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Bill McKinley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Congressional Blue Renovation
« on: March 16, 2019, 10:28:09 AM »
Gents,
Does anyone know if the Blue Course at Congressional is going to be closed this year?  I know they're planning a renovation but they had that hiccup with Foster.  I tried to find it in the search function but couldn't find anything concrete.
Thanks!
2016 Highlights:  Streamsong Blue (3/17); Streamsong Red (3/17); Charles River Club (5/16); The Country Club - Brookline (5/17); Myopia Hunt Club (5/17); Fishers Island Club (5/18); Aronomink GC (10/16); Pine Valley GC (10/17); Somerset Hills CC (10/18)

Greg Smith

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Congressional Blue Renovation
« Reply #1 on: March 16, 2019, 12:16:01 PM »
I am not finding anything more than you have stated on dear old Google.  But I do note that the one article (about firing Keith Foster) said "Foster intended to restore the course to the original 1924 Devereux Emmet design."

That's an unusual statement.  If I understand the historical sequence correctly, it was:

1924 -- Original Emmet course.   
1930 -- Donald Ross makes some alterations, especially on the front nine.
1957 -- Robert Trent Jones builds a totally new back nine in preparation for trying to snag the 1964 US Open.  That became the present back nine of the Blue, with Emmet's original back nine becoming the nine-hole Gold course.
1964 -- Two (Emmet) holes of the Gold were used for the US Open, enabling the hole sequence to finish on Jones' spectacular downhill 17th.  RTJ's 16th and 18th went unused.  This became the "championship" routing up until 1997.
1995 -- Rees Jones renovation, with RTJ's back nine sequence restored to finish the 1997 US Open on the (redesigned) par-3 18th.  Later this 18th was reversed in direction and became the 10th, once again allowing the great par-4 finisher by bumping the back nine routing one hole.
2000s -- A new, clean sheet, additional nine for the Gold course was constructed across Persimmon Tree Road.  It connects to the original Gold nine after (I think) the par-3 5th.  So the present Gold (with 1 and 18 at the clubhouse) has a few Emmet holes, nine modern holes, and then ends with some more Emmet holes.   I think Emmet's original 18th hole was a short par-4.  That hole was changed to a par-3 18th on the modern Gold course, to leave more room for the expanded Blue course practice green (US Open, you know).

So... "restoring the 1924 Emmet design" would be quite a project.   Emmet's original front nine (on the land occupied by the Blue front nine) is shown in Daniel Wexler's book, and while the corridors are the same, the details are QUITE different:

Emmet 1st hole:  A long par-5, which filled the space of today's 1st and 2nd holes.
Emmet 2nd hole:   A 460-yard par 4, filling the corridor of today's short par-4 fifth, but to a green farther down the hill.
Emmet 3rd and 4th holes:  A par-3 and par-4, filling the space of today's par-5 sixth.
Emmet 5th hole:  A short par-5 in the corridor of today's 7th and 8th holes.
Emmet 6th hole:  A par-4 starting from the present 9th tee and playing up that corridor, but ending short of the ravine.
Emmet 7th hole:   Analogous to today's 4th hole.
Emmet 8th hole:   Analogous to today's 3rd hole.
Emmet 9th hole:  A par-3 over the big ravine, but to the left of the present 9th.  It played to a green that sat on the location of the current practice green.  During the 1970s-1980s era, this "old" 9th remained intact as an unused extra hole.  Now it's simply lost.

So restoring this original nine would be a big deal, certainly involving the relocation of 5-6 greens.  A bunch of trees would have to come out, but that would be a good thing, as they were mostly planted during the RTJ era to reinforce his new routing.  I think a "restored" Emmet front nine would be way more interesting than what's in the ground right now, especially the chance for two much better par-3s.

So what about the RTJ back nine of the Blue?  It can't be switched off to the Gold course, because the Gold has outlying holes which would then be isolated.   The RTJ nine also includes the one iconic Congressional hole (present par-4 18th).  You have to keep that nine.  But what do you do with it?  It would be another big deal project to remodel it in 1924 Devereux Emmet style.

So I'm thinking "restoring the original Emmet design" would have to involve only the Emmet holes... leaving BOTH courses as a mixture.   Then you'd have to decide how to make all the different eras mesh properly.

That sounds like an unwieldy and expensive project at best.  I bet it doesn't ever happen like I've stated.
O fools!  who drudge from morn til night
And dream your way of life is wise,
Come hither!  prove a happier plight,
The golfer lives in Paradise!                      

John Somerville, The Ballade of the Links at Rye (1898)

Craig Disher

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Congressional Blue Renovation
« Reply #2 on: March 16, 2019, 03:21:46 PM »
Adding a small detail to the excellent recap of the front nine - someone, possibly RTJ, altered the front 9 around 1948, dropping the par 3 3rd, shortening the 1st and adding a hole between the new 1st and the original 2nd. In the late 50s, the par 3 5th was added and the original 9th disappeared. Restoring Emmet's front 9 would be a very heavy lift.

Paul Carey

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Congressional Blue Renovation
« Reply #3 on: March 16, 2019, 08:16:39 PM »
it needs good work as the course is on a good piece of property but is a fairly mediocre course.  I am stoked, shocked I tell you, that an architect may have overhyped his renovation. ;D

Carl Rogers

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Congressional Blue Renovation
« Reply #4 on: March 16, 2019, 11:19:12 PM »
How many upteen millions have been spent on it?  Hard to guess, I would say.
I decline to accept the end of man. ... William Faulkner