Updated on June 26th, 2023 at 02:40 pm
The History of Congressional Country Club
Nestled in the heart of Bethesda, Maryland is the well sought after “Congressional Country Club. It was founded by life members Herbert Hoover, Warren G Harding, Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge, and William H Taft. It opened in the year of 1924 and offers a Blue Course and a Gold Course, both of which are 18-hole golf courses. They are also known for their breathtaking views that include tree-lined fairways, rolling terrains, and challenging greens.
This Country Club, affectionately referred to as the Congressional has made a huge contribution to the sport of golf and has hosted many golf popular tournaments over the years. It offers a wide array of amenities for its members and guests and has become the home away from home to many notable individuals.
This Golf Course is the largest Clubhouse operated in the United States. It comes well equipped with golf amenities to meet the wide variety of its member’s needs.
The Blue Course At Congressional in Bethesda
The Blue Course was initially designed by Devereux Emmet but over the years it has been renovated by various architects. Some include Robert Trent Jones, Donald Ross, and Rees Jones.
Many significant golf tournaments have been hosted on the Blue Course. It is considered one of the top 100 golf courses in the US. In 2006 it was ranked the 89th greatest golf course in the US by Golf Digest. The Golf Course was included in their published listing of the 100 Greatest Golf Courses.
The Blue Course is 7,574 yards when measured from the back tees. Although it’s a par 72, it can play as a par 71 for all of the PGA Tour events that take place.
It’s also important to note that the 11 hole was reduced to a par four and has a course and slope rating of 75.4/142.
The bent grass section is typically reserved for the greens on the fairways. However, prior to its renovation that took place in 2009, the annual bluegrass, also known as Poa annua, was the area that was used for the greens.
The Blue Course has also been a part of the Links series. It is now part of the Virtual Championship at World Golf Tour (WGT).
The WGT is comprised of an online multiplayer virtual golf game. It can be played virtually, but on actual golf courses located across the globe, including in the United States, Mexico, Canada, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. This is possible by the use of patented 3D photorealistic georeferencing technology.
Players in the WGT can play with different people, including with family members, friends or colleagues. They can either start their own game or join a foursome. Players can also compete in different virtual golf courses and can play individually or they play with as many as four players at one time.
The Gold Course
The Gold Course has always been the shorter of the two courses. It measures at 6,844 yards when measuring from the back tees and has a par 71 with the slope rating being 73.6/135. The bent grass is normally used for the fairways, whereas the Poa annua grass is mainly used for the greens.
In 1977 the Gold Course was renovated by George and Tom Fazio where the final nine holes were re-done. Then later, in the year of 2000, the course was completely renovated by Arthur Hills. He lengthened the course, and the fairways, tees, greens and the cart paths were all reconstructed.
After the 2000 reconstruction was completed, the Gold Course became just as challenging as the Blue Course. To that end, the Gold Course was ranked number five in the state of Maryland by the Golf Course Digest Greatest Golf Courses.
Key Tournaments
Throughout the years, this Golf Course Country Club has hosted many tournaments. Some include tournaments such as the Kemper Open, the Booz Allen Classic and the AT&T National that was won by Tiger Woods in 2009 and in 2012. The Quicken Loans National was also hosted at this Country Club in Montgomery County, Maryland.
The Congressional Golf Club has been graced by the presence of many notable winners since its establishment. Some of the winners include John Mahaffey, Craig Stadler, Fred Couples, Greg Norman, Bill Glasson, Sergio Garcia, K. J. Choi, Anthony Kim, Tiger Woods as indicated above, Bill Haas, Justin Rose and Billy Hurley, III.
The Golf Course and Country Club also have various upcoming tournaments and championships scheduled for 2022 through 2036.
Amenities At Congressional Country Club
As many members and guests have frequented the Clubhouse, it has developed a wide array of amenities to accommodate them. Congressional offers a world class golf training facility along with a number of pros to help you work on your game including golf fitness and flexibility. Some other amenities include an indoor duckpin bowling alley, the main swimming pool as well as a pool for children, a fitness center, and a tennis club. It also has an indoor pool, a lap pool that contains diving boards as well as lodging that accommodates 21 overnight guests.
The Clubhouse is also known for hosting a wide variety of famous weddings on its premises and offers a host of services. The most popular service consists of massage services, and also includes a spa, and an indoor jacuzzi, as well as women’s and men’s locker rooms.
They also have a host of eateries, including the Chop House, the Pavilion, the House Grill, the Stop and Go, the Stonebar, and the Midway House. They also have a Main Dining Room and beverage carts, all of which are located in the food and beverage outlet.
Contributions Made to WW II
This Golf Club also made many contributions to members of the armed forces during World War II. It was acquired by the United States Wartime Intelligence Service known as the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). It was used as both a training facility as well as for those OSS agents who returned from active duty while overseas.
To conclude this Golf Course and Country Club has partnered with the PGA of America and together will continue to host golf tournaments and continue to create platforms for championships to be made. Plans are underway for the Country Club to represent the country‘s capital as they host the up-and-coming to 2036 Ryder Cup as well as other tournaments prior to then.
