Congressional Country Club

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The club was founded in 1921 by two Indiana Republican congressmen, Oscar E. Bland and O.R. Luhring, who felt that existing Washington-area golf clubs did not cater well to members of Congress and other government officials. Then-Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover was recruited to serve as the club's first president, and Presidents Warren G. Harding, Woodrow Wilson, and William Howard Taft were given honorary membership. To fund construction, the club offered $1,000 lifetime memberships to a wide group of leaders in business and members, and the club opened on May 23, 1924, in a ceremony attended by President Calvin Coolidge, Mrs. Coolidge, and Chief Justice Taft. The club's finances in its early years were precarious and badly impacted by the Great Depression. By the late 1930s, it was unable to meet its obligations. In 1940, the club's lien holder foreclosed and held a public auction of its assets. Several members reorganized themselves as Congressional Country Club, Inc. and offered the sole bid of $270,000. In 1943, during World War II, the Congressional Country Club was requisitioned by America's wartime intelligence service, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), for use as a training facility and billeting returning OSS agents from active duty overseas. The OSS's rent payments and reimbursement for post-war restoration works—they were said to have 'ripped the course to shreds'—enabled the club to pay off its debts and gain a firm financial footing. Despite its name, by the 2000s, the political component of its membership had dwindled, and politicians were said to shy away from the club due to concerns around ethics and elitism. While the club had once offered a membership discount to members of Congress, this had been discontinued in the 1970s; the club's high initiation fees (then over $100,000) and long waiting list dissuaded most from joining. By 2011, it was said that zero members of Congress numbered amongst its members. A former club president described the membership as largely 'doctors and lawyers', in addition to many lobbyists.

In Their Own Story

The first major championship at Congressional was the U.S. Open in 1964, won by Ken Venturi in oppressive heat with a score of two under par in the last Open to finish with two rounds on Saturday. A dozen years later, the PGA Championship was held at Congressional in 1976. With the course playing as a par 70, 1970 champion Dave Stockton sank a par-saving putt on the 72nd hole to win his second PGA Championship by one stroke at 281 (+1). The second U.S. Open at Congressional was played in 1997. Ernie Els, the 1994 champion, won his second U.S. Open with a score of four under par. The Blue Course hosted again in 2011, and 22-year-old Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland won his first major at 16 under par, a U.S. Open record, with a victory margin of eight shots. Congressional has hosted two senior majors, the U.S. Senior Open in 1995, won by Tom Weiskopf, four strokes ahead of runner-up Jack Nicklaus and the 2025 Senior PGA Championship, won by Ángel Cabrera. It hosted its first women's major in 2022 with the Women's PGA Championship, won by Chun In-gee.

Reader's Guide

Congressional has two 18-hole golf courses: the world-renowned Blue Course and the Gold Course. The Blue Course was designed by Devereux Emmet and has been renovated over the years by numerous architects, including Donald Ross, Robert Trent Jones, and, before the 2011 U.S. Open, by Rees Jones. In 2019, Andrew Green began a wholesale restoration of the Blue Course to Devereux Emmet's 1924 original design and a remodeling of the club's practice facilities. The course was included in the Links series, and in 2011 is to be available for the Virtual Championship at World Golf Tour. Both courses are known for their rolling terrain, tree-lined fairways, and challenging greens. Water hazards also come into play on both courses. The Blue Course measures 7,574 yards (6,926 m) from the back tees. It is a par 72 (but plays as a par 71 for all PGA tour events, with hole 11 reduced to a par 4) with a course and slope rating of 75.4/142. Bent grass is used for the fairways and for the greens. Until 2009, when it was renovated, Annual Bluegrass (Poa annua) was used for the greens. The Gold Course has always been shorter than the Blue Course. It has been renovated twice, with George Fazio and Tom Fazio redoing the final nine holes in 1977. In 2000, the course underwent a complete renovation by Arthur Hills. Not only did Hills lengthen the course, but he also reconstructed the tees, fairways, greens, and cart paths. The course is now as challenging as the Blue Course. It ranked 5th Greatest Golf Course in the state of Maryland according to Golf Digest Greatest Golf Courses in 2007. It now measures 6,844 yards (6,258 m) from the back tees. It is a par 71 with a slope rating of 73.6/135. Bent grass is used for the fairways, and Poa annua grass is used for the greens.

Did You Know?

• The club was founded in 1921 by two Indiana Republican congressmen, Oscar E. Bland and O.R. Luhring.
• Then-Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover served as the club's first president.
• In 1943, the club was requisitioned by the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) for use as a training facility and billeting returning agents.
• The Blue Course was originally designed to finish on a par-three 18th hole, but the USGA disliked finishing on a par-three, leading to multiple routing changes.
• In 2018, the PGA of America selected Congressional to host eight future championships, including the 2030 PGA Championship and 2037 Ryder Cup.