"I want our golf tournament to be there for perpetuity"

I don't! And I suspect a number of players with more discerning taste would agree. From Doug Ferguson's weekly notes:

The board of directors at Congressional Country Club has recommended a three-year contract to host the AT&T National starting in 2012, with an option for three more years that will take it to 2017, The Washington Post reported.

It still requires approval from the full membership, but tournament host Tiger Woods liked the development.

"I want our golf tournament to be there for perpetuity," Woods said. "It is an unbelievable golf course, and in our nation's capitol, on our nation's birthday. The stars couldn't get aligned even more than what it is. Hopefully, we can keep it there."

Comments

[Miss Cleveland, 2nd Grade]

Capitol is a building.

[MC]

Mrs. Cleveland,

Right, but the golf course is actually in the lobby, so it's OK.

[MC]

As long as we're at it, shouldn't it be "in perpetuity" or "for eternity"?

[Greg]

According to Golfweek.com, Congressional was originally designed by Devereaux Emmet in 1924, redesigned by Donald Ross in 1930, redesigned again by Robert Trent Jones in 1959, and then redesigned for a third time by Rees Jones in 1989. I think Rees has made other changes since then, and recently he was quoted as saying that Congressional is his course. (He said that same thing about Torrey Pines, BTW.) Soon he'll declare Bethpage Black his course. He has no respect for any other architects (dead or alive). He'd probably bulldoze the Old Course if given the opportunity.

[Steven T.]

Whatever happened to the talk of Aronimink in suburban Philadelphia hosting this event in 2011 when the US Open is played at Congressional?

[golfman]

Having just played Oakland Hills, which was originally a Ross design, redone by Trent Jones, redone by Rees Jones...it is a bland but difficult course that never gets the heart beating...just like Congressional.

[JackM]

What's the problem with Congressional? Didn't they get rid of the 3 par 18th?

[pa boy]

There is zero chatter here in the Philly burbs about Aronimink hosting this event in the years near the open at congressional. Over the winter it was the topic of discussion. Last I heard is that they had Fazio out to suggest new back tees. Hard to belive Ron Prichard could not do that work for them as he did the restoration work at the start of the millenium.

[fanny patter]

golfman - there are universes of difference between Congressional and Oakland Hills. You are a complete nincompoop and do not recognize differences in architecture that are as different as your hand and your neighbor's giraffe's hooves.

Oakland Hills has just been messed around with as regards fairway widths, fairway bunkering schema and added length. The routing (where the holes go and whatnot, if I have to explain that then you really need help) and greens are still by Mr. Donald Ross, said greens essentially unchanged. All changes completely reversible if the membership ever decides to become sane again. Very good golf course.

Congressional on the other hand:
RTJ, Sr. completely designed a golf course from scratch nach dem Kriege. Don't look for any Devereaux Emmet 'cause you ain't findin' nuttin'.

The OSS (precursor to CIA) completely took over the CCC complex during the second Great War to include such niceties as underwater demolitions in the indoor pool complex. So after the war, the club was given $1MM by the world-famous US Government to re-build their golf course(s). That's where RTJ, Sr. came in.
Rees modified that by building a new 10th par 3 and made the old #10, #11 and the old #17 now #18. Hole Ten is horrid and the routing now is world-class bad. One needs a seeing eye dog to find the next hole about 5 times.

A confused mess of a golf course that is long.

Go study. Then give up commenting on golf courses altogether.

Also pa boy, A-mink brass are still considering Tiger's fun-fest, There may be no chatter coming your way, but it's still under consideration.

A new tee on #9 and 18 are the most notable changes under consideration. Island tees are well-known to be a Fazio specialty as he built many at Saucon Valley along with wholesale de-Strongification of that course, but any greens committee can tella grounds man with a bulldozer, a laser-level and a stack of sod to do that..