Congressional Country Club

[jsgolfer]

So I played Congressional Country Club, the Blue Course (where they hold the pro tournaments) yesterday after my Edel fitting.  All I can say is Wow, what an awesome experience.  From the moment I went to the starters shack, where we got our caddie, to when we left, everything about the club was great.  I thought the club might be a little tight, but wasn't the case.  

We had about 30 minutes to our tee time, so went and hit a few balls on the range.  Wanted to see how the tip from Mike on my swing would work.  I was striping it on the range.  But I've done that before and haven't followed it up on the course.  So we head to first tee.  I played the Gold Tees, 6,727 Yds, 72.9/134.  Thought the Blue tees at 7278 would be a little long, especially since I've never played the course.  The only bad thing about the course was that the greens had recently been aerated, so didn't quite get the true Congressional Experience but it was still awesome.

Hole 1 - 378 Yd Par 4 - nice opening hole, not too difficult, plenty of landing area to left of traps.  With the new swing tip, hit my drive right center of fairway, 135 to pin.  Hit 9 iron a little thin, left myself about 30 foot uphill putt.  Par

Hole 2 - 184 Yd Par 3 - Hit my 6, a little high into the wind right between traps short of green.  Don't get up and down Bogey

Hole 3  418 Yd Par 4 (Dogleg left) - Hit my driver to 135 again dead center of fairway, hit 9 iron to 20 feet, lip out birdie putt, Par

Hole 4  414 Yd Par 4 - (sharp Dogleg Right) - Hit driver just off the fairway, 160 to flag, hit in bunker, get out and make Bogey.

Hole 5  383 Yd Par 4 (Sharp dogleg left) - Hit drive into bunker, have 140 to back pin.  Get out of trap, miss green, miss long par putt, Bogey

Hole 6  488 Yd Par 5 Hit drive dead center of fairway, had 240 to flag over water, layup with 8 iron, hit 80 yard shot to 15 feet, make Par

Hole 7 - 167 Yd Par 3 (Uphill) - Hit 6 onto green, had 30 foot putt, Make Par

Hole 8 - 345 Yd Par 4 (Dogleg Right)  Hit perfect drive down the right side of the fairway, a few yards to the left of the bunkers, catches the hill, had 50 yards to green.  Hit lob wedge to 20 feet over the bunker and make Par.

Hole 9 544 Yard Par 5 - Hit another perfect drive dead center of fairway, 250 to green, but have to lay up as there is a huge gully in front of the green.  Hit my 8-iron to 90 yards, hit my wedge onto green, but catches the back sloe and probably rolls 40 feet away from the hole.  Caddy says I've seen plenty of people make that putt and I laugh, but of course I make the 40 foot with 10 feet of break for a birdie 4.  This was my view from my layup shot on 9.  Pin was cut behind the left bunker.

Front 9 Score - 38 Hit 5 Fairways and 6 greens

Hole 10 - 170 Yd Par 3 Over Water - hit 6 just a little short, chipped in for a Birdie. (picture below)

Hole 11 - 489 Yd Par 5 (Uphill) - Hit Driver right side of the fairway, had 245 to flag, hit my mini driver to 50 yards, then chunk half wedge and miss 10 foot par putt - Bogey

Hole 12 - 372 Yd Par 4 (dogleg left) - Hit driver over the trees catch the left rough - Have 105 to flag, hit gap wedge to 20 feet, two putt for par

Hole 13 - 163 Yd Par 3 (Uphill) - hit 6 to 30 feet, two putt for Par

Hole 14 408 Yd Par 4 (Uphill) - Start of their amen corner - hit drive to right rough, have 190 uphill to green, hit 4 hybrid to back of green, two putt for Par

Hole 15 419 Yd Par 4 (Another uphill second shot) - Hit ball dead center of fairway, have 139 to front flag, just miss left, chip to 10 feet miss putt for bogey

Hole 16 550 Yd Par 5 (Uphill) - Hit drive dead center of fairway, have 280 to hole, caddy says to hit between 200-225, should have gone with the 225, had way more room then I thought, Left 130 Yd shot to front pin.  Hit 9 iron fat, then have impossible chip, get it to 20 feet and make bogey

Hole 17 420 Yd Par 4 (Uphill) - Hit my mini driver to dead center of the fairway (Fairway runs out around 260 from gold tee), have 165 left to flag, hit 6 to 30 feet, two putt par

Hole 18 425 Yd Par 4 (Downhill) - Finally a downhill hole, lol.  Hit drive down left side of the fairway.  Have 171 to flag (pictures below), caddy says hit this ball 3 yards to the right of the flag and it will feed to hole.  So what do i do, hit it 3 yards to the right of the hole and ends up about 8 feet from the flag, lip out putt (damn need that Edel putter, ) Par

Back 9 5 Fairway, 5 greens - 38

So 10 fairways, 11 GIR's and other than the sand trap shot, everything else was just off the green.  Just left myself in some bad places to try and get up and down.

So 38-38-76, weather was perfect, course was awesome (loved the layout).  Had the Edel fitting, it was a good day.  Afterwards went and had a beer in their pub. 

 

Hole 10

 

Hole 18 View from Drive

 

Shot onto green - wish this would've came out better.  Best shot of the day.

[Jakester23]

That's so awesome congrats on what sounds like a hell of a day.  Nice round as well. I'm sure it felt good to play like that on a course of that caliber.

[jsgolfer]

Not sure why the scorecard comes out like this when the picture I took it's horizontal?

And I used the Snell MyTour all day.  

[davechen]

Very cool.  I played the Gold course there some years ago.  Won at outing for 3 at a charity auction.  Sadly at the time the Blue course was closed because they were preparing for the US Open.  Still, it was a great experience.  That was the best course I've played in the DC area, by far.

[jsgolfer]

 

Very cool.  I played the Gold course there some years ago.  Won at outing for 3 at a charity auction.  Sadly at the time the Blue course was closed because they were preparing for the US Open.  Still, it was a great experience.  That was the best course I've played in the DC area, by far.

Yeah, this is definitely at the top of the list for courses in the area I've played.  The Gold Course is closed right now due to maintenance.  

I do like Baltimore Country Club's East Course a hair better.  But this was a great track and fun to play.  I love these older courses that stand the test of time.

[ppine]

Hallowed ground.  My first full-time job was greenskeeper at Congressional in 1966. I remember how precise they wanted the greens to be mowed.  Hand watering the greens in the morning when it was quiet was a special thing.  I got to play a few high school matches on the old course soon after.  Ben Hogan and Deane Beman were household names in those days. We used to hit balls at Hogan's Driving Range owned by Ben's brother Larry, and he gave us free swing tips. I am happy that you had a positive experience there.

[jsgolfer]

8 minutes ago, ppine said:

Hallowed ground.  My first full-time job was greenskeeper at Congressional in 1966. I remember how precise they wanted the greens to be mowed.  Hand watering the greens in the morning when it was quiet was a special thing.  I got to play a few high school matches on the old course soon after.  Ben Hogan and Deane Beman were household names in those days. We used to hit balls at Hogan's Driving Range owned by Ben's brother Larry, and he gave us free swing tips. I am happy that you had a positive experience there.

How long did you work there?  The caddy we had started working there in 1971, been there for 44 years.

[DaveP043]

Sounds like a great day.  I got to work as a volunteer for the 1997 US Open at Congressional, and then got to play there in a Member-Guest a couple of years later.  I was an amazing experience, and the course truly does stand up after all the years.  That shot to the 18th is pretty scary, the green looks to be about 4 yards wide, and diagonal to the approach direction, off a downhill lie.

The first head pro at Stoneleigh is named Bob Benning, and had been the head pro at Congressional back in the 70's, if I remember right.  

[saevel25]

10 hours ago, jsgolfer said:

Not sure why the scorecard comes out like this when the picture I took it's horizontal?

And I used the Snell MyTour all day.  

Sounds like an awesome time. It's always fun playing one of your better rounds on a course like that. ;) 

[jsgolfer]

15 hours ago, DaveP043 said:

Sounds like a great day.  I got to work as a volunteer for the 1997 US Open at Congressional, and then got to play there in a Member-Guest a couple of years later.  I was an amazing experience, and the course truly does stand up after all the years.  That shot to the 18th is pretty scary, the green looks to be about 4 yards wide, and diagonal to the approach direction, off a downhill lie.

The first head pro at Stoneleigh is named Bob Benning, and had been the head pro at Congressional back in the 70's, if I remember right.  

Definitely was an amazing day.  14-17 are a great stretch of holes but then you hit 18 with the clubhouse in the background and the second shot over the water, it was amazing.  Cross this course off the bucket list.  

  

[ppine]

I was a kid in high school. It was a summer job.