In 1924, about a dozen miles outside of Washington, D.C., in Bethesda, Maryland, Congressional Country Club opened to a membership comprising the nation's elite elected officials and business leaders. Five U.S. presidents can be counted among the club's founding lifetime members, as can many of the nation's Congressmen and some of the most prominent business leaders from that time when the '20s were roaring and there was no indication of the Great Depression yet to come.
Congressional Country Club was built to be a retreat for members of Congress and captains of industry -- a place where they might escape the public eye and the politics of the Capitol to more freely discuss issues of the day and to broker deals that might determine the direction of the nation. The club featured a massive clubhouse, complete with indoor and outdoor swimming pools, multiple options for member dining, 20 rooms for overnight lodging, and even a presidential suite. In years past, its Blue course, designed by Devereux Emmet, has hosted championships including three U.S. Opens; the PGA Championship; a U.S. Senior Open; U.S. Women's Amateur; and the PGA Tour's Kemper Open, Booz Allen Classic, Quicken Loans National and the AT&T National. And in 2018, Congressional partnered with the PGA of America, announcing plans to host multiple major championships over the next couple of decades beginning with this year's KPMG Women's PGA Championship and continuing with a return of that event in 2027, the PGA Championship in 2031, the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship in 2025 and 2033, the Jr. PGA Championship in 2024, and culminating with the 2036 Ryder Cup.
But for all of the trophies that have and will be hoisted on Congressional's 18th green, the club has a rich history that may be far more significant than the competitive golfing battles that have been fought on the fairways and greens of the Blue course.
In the early 1940s, the club had fallen into financial struggles. The world was at war, again, and Congressional's members struck a deal to lease the club and its grounds to the U.S. government for the duration of the war. The government, in turn, used the nearly 400-acre site to establish a training ground for the newly founded Office of Strategic Services (O.S.S.). The O.S.S. was the nation's first intelligence agency and forerunner to today's Central Intelligence Agency. And in 1941, its mission on the grounds of Congressional Country Club was to turn a young class of military recruits into America's first spies. Over a period of four years, the O.S.S. conducted training exercises in which recruits crawled under the fire of machine gun rounds, practiced parachute landings, blew up bunkers and greens with live munitions, and snuck their way through densely wooded areas lit only by the moon in an effort to simulate what life might be like behind enemy lines in the battle against Hitler. Looking back on that time, President of the O.S.S. Society Charles Pinck once said, Congressional is "the birthplace of the American Special Forces. A group like the Navy Seals -- the Congressional Country Club is where it all started."
With the war winding down in 1945, the club was returned to its members, and the U.S. government made good on its promise to fund a restoration of the grounds, which looked almost like so much of war-torn Europe after four years of constant paramilitary exercises. Over the years, the course underwent renovations by a number of architects. And most recently, the Blue closed in 2020 for a major transformation project led by acclaimed golf course architect Andrew Green. This wasn't just a renovation. Green's work completely changed the character, dynamism and playability of the course. And it's hard to argue with his results. Today, the Blue ranks 91st on Golf Digest's most recent list of America's top 100 courses, but the course had barely reopened after Green's work when those rankings were published in 2021. I would be shocked if the Blue doesn't jump significantly in the rankings when Golf Digest publishes their next iteration in 2023. In a more recent Golf Magazine ranking, the Blue jumped from outside the top 100 to No. 55. One thing's for certain -- if you think you know Congressional, having watched the professional tournaments played there in years past, think again. From the first hole to the last, the Blue is a very different course today. (For a more in-depth look at Green's transformation work at Congressional, I highly recommend this article from GolfCourseArchitecture.net and this piece from GlobalGolfPost.com.)
Inside the clubhouse, in the Hall of History, one could spend hours taking in all of the photographs and memorabilia, including this replica U.S. Open trophy and these photographs and signed pin flags recognizing Congressional's three U.S. Open champions -- Ken Venturi, Ernie Els and Rory McIlroy.
Speaking of Rory, nothing makes you feel more welcome when you visit a private club than a personalized nameplate on the locker you're sharing with a former U.S. Open champion.
I had the good fortune (or bad fortune, depending on how you look at things) to visit Congressional twice this year with my pal Gregg, who I've written about here previously. In June, just weeks before the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, Gregg and I were hosted by a couple of members, Yong and Mike -- two really great guys and gracious hosts. The forecast called for rain, but we nothing but blue skies and sunshine when we teed off, and I was in rare form, playing lights out. I missed short birdie putts on the first and seventh holes, drained one on the eighth, and found myself sitting at just two over par after 11 holes. We'd just played our approach shots into the 12th green when the skies opened up. Rain began to pour, lightning flashed, and the club's weather warning alarm wailed. We made our way back into the clubhouse with hopes of finishing our round when the storm passed, but after rumors of a lightning strike on the club's Gold course, we were told that all play would be suspended for the day. The club generously offered to have us back out another time and to comp our guest fees on the return visit, but I knew it was highly unlikely I'd bring back the same game I'd found on the course that afternoon.
Scheduling time to play the Blue again proved difficult, in part because of how few tee times there are for members to bring guests. Then, add into the mix the fact that Gregg and I are both long-distance from the club. By the time we were finally able to arrange a return, it was early November, and the course had a decidedly different look. Conditions were fantastic, but you'll notice that the photos I use throughout this blog jump back and forth a bit between summer season and the fall. Both seasons are beautiful at Congressional, and I chose to use the photos that I liked best from hole to hole throughout the blog. If you don't like the visual movement back and forth between the seasons in the photography here, please do feel free to request a refund for your subscription to the blog from management.
We played the Blue from a mix of the course's gold and white tees, totaling 6,515 yards. From the tips, when the pros play here, the Blue can now stretch to over 7,800 yards, and its regular blue tees play to 7,215. That's way outside my comfort zone these days. From this point on in this blog post, distances will be referenced from the combo Gold/White tees from which we played, as directed by the blue arrows on the scorecard.
Sadly, Mike couldn't join us for our return visit, choosing to be with his newborn grandson in California. We congratulate his family on the new addition, but we question his priorities. ;)
Hole No. 1 - Par 4 - 340 Yards
The Blue course opens with a short par-4 and an opportunity to card a birdie right out of the gates. The hole bends just slightly to the left, and the right edge of the fairway bunker on the left is a great line off the tee, requiring just 204 yards to clear the sand and set up a short-iron or wedge into the green. Be sure to play enough to the left to challenge that bunker, though, as drives to the right run the risk of settling into another fairway bunker about 225 yards off the tee, from which it can be a far more difficult shot into the green.
Visually, the approach to the first green takes a little getting used to. The green sits angled to the right, but the fairway cut continues to flow past the putting surface and straight into the second hole, left and long of the green. It can take a second look to really understand where the green begins and where it's safe to play, with three deep bunkers short-right of the putting surface and another beyond the green. Depending on the pin position, shots that find the right level on the green should funnel toward the hole, which could set up a short birdie opportunity. But balls that land on the wrong tier are likely to leave you with a putt that breaks in multiple directions and could make it tough to even get down in two.
Hole No. 2 - Par 3 - 175 Yards
I love hole No. 2. Having played it twice, with different pin positions and in different wind conditions, I've found myself looking at two very different shots that two different caddies each told me would play about 195 yards. The first time, I choked down on a 4-iron and hit a perfect little cut shot that settled maybe 10 feet from the flag. And the second time, I hit a hard 4-iron with a bit of a draw that carried the bunker on the right, caught the kick slope, and once again finished within 10 feet or so of the flag. I missed both birdie putts, but I still love the hole.
Sitting high above the tee, the green on No. 2 seems very small, and the six bunkers short-left and the one short-right of the putting surface seem huge. With a long-iron or even a hybrid in your hand, it's a visually intimidating hole. Finding the right side of the green will help your tee shot to feed toward the center of the putting surface, but distance control is important, as balls hit long will either collect in a depression full of thick rough or will roll off the green and down the hill toward the third tee as the fairway cut that began on hole No. 1 continues to flow through the second hole and into the third. This is a tough hole even when you hit it close. Par is a fine score here.
Hole No. 3 - Par 4 - 370 Yards
The third hole is a terrific mid-length par-4. The hole plays straightaway, but fairway bunkers on both sides and a very narrow landing are for those who fly it beyond the sand make this hole a challenge off the tee. Thick rough and high fescue beyond make accuracy even more important as you decide what club you believe you can safely play to keep it in the short grass. It'll require a tee shot of 225 yards or more to carry the left fairway bunker, but some players may opt for a shorter tee shot and a longer approach as the safer course of action.
From the landing area off the tee, the hole plays uphill to an elevated green protected by a large bunker on its left side and a smaller bunker back-right. Players in the fairway will find, though, that there is plenty of room to hit a low running shot up the fairway and into this green, which slopes from back to front. That slope will help to keep low runners on the green but can work against longer players who hit high, spinning shots into this green, as they may find even well-struck balls spinning back at them and off the green and potentially down the fairway a distance.
Hole No. 4 - Par 4 - 430 Yards
No. 4 is the first hole where Congressional really begins to show its teeth. At 430 yards, playing slightly downhill off the tee and then uphill to the green, it's a big par-4. Players who aim their tee shots down the left side of the fairway to avoid the series of fairway bunkers down the right side will find that the hole plays even longer than the distance on the scorecard as it bends back to the right and uphill from the landing area. From the gold tees, the left fairway bunker at the bend is about 275 yards away and makes for an ideal line.
The approach on the fourth hole plays to one of the most challenging greens on the course. Shots played to the right side of the green will generally funnel left, but distance control is paramount. A narrow plateau in the center of the green rises above the front and back tiers, and balls that collect in the wrong area of the putting surface can be difficult to stop near the hole with your first putt. The green also is protected by two bunkers near the front. If you're going to miss on this hole, it's better to miss left, leaving yourself an uphill pitch or bunker shot into the slope of the green.
Hole No. 5 - Par 4 - 365 Yards
The fifth hole is a very cool hole. Formerly a much more severe dogleg right-to-left, there isn't a tremendous amount of bend to the shape of the hole. But you wouldn't know that standing on the tee! Looking out at the opening shot on No. 5, the cut and slope of the fairway make it appear to be a dogleg, still, which can entice players to try to fly the fairway bunkers down the left side. There isn't a lot of benefit to taking that line, however. Many who try will find that tee shots they believed to have been good have wound up either in one of the fairway bunkers or in the thick left rough as the fairway banks from right to left. The better drive off the tee is down the right-center of the fairway, riding the bank, which will turn the ball left and steer it down the hill toward the green once it crests the hill beyond the bunkers.
A good drive in the fairway should set up a relatively easy short-iron or wedge approach into this green, which has a few potentially tricky pin positions but is among the flattest on the course. Bunkers left and right of the green will collect wayward shots, but with a short club in your hand, should not be much more than a visual distraction. The real challenge is keeping your approach on the green. What slope there is will take the ball from front to back, and beyond the green there is an area that the yardage book calls a "Deep Rough Excavated Pit" -- an area of thick rough dug out specifically for the purpose of collecting balls that don't hold the green and making it difficult to get up and down for par.
Hole No. 6 - Par 5 - 500 Yards
The first par-5 on the course, No. 6 bends gently from right to left. High golden fescue makes for a pretty frame for this hole, but don't make the mistake of hitting into it or the location of your ball may quickly join the ranks of Washington, D.C.'s best-kept secrets, never to be discovered again. Also, be sure to avoid the creek that runs down the right side of the hole, beginning 250 yards or so off the tee. Big hitters will need to keep to the left side of this fairway, but shorter hitters -- or anyone who sets out to play this hole as a three-shot par-5 -- will find ample fairway short of the creek to simply get off the tee and begin the march toward this green.
Right of the fairway on No. 6 is a house that once belonged to the famous boxer, Mike Tyson. According to news reports, Tyson's pet tiger -- a large white Bengal named Kenya -- went missing from the house one day when the champ still lived there. Fortunately, Tyson's security team found the tiger at a nearby neighbor's home. I assume that members who sliced balls onto Tyson's property during the days when he lived there with his tiger did not make an attempt to retrieve them.
For those who layup with their second shots on the sixth, the only question is how long or short of an approach do you want to leave yourself. The stream on the right opens up to a pond front-right of the green, so most players will want to lay back to 70 yards or more to avoid the risk of getting wet. Those long bombers who opt to go for this green in two, however, will have to contend not only with the water but a series of bunkers short-left of the green from which an escape could prove to be tricky business, blasting out to a green that runs away and toward the water.
During my second visit to Congressional, in early November, I found myself father right with my second shot than I'd intended, leaving me this delicate pitch from about 65 yards over the water to a front-right flag. I played the shot well enough, but I was glad I captured this view with my camera as it turned out -- with the clubhouse rising majestically up above the green in the background -- to be one of my favorite views on the course.
Hole No. 7 - Par 3 - 160 Yards
No. 7 is a mid-length par-3 that plays uphill to a shallow green that looks like barely more than a sliver from the teeing area. Large, deep bunkers guard the front of the putting surface except for a narrow channel of fairway on the right side. The first time I played here, the flag was tucked back-left, over the two bunkers, in a position our hosts described as near-impossible. Somehow that day I wound up inside six feet off the tee and just lipped out my birdie putt. During my second visit, the pin was in arguably one of the easier positions, back right, which should create options to either fly a ball directly at the flag or to run a ball up the hill and into the green. I did neither and wound up double-bogeying after a terrible tee shot that I fanned out to the right. Bottom line, no matter where the pin is, this hole is no pushover. The green slopes significantly from back to front. I don't think there's a flat putt on this hole. And for those who miss the green, especially long, getting up and down for par is almost always going to be a low-probability affair.
Hole No. 8 - Par 4 - 285 Yards
Hole No. 8 is my favorite hole on the front nine -- a short, potentially drivable, par-4 that's loaded with trouble. Ultra-conservative, strategic players may want to just layup with a mid- or short-iron off the tee to keep their ball short of all the sand and set up another mid- or short-iron shot into this green. But for the rest of us, the ideal tee shot is a driver just off the inside corner of the fairway bunkers on the left. It'll take about 220 yards to get by that sand, but for those who do, there is a chance of running through the fairway and all the way to the green as the hole banks in that direction. Players who go straight at the green down the right side are likely to catch sand or thick rough -- either of which might sink their hopes for birdie.
From the left side of the fairway, even for players who leave their tee shots back a good distance, the angle into the green allows for a low running shot at the left corner to ride the bank and turn into the heart of the putting surface. For those who choose to play a higher-lofted shot into this green, it's all about distance control. This putting surface is anything but deep. It's about two-and-a-half times as long from front-left to back-right as it is from front to back. So, double check your distance to the hole, choose your club, and swing confidently. This hole has the potential to give up birdies or even the occasional eagle, but it can also sneak up and bite you if you get loose with either your tee shot or your approach.
Hole No. 9 - Par 5 - 540 Yards
The ninth hole is a long par-5 that plays uphill off the tee to a generous fairway. Bunkers on both sides pinch the landing area a bit from about 190 yards off the tee to about 235. Players who can carry the ball 240 yards or more can safely fly the bunkers and potentially catch the downslope of the fairway beyond to extend the length of their drives. Beyond the bunkers, the fairway does slope a bit from left to right, so big hitters may want to take that into consideration and aim their tee shots down the left side.
From the fairway, players have the option to lay up short of the rough that crosses the fairway in the valley 100 or so yards from the green, setting up a wedge or short-iron approach. Or, depending how far they've made it down the fairway with their tee shots, they may opt to play a fairway wood or hybrid in the hopes of reaching the other side of the valley and running the ball up closer to the hole. At 540 yards, and with bunkers guarding the fairway and green the closer you get to the hole, only the biggest hitters are likely to reach this putting surface in two, but there is a flattish area of fairway inside about 50 yards from which players might find themselves with a relatively easy approach pitch.
The ninth hole offers a terrific look at Congressional's historic clubhouse beyond the green. For those who are here for more than sightseeing, though, just reaching this green in regulation is not going to be enough to guarantee a good score. The putting surface features a false front and a knoll in the left-center. Left of the knoll, the green generally slopes back to front, and right of the knoll, the slope is predominantly left-to-right and front-to-back. It's a very tricky green to putt, and the superintendent has plenty of options to position the hole such that this one can play very differently from one day to the next.
Very thoughtful of President Biden to fly by in Marine One (with decoy) and wave hello while we were playing the ninth hole in early November -- just one of the things you're more likely to see at Congressional than just about any other golf course in the country on any given day.
Hole No. 10 - Par 3 - 135 Yards
No. 10 represents one of the most significant changes to the course resulting from Andrew Green's 2020 transformation work, which finally seems to get the routing just right. For decades, the hole played from tees on the other side of the pond, requiring a forced carry to its green set below the clubhouse. This clip from the 1997 U.S. Open, when this short par-3 played as the 18th hole, depicts that layout:
In the early 2000s, the decision was made to reverse the routing of the hole. And for more than a decade, the hole played across the water from the other side of the pond, as shown in this excellent picture from photographer PJ Koenig:
Still, the routing wasn't quite right. In this configuration, players were forced to play across the pond, putt out, and then backtrack past the 10th tees and off to the right to reach the 11th hole. But Green had a solution to finally solve that problem and improve the flow of play from the ninth hole through the 10th and on to the 11th. By moving the tees for 10 up the hill and nearer the ninth green, his plan allowed him to relocate the green complex on the small peninsula of land that juts into the pond below the clubhouse, creating a short downhill par-3 that bleeds drama in the heat of competition. With water long, right and short of the green and a devilish collection of bunkers short and left of the putting surface, the 10th hole requires shot strategy and nerves of steel.
Green's vision for this particular hole was one of the reasons the club selected him for its renovation work over every other golf course architect who bid on the project. This hole doesn't require much more than a wedge or short-iron for most players, but a slight miscalculation can lead to either a challenging par or a round-killer. If your heart wasn't pumping hard before you reached the 10th hole, stepping over your ball on this tee is sure to get it started!
Hole No. 11 - Par 5 - 510 Yards
The 11th hole is another hole significantly transformed by Green, turning what was once a relatively uninspired straightaway par-5 into a thinker's hole that requires strategy and shot shaping to score. The hole plays off the tee to a fairway that slopes left to right with a narrow stream that runs down the right-hand side, beginning at about 170 yards off the tee. A couple of bunkers on the left-hand side, about 270 off the tee, make for an excellent target from the tee, and better still if you can play a little fade toward the sand and back into the center of the fairway.
During the transformation work in 2020, the green for No. 11 was moved to the right side of the stream, giving players the option to either hit their second shots down the fairway on the left, which actually horseshoes around the fescue to become the 12th fairway, or you can play across the stream on your second shot to the fairway on the right, setting up a relatively easy pitch into the slope of the green.
The approach to the green on No. 11 is into a green that slopes predominantly from back to front with low areas back-left and front-right. Finding the same level as the hole with your pitch shot into this green is key to setting up just about any chance at birdie. Bunkers left and right of the green probably aren't much of an issue for most players who approach this hole as a three-shot par-5, likely playing into the green with a wedge. But for big hitters who go for this green in two, finding either greenside bunker could force a quick recalibration of your expectations as you shift from thinking about eagles and birdies to just trying to salvage a par.
Hole No. 12 - Par 4 - 375 Yards
No. 12 plays from right to left off the tee. Catch the fairway right of the bunkers at the bend, and you're likely to setup a pretty short second shot as your drive crests the rise and catches the downslope. It's a pretty big poke, though, to try to fly those bunkers on a more aggressive line, requiring at least 240 yards of carry. And for those who pull the ball even farther left, the fescue is waiting to turn a bad drive into a big number.
Players who find the fairway on the 12th are likely looking at nothing more than a mid- to short-iron into this kidney-shaped green that's guarded by bunkers front-left and long. There is plenty of room to run a low ball into this green, which slopes from back to front. A plateau rises in the putting surface to hide much of the back bunker from view and will impact putts just about everywhere on this green as movement is determined largely by the position of the cup relative to the plateau. There aren't many easy birdies to be had on this green, but it should give up a lot of pars to players who can avoid trouble off the tee.
Hole No. 13 - Par 3 - 155 Yards
A mid-length par-3 played to a two-tier green, the biggest challenge of No. 13 may be your ability to put the sand out of your mind. A 40-yard-long green short right and another bunker short-left that really shouldn't even come into play -- along with three bunkers left of the green -- give players the sense that this is a more difficult green to hit than it really is. As the green slopes from back to front, players can either take a little extra club and fly the ball beyond the flag to watch it roll back as it settles on this putting surface, or they have the option to play a low running shot right up the middle and let it bump and bounce its way toward the hole. Players who do find the sand will have a tougher time contending with the slope of the green as they work to get up and down for par, but those whose tee shots settle on the green or even those whose shots finish in the fairway short of the putting surface should have fairly straightforward opportunities to par this hole.
Hole No. 14 - Par 4 - 365 Yards
No. 14 is a challenging driving hole with trees and out-of-bounds down the left-side of the hole. The fairway appears narrower than it actually is, opening up to the right after about 120 yards. The width of the fairway is unknown from the tee however, as a knoll on the right rises to create a blind shot and the illusion that there is nothing more than a ribbon of fairway from tee to green. An excellent target line off the tee would be at the two greenside bunkers left of the putting surface in the distance, with room to fade to the right beyond the rise.
From the fairway, the approach into the 14th green is likely just a mid-iron for most players, but be sure to check the pin position before choosing your club. At more than 50 yards in depth, this green can easily be a two- or three-club difference depending on where the hole is cut. Be sure to take enough club to cover the bunker front-right. This green slopes from back to front with multiple spines that define the various tiers on this green. Bailing out to the right isn't a terrible play, setting up a chip from the fairway cut that may actually be easier to get near the hole than some putts on this challenging green.
Hole No. 15 - Par 4 - 395 Yards
With an infinity edge green that drops off to a view of the 18th, the 10th and beyond to the clubhouse, the 15th is one of the coolest holes on the course. It's a quirky hole -- a challenging drive made difficult by the fairway bunkers left and right that demand a precise shot. Balls that find the sand or the rough will make for a difficult second shot if your hope is to hold the green.
From the right side of the fairway, the 15th plays uphill to a green that is difficult to see over the face of the bunkers that guard it front-right. The hole is really designed to be approached more from the left, and Green has talked about the idea that this is a hole on which he envisions great creativity as players land the ball short of the putting surface and use the contours to run the ball to the hole. The green slopes from front to back to encourage that sort of shot making, but be careful not to go long. The green features a steep drop-off just beyond with three deep bunkers ready to catch your ball before it makes its way all the way down to the level of the pond. And getting up and down from any of those three bunkers will always be a challenge.
The view on 15 is a remarkable example of how Green's transformation plans -- removing trees and opening up sightlines across the course -- brought the clubhouse into view and made it a feature from so many vantage points around the golf course.
Hole No. 16 - Par 5 - 550 Yards
The final par-5 on the course, No. 16 may also be the Blue's most challenging. Fairway cross bunkers make for a dangerous tee shot, taking the left side out of play except for big bombers who can carry the ball 240 yards or more. And another bunker right of the fairway about 265 yards off the tee is waiting to catch drives that run up the right side.
From the fairway, players must decide how much of this hole they want to challenge. From about 125 yards in toward the green, bunkers create a veritable minefield -- almost as if they were traps laid by the O.S.S. recruits who once trained on this course. The safe play is to leave your second shot short of the bunkers on the left, setting up a mid- to short-iron approach into this green. But, as you can see from this photo, the rolling terrain of the fairway can be unpredictable and leave you with everything from an uphill lie to a flat lie to a downhill lie from which you'll need to negotiate that approach.
One of my favorite features of the course and of this hole, in particular, is the presence beyond the green of Hermon Presbyterian Church. The white clapboard, Gothic Revival church dates back to 1874 -- 50 years before Congressional opened for play -- and remains an active house of worship to this day. If you're going to pray over a birdie putt (or a double bogey putt, for that matter) this green may be the one on which to do it! The putting surface on 16 slopes generally from back to front with a spine up the center of the front half of the green that will funnel balls left or right depending on which side of the spine you find. Balls front, left and right also run the risk of falling off the green into collection areas from which getting up and down can be a true adventure, depending on the pin position.
Hole No. 17 - Par 4 - 395 Yards
Beginning the march back to the clubhouse, No. 17 is a dogleg left that has the potential to make or break a round. In the second round of the KPMG Women's PGA Championship this year, Lexi Thompson eagled the 17th, holing her approach from just over 100 yards to vault her into contention. And in the fourth round, she found out that the 17th giveth, and the 17th taketh away as a birdie opportunity turned into a three-putt that essentially sank her chances to win her second major championship.
From the tee, the 17th requires just two things -- avoid the fairway bunker about 200 yards off the tee on the left, and land the ball in the short grass. Drives that get past the lone fairway bunker will run down the hill, setting up a short-iron or wedge into this elevated green and a very realistic opportunity for a birdie before the closing hole.
The green, seen here in the distance from the top of the hill at the fairway's crown, slopes from back to front with bunkers short. It's better to be a bit long of the hole than short, as balls that spin back can run off the front of the green. Players who find themselves at the bottom of the fairway looking up toward the green have the option to either fly the ball in with a high, spinning shot or to play a low bump-and-run shot up the slope and into the heart of the putting surface.
This view from the side of the green at 17 gives you a sense of the severity of the slope, especially at the very front of the green. This pin was just about in the same position as the hole was cut when Thompson three-putted in the final round of this year's KPMG Women's PGA Championship. All three of us attempted to make the same putt she had for birdie; even with the benefit of watching one another's putts, only one of us managed to hole the putt.
Hole No. 18 - Par 4 - 435 Yards
Arguably one of the best finishing holes in championship golf, the 18th at Congressional is a fantastic, long dogleg par-4 that chases from right-to-left toward a peninsula green that stretches out into the pond, setting up for major heroics ... or the other thing. Off the tee, this hole calls for a drive down the middle of the fairway, avoiding the fairway bunkers to the right and catching the downslope for extra distance. A ball played at the bunkers with a bit of a draw might be ideal. I say "might" because that's the shot I drew up in my mind, but the shot I actually hit was a block right that wound up catching one of the trees and leaving me with about 240 yards into this difficult hole.
From the fairway, it's easy to imagine a player coming to the 18th needing a birdie or even a par to secure a major title and finding it hard to even hold the club in their shaking hands as they think about the water left, long and right of this green. The fairway doesn't offer many flat lies, either, and most right-handers will find themselves with the ball above their feet. A hook lie with water just left and long of the green on a long, downhill approach is enough to make a player hope he's got Dr. Bob Rotella on speed dial. Now just think about that shot in tournament conditions!
Playing from the right rough, with 240 yards to go, I was fortunate to draw a gettable lie and hit an exceptionally clean fairway wood up and over the trees to just right of the green, setting myself up for a chance to get up and down for par. I felt pretty good about that. This green, however, slopes from right to left, making a pitch or chip from the right a very delicate shot as the ball rolls downhill across the green toward the water. Any player who can find the middle of the green with their approach shot on No. 18 should consider that a shot well-played. Par here is a fantastic score, no matter what you're playing for, and a rare birdie would make for a wonderful memory to finish out your round.
Congressional is such a fantastic club. I never played here before Andrew Green's work in 2020, but I can attest that it's one of those courses I felt like I'd enjoy playing every day were I a member. There's not a boring hole on the course, and there are so many memorable holes, I'm not sure any of them could really be called a signature hole. Many thanks to our hosts, Mike and Yong, for having us out in June -- and to Yong for getting back out there with us in early November to see the rest of the course after our rain-out.
Have you played Congressional? Drop a comment below or send me an email at shawn@iputtaround.com to let me know your thoughts on this blog post, the course or anything else you might like to share.