Photo: Carl Lindberg · CC BY 2.5
Congressional Country Club — Blue Course
Bethesda, Maryland, United States
18 Holes · Par 72 · Private club — no published green fee; play is by member invitation · Parkland
— About
About Congressional Country Club — Blue Course
Congressional Country Club's Blue Course is a private 18-hole, par 72 championship course in Bethesda, Maryland. Devereux Emmet drew the original design in 1924, Robert Trent Jones Sr. redesigned it in 1957, his son Rees Jones renovated it between 1989 and 2006, and Andrew Green led the most recent rebuild, which reopened in 2021. Green's version has very few trees and relies on prominent bunkering, so the course now reads as an open, modern test. It has hosted championships from the 1960s onward.
- Dave Stockton won the 1976 PGA Championship on the Blue Course.
- Ernie Els won a U.S. Open at Congressional, one of several times the championship has come to the club.
- The 2022 Women's PGA Championship was played on the Blue Course, extending its major history beyond the men's game.
- Critics are divided on Green's rebuild, with praise for its bunkering and complaints that it looks built for broadcasts.
History of Congressional Country Club — Blue Course
The club's first U.S. Open, in 1964, is remembered for the heat. Ken Venturi played the final day in temperatures near 100 degrees after doctors warned him about dehydration, and he won his only major. Rory McIlroy set a very different tone in 2011, taking the U.S. Open by eight strokes.
Signature holes at Congressional Country Club — Blue Course
The 10th is the hole most tied to Green's rebuild, a drop-shot par 3 that plays across water. The 12th is a par 4 that doglegs around a cluster of bunkers on the inside of the bend, so a player who wants a shorter approach has to flirt with sand. The back nine as a whole tends to draw more praise than the front.
When to play Congressional Country Club — Blue Course
The date is whatever your host arranges rather than a season you choose. Summers around Washington are hot and humid, as the 1964 Open showed, so spring and fall are the gentler choices if you have a say. Ask the member how firm the greens and bunker surrounds are that week.
Playing Congressional Country Club — Blue Course: tips
There is no public access. A round at the Blue Course means playing as the guest of a member, and the club does not sell tee times or publish a green fee.
— Weather at Congressional Country Club — Blue Course
Approximate conditions · Observed · Open-Meteo
Visit Congressional Country Club — Blue Course
8500 River Rd, Bethesda, MD 20817
Bethesda, Maryland, United States
— FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about Congressional Country Club — Blue Course
Can the public play Congressional Country Club?
No. You need a member to invite you, and there is no tee-time booking.
Where is Congressional Country Club?
It is at 8500 River Road in Bethesda, Maryland.
What should I ask my host before I travel?
Ask about caddies, dress and arrival times, since the club offers no visitor guidance of its own.