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Lawrence Largent

  • Karma: +0/-0
Congressional and its current shape
« on: September 22, 2007, 08:06:46 PM »
I'm scheduled to play in the Middle Atlantic Amateur in a couple of weeks.  In reading the ESPN article I'm not very optimistic about the course conditions. Does anyone on the board know of the current conditions first hand. Any information would be great. I really don't feel like traveling that far if the course is in poor shape.


Thanks
Double L

Rob_Waldron

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Congressional and its current shape
« Reply #1 on: September 24, 2007, 09:33:10 AM »
I have not played Congo lately but have heard the greens are not good. They have their Member Guest this week so I am sure they are working diligently to get the course is shape. They are also dealing with some turf stress issues as a result of the drought conditions we have been experiencing. It is your call!

Cabell Ackerly

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Congressional and its current shape
« Reply #2 on: September 24, 2007, 11:24:09 AM »
I played there in August, and the greens were pretty spotty. They were still relatively quick, but it was tough to get a true roll, and judging speed was very difficult due to the relatively bumby conditions. From what I hear, the greens are worse now.

Michael Ryan

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Congressional and its current shape
« Reply #3 on: September 24, 2007, 03:22:17 PM »
Played Congo two days in a row in July, the Thurs/Fri right after the AT&T National ended.  I found the course in great shape, but I see that Cabell was there after me and found the greens spotty.  During my time there, a lot of our discussions had to do with the upcoming tournament schedule that Congressional was looking at, with the US Am in '09 and the US Open in '11.  Just four days after Tiger's event, they were staring at headlines in the USA today that Tiger wanted his event to become an annual.  I will make some assumptions.  One, they accepted the Am in the hopes of securing an Open, which was successful.  They later signed on to host Tigers event and perhaps are victims of their success?  Having not talked to my host last week when hearing that the Am was moved to Southern Hills and reading the article, I simply assumed that they were able to convince the USGA that they were doing things "for the good of the game" and the Am was presenting too much of a challenge, either from members grumbling or truly worrying about a possible July and then August event in usual DC heat and humidity.  I'm also in the tournament golf business and I know that sponsor and host facility contracts like to work in 3 year terms, so I am guessing that Tigers folks locked it down for '08-'10, allowing the USGA to come in in 2011.  All uneducated guesses, would be sorry to hear that Congo is actually looking at serious maintenence issues...

Jerry Kluger

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Congressional and its current shape
« Reply #4 on: September 24, 2007, 03:53:24 PM »
LL: Let's not go overboard about questioning the condition of the greens at Congressional.  It is a great venue, great enough for Tiger to insist that his tournament be held there the next two years and he wants it there forever, and a few bad spots on the greens shouldn't discourage you from playing it.  The club has nearly unlimited funds to spend on the course and the members would not allow it to deteriorate.  Let me know when you're in town and I will be all ears about the condition of the course.

Craig Sweet

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Congressional and its current shape
« Reply #5 on: September 24, 2007, 11:20:08 PM »
Double L...the event being canceled is set for 2009 and you're concerned about course conditions two weeks from now?

Why?
No one is above the law. LOCK HIM UP!!!

Lawrence Largent

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Congressional and its current shape
« Reply #6 on: September 25, 2007, 07:14:33 AM »
I'm sure your aware of the record heat and drought we have expeirenced. If I'm gonna take a week off from work and drive 7 hours then I at least want the course to be in good shape. Rumors are flying that the course is struggling and I just wanted to confirm if this is true or not. I also have another event that week so I was having to choose between the two.


Lawrence