PGA Tour stop: Congressional Country Club outside Washington, D.C.

William K. Wolfrum,
Staff Writer

The PGA Tour stops at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md., this week for the AT&T National hosted by Tiger Woods. Here's a look at the golf course.

Thanks to Tiger Woods, the PGA Tour is once again making a prime stop in the nation's capital, as Woods hosts the AT&T National at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md.

The invitational tourney marks its inaugural year with a star-studded cast of the best in the business: Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, Vijay Singh, Adam Scott and a slew of other stars prepare to tee it up next to Tiger at the legendary Blue Course at Congressional.

Congressional Country Club facts

As with the other PGA Tour events that have been held at Congressional, the AT&T National will be held on the Blue Course.

Devereux Emmet was the original architect of the course, which opened in 1924. It was then redesigned by Robert Trent Jones Sr., in 1957, and reworked again by Rees Jones in 1989. For this test, the course will play to 7,204 yards with a par of 70. The greens are bent grass, while Bermuda grass is used for the fairways.

No stranger to honors, the Blue Course was ranked as the No. 86 course in Golf Digest's list of the "100 Greatest Golf Courses."

"The golf course is in phenomenal shape. It's going to be one heck of a test," Woods told reporters prior to the start of the tournament.

PGA Tour History

The Congressional has a storied history on the PGA Tour, having hosted some of the tour's most heralded events. It's twice been host to the ,a href="http://www.worldgolf.com/golf-history/us-upen-golf-champions-through-history-2295.htm">U.S. Open - in 1964 when Ken Venturi was the winner, and in 1997 when Ernie Els was the winner. The Blue Course is scheduled to host the U.S. Open again in 2011. It will also host the U.S. Amateur in 2009.

During the nation's bicentennial in 1976, the Congressional hosted the PGA Championship, with Dave Stockton taking home the honors, while in 1995, Tom Weiskopf won the U.S. Senior Open there.

From 1980 to 1986, the course was a regular stop on the PGA Tour, as it hosted the Kemper Open, later renamed the Booz Allen Classic. It again hosted the event in 2005, when the tournament's host course - the TPC at Avenel - was under renovation. With the PGA Tour returning to Congressional for the first time since then, players and fans are excited to see golf returning to the illustrious area.

"I know the community has certainly embraced this event and people are excited to come out. There's been a lot of buzz about this event and we have a great field on a fantastic golf course," said Woods.

Congressional Country Club's Gold Course

While the Blue Course has been where the pro tournaments have been played, the Gold Course has more than enough drawing power at this $100,000-a-membership private club.

Also designed by Emmet and opening in 1924, the Gold Course has been renovated twice by some big names in golf architecture. George and Tom Fazio redid the final nine holes in 1977, while in 2000, the course got a complete renovation from Arthur Hills to add length.

The Gold Course at Congressional now plays to 6,844 yards and a par 71, with a 135 slope rating from the back tees. It was ranked as the No. 5 course in Maryland in Golf Digest's 2007 list of "Greatest Golf Courses in 2007."

July 6, 2007