recognizable with different shots being asked of the players. I think it’s more memorable in that way.”

Congressional  Blue has been crafted into a phenomenal layout. It comes  as no surprise  that the PGA will come back in 2030 for the PGA Championship, the Women’s PGA Championship in 2027, the PGA Professional Championship in 2029, the Senior PGA Championship in 2033, and the Ryder Cup in 2037.

Talk about a course that has gotten better with age, the Blue at Congressional is quite presidential.