Congressional Blue Course
The Blue Course at Congressional is one of the great championship venues of the American capital region, a long parkland test in Bethesda that has staged three US Opens. Restored by Andrew Green toward its Devereux Emmet roots, it now looks ahead to the 2031 PGA Championship and the 2036 Ryder Cup.
Photo: Congressional Country Club via Google, contributor Pete Alichizi.
The verdict
Congressional Country Club sits in Bethesda, Maryland, a few miles from the heart of Washington DC, and its Blue Course is one of the most decorated championship layouts in the country. The land was first shaped into a golf course by Devereux Emmet in 1924, then expanded into a 36 hole club by Robert Trent Jones in 1962, with Rees Jones sharpening the Blue for its US Opens in the decades after. Most recently Andrew Green led a wholesale restoration, reopened in 2021, that pulled the course back toward Emmet's classical lines while keeping it long enough to test the modern game.
The result is a brawny, handsome parkland course, a par 72 stretching to about 7,500 yards, with broad tree framed corridors, elevated and well defended greens and water that comes into play down the closing holes. It has hosted the US Open in 1964, 1997 and 2011, the 1976 PGA Championship and the KPMG Women's PGA, and it will host the PGA Championship in 2031 and the Ryder Cup in 2036. For golfers it is private, so a round means knowing a member, but it remains one of the marquee names in American championship golf.
Congressional Blue at a glance
- Opened
- 1924
- Designer
- Emmet, restored by A. Green
- Type
- Parkland
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- About 7,500 yds
- Green fee
- Members and guests
Designer, history, par and yardage verified June 2026 from Congressional Country Club references, the Rees Jones and Andrew Green project records and leading course databases. The course traces to Devereux Emmet in 1924, was reworked by Robert Trent Jones and Rees Jones, and restored by Andrew Green, reopened in 2021, a par 72 of about 7,500 yards. Congressional is a private members club with no public tee times; access is as the guest of a member only, so always confirm any arrangement directly before planning a visit.
The holes worth the trip
The Blue Course is built on scale. The Andrew Green restoration widened the playing corridors, restored the bunkering toward Emmet's intent and rebuilt the greens to reward bold, well shaped approaches, but the course still demands length and control off the tee. From the championship markers it is a genuine major venue, with strong, uphill par 4s, a varied set of par 3s and greens that fall away at the edges to punish anything loose.
Its signature has long been the finish around the lake at the base of the property. For the 2011 US Open the routing closed on a long par 4 played to a green set against the water, the kind of nerve testing closer major championships are decided on, and the lakeside holes remain the most photographed on the course. Rory McIlroy ran away with that Open at sixteen under par, a record breaking week that put Congressional back at the center of the championship map.
What you remember is the sense of occasion. The Blue Course is a big, muscular parkland layout that looks and plays like the major venue it is, with the restoration giving it fresh strategic interest while preserving the demands that have tested the best players in the world for a century. It is a course to study and respect rather than overpower.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Private members club; no public tee times. Play is as the guest of a member only |
| Green fee | No published public fee; guest play is arranged by the hosting member (indicative, 2026) |
| Booking | Cannot be booked by the public; a member must host and arrange the round well in advance |
| On the day | Carts and caddies are available; a long, demanding parkland course best played from a sensible tee |
| Getting there | Bethesda, Maryland, a short drive from Washington DC and around 30 to 45 minutes from the DC airports |
| Best months | May to October for the warm, settled mid Atlantic season; spring and autumn are ideal |
Access arrangements verified June 2026; Congressional is private and policies change, so always confirm directly before planning a visit. If you are not hosted by a member, build a Washington trip around the strong public golf of the mid Atlantic and treat Congressional as a championship name to follow rather than play.
Where to stay nearby
Congressional sits in Bethesda, an affluent suburb a short drive from central Washington DC, so visiting golfers have the full range of the capital's hotels within easy reach, from downtown landmarks to quieter bases in Bethesda and the Maryland suburbs close to the club.
The capital region rewards a wider trip. Pair a Washington stay with the best public golf of Maryland and Virginia, add the city's museums and dining for non golf days, and you have an easy, well connected long weekend or week. Let one planner match the hotel to the group and line up the rounds you can secure.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Washington DC.
Build a Washington golf trip
We build the capital region trip around the courses you can play, add a Congressional pairing where access allows and book the lodging around them. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Congressional Blue questions
Who designed the Congressional Blue Course?
The Blue Course traces to a Devereux Emmet design that opened in 1924. Robert Trent Jones reworked the club into 36 holes in 1962, Rees Jones renovated the Blue ahead of major championships in 1990 and 2007, and Andrew Green completed a restoration toward Emmet's original ideas, reopened in 2021.
What is the par and length of the Congressional Blue Course?
The Blue Course is a par 72 measuring about 7,500 yards from the championship tees, a long, demanding parkland test with elevated greens, water in play on several holes and a famous closing stretch around the lake.
What championships has Congressional hosted?
The Blue Course has hosted the US Open in 1964, 1997 and 2011, the 1976 PGA Championship and the KPMG Women's PGA Championship. It is scheduled to host the 2031 PGA Championship and the 2036 Ryder Cup.
Can visitors play the Congressional Blue Course?
No. Congressional Country Club is a private members club in Bethesda, Maryland, with no public tee times. Play is as the guest of a member, so access for visitors is very limited and should be arranged well in advance.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, history, par and yardage verified June 2026; access verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.