Rees Jones did a wonderful job with his renovation of The Blue Course more than a decade ago. He will also be responsible for reversing the direction of the existing Par 3 18th hole in 2006 in preparation for the return of the US Open.

I spoke to the Greens Chairman last week and he indicated that Rees has also proposed 11 new tees for the Open lengthening the course to just over 7,400 yards.

I have played the course many times and prefer to play it when the conditions are fast and firm. When the course is wet it plays extremely long requiring long irons and woods into the par 4 holes. You cannot appreciate the subtle movements in the greens. However when it is firm and fast it shotmaking for approach shots really comes into play.

Man - these guys are RAVING about Congo.  Adorned with media credentials I am spending time in the interview tent.  Sergio told a local TV (channel 9 news) that the back 9 at Congressional was the finest nine holes of golf he has ever played!

Brad Klein just told me that he heard recent neo-architect Singh complaining, "why can't they build courses like this today?".... Ugh!

JC

Geoff Shackleford wote on his site today about Els great five iron to essentially win the Open in 97.  Today he smoothed a wedge into the same hole in soft conditions.  

Paul-

  If I remember correctly, Ernie hit 2 iron from the tee in '97, and had about 212 for his approach.

He hit driver today, as did most of the pros.  

  You're right; it is a very playable course for the membership, but also has the ability to become tougher.  

  It was always fun to play there.  

Maybe the raves from the pros say more about the courses that they usually plan on tour than about Congressional itself. It's the only course in the DC area that could host the US Open but I've always found it a little bland. The conditioning and ambience are as perfect as anyone could want but there just is something missing. Emmet's design was placed on an almost treeless tract and the wide fairways he employed brought more of the great ground contours into play. His design also left plenty of room for stretching the course to today's lengths. If the club, or the Joneses, insisted on perfect rows of trees lining the fairways, it would have been nice to keep a couple of Emmet's cross bunkers out of respect   .

Doug - I think you're right that none of Emmet's greens were used. I think the location of the 3rd green is the same as Emmet's 2nd but none of the others match. As I see it, Jones followed Emmet's routing almost exactly on the front but changed the holes significantly - e.g. Emmet's 3rd and 4th, a par 3 and short par 4 became Jones's 4th. The back 9 is a complete redo.

Craig-

  That's an interesting point and one I've thought about a bit earlier tonight.  Jerry echoed my thoughts as well-specifically, "the pros like the course because it is so straightforward..." and "what you see is what you get."  
I think the pros are probably tired of TPCs and the like.  They seem to love Westchester, Congo, Riviera, Winged Foot, Shinnecock (prior to Sunday), etc.  The "classic" courses.  

They look old, established, whatever.  Not like, for example, that new course they play the New Orleans event on--Daly was right when he called those little pot bunkers "pimples". They're hideous.  

  I went on record last year with the membership in preferring Bethpage Black to Congressional--but I am a little NY/NJ-centric.  Just a little.   And I was homesick.    
My personal opinion was that it was a little repetitive (most of the holes are straight, fairway bunkering decorative rather than strategic) but it was a good test of your game, specifically driving the ball straight, hitting good iron shots.  It is extremely well cared for, and the membership and staff there are all exemplary people.  They want the best for the club and the golf course, and it shows.  


Back to Emmet's routing, we talked about this some, right about this time last year or so.  There should be threads in the archives on here.  


Hey, 300!  Cool!

Jonathan: Any idea of who is going to be doing the redesign at Avenel?

Jonathon,

Rees and his team can build 8 new tees too if they go too low at Agressional
I guess it's easier to call in the "Open Doctor" than it is to doctor the ProV1!

Just like in '97, Congressional showed that there is no demonstrated disadvantage in finishing a Championship on a par 3. Indeed, that like any other type of hole, the right circumstances with a leader on the final tee can make just as great and worthy a finish as any other.

Re: comments about Ernie on #17.

Playing from that tee with the deadliness of missing the fairway and then having to approach a water surrounded green under US Open conditions is a far cry from being able to bomb it down there under Booz Allen conditions. A 3 wood then being played to a must-hit fairway and a 3 wood last week to remain within a desired layup point are not the same animals.