Congressional Country Club Caddy Book

Hole	Information	Overhead
1 Par 4 Handicap 11 Distance Green	The opening hole, a slight dogleg-left par 4. provides an early opportunity for birdie. A driver is not required on this relatively short hole and bunkers guard the right side of the tee-shot landing area. Regardless of the club played from the teeing ground, players will hit short irons into a green that is relatively large by Congressional standards and is guarded by bunkers at the front and back right. Congressional Notes Hole 1:
2 Par 3 Handicap 15 Distance Green	The longest par 3 on the course will almost certainly play the toughest for the week and begins a difficult three-hole stretch. The green is relatively small for the length of the hole and is protected by six bunkers. A ridge runs through the center of the putting surface, which slopes from back left to front right. A 3 is an excellent score for the hole. Congressional Notes Hole 2:
3 Par 4 Handicap 7 Distance Green	A new U.S. Open teeing ground creates a slight dogleg left and adds roughly 10 yards to this par 4. The fairway has been shifted to the right to bring the bunkers in the drive zone into play for the tee shot. The mid-iron approach shot is to a large, slightly elevated green flanked by two bunkers on the left and a pair of pot bunkers on the right. The green pitches from back to front, making any miss long a challenging recovery. Congressional Notes Hole 3:
4 Par 4 Handicap 1 Distance Green	A new U.S. Open teeing ground makes this hole play roughly 40 yards longer than it did for the 1997 U.S. Open. The fairway has been shifted to the left to create a sharper dogleg. The mid-iron approach is to a green that slopes severely from back to front and bunkers await shots that come up short. The green is one of the most challenging on the course, making par a very good score. Congressional Notes Hole 4:
5 Par 4 Handicap 9 Distance Green	Players will typically hit something less than driver off the teeing ground to reach the crest of the hill at the corner of this dogleg left. The ability to curve the ball right to left will certainly assist a player in hitting this narrow, bending fairway. The green slopes from left to right and shots that miss to the right will likely find a closely mown collection area. If played properly, this par 4 will be a good birdie opportunity. Congressional Notes Hole 5:
6 Par 5 Handicap 5 Distance Green	The sixth hole, which played as a long difficult par 4 In the 1964 and the 1997 U.S. Opens, has been converted to a short, risk/reward par 5. Virtually all the players in the field can reach in two shots. The player who tries to avoid the water hazard on his second shot and overshoots the green will face a testing up and down on a green bisected by a swale. Congressional Notes Hole 6:
7 Par 3 Handicap 17 Distance Green	The seventh hole Is a medium-length par 3 that plays uphill to a two-tiered green. Deep bunkers guard the front of the green, although a player who misses the green in any direction will be left with a very difficult recovery. Regardless of which tier the hole location is on. staying below the hole will be very important on this green that has a pronounced pitch from back to front. Congressional Notes Hole 7:
8 Par 4 Handicap 13 Distance Green	The shortest par 4 on the course presents an excellent birdie opportunity. Most players will opt for something less than driver, leaving themselves a lofted approach. The fairway slopes from left to right while the green has a relatively severe slope from back left to front right. A miss long and left of the green is the one mistake a player cannot afford if he expects to take advantage of this relatively easy hole. Congressional Notes Hole 8:
9 Par 5 Handicap 3 Distance Green	The longest hole on the course has a new back left teeing ground that adds some 30 yards since the 1997 U.S. Open. This is a true three-shot par 5. with the third shot likely played with a short iron. A key here is placing the ball in the correct quadrant as two prominent ridges divide the green into three sections. Congressional Notes Hole 9:
10 Par 3 Handicap 16 Distance Green	The new par 3 10th hole replaces the par 3 finishing hole from the 1997 U.S. Open and plays in the opposite direction. Because of the elevated teeing ground, this hole will generally play one club shorter. Any shot that lands short of the green will surely end up in the water. Distance control off the teeing ground will be important because a bailout long will leave a very difficult recovery to a green that slopes back toward the pond. Congressional Notes Hole 10:
11 Par 4 Handicap 10 Distance Green	This hole Is likely to play as one of the toughest par 4s on the course. The fairway has been shifted to the right, up against the stream. The player who can play their tee shot on the fiat right side of the drive zone will have a distinct advantage playing their approach shot into this very narrow green, which is protected by a pond. Congressional Notes Hole 11:
12 Par 4 Handicap 12 Distance Green	A new U.S. Open teeing ground adds some 55 yards to this dogleg-left par 4. The bunker on the outside corner will come into play for most tee shots The mid-iron approach shot is slightly downhill to a green guarded by bunkers at each front corner. Congressional Notes Hole 12:
13 Par 3 Handicap 18 Distance Green	This par 3 features a mid-Iron tee shot that plays slightly uphill to a heart-shaped green with three distinct sections. Players who are long with their tee shots to the narrow front-center hole location will find it very difficult to make par because of the steep back-to-front pitch of the green. Congressional Notes Hole 13:
14 Par 4 Handicap 4 Distance Green	Despite this hole's length, some players may hit less than a driver because the fairway gradually narrows in the drive zone. The mid-iron approach shot is to an elevated green that is one of the toughest on the course. If the player is successful in hitting the green in regulation, he will still have work to do on this very undulating green that slopes sharply from back to front. Congressional Notes Hole 14:
15 Par 4 Handicap 2 Distance Green	With a new teeing ground adding some 50 yards for this U.S. Open, the very demanding slight dogleg-left hole features four bunkers on the right side of the drive zone. The mid- or long-iron approach shot is to a dramatically elevated green that slopes back left to front right. Three bunkers guard the front and right of this angled green. Congressional Notes Hole 15:
16 Par 5 Handicap 6 Distance Green	This hole will play the same yardage as it did in 1997. but the fairway bunkers have been moved farther down the drive zone. Any misplayed shot to this elevated green in any direction will translate into a ball that rolls down the hill, as a closely mown area was recently instituted that surrounds the green. Congressional Notes Hole 16:
17 Par 4 Handicap 8 Distance Green	Many players will hit less than a driver to avoid going over the steep hillside at the end of the fairway. The undulating green is divided by pronounced ridges, making it difficult to two-putt from the wrong segment of the green. Congressional Notes Hole 17:
18 Par 4 Handicap 14 Distance Green	This demanding par 4 requires a tee shot down the right side to take advantage of the downhill right-to-left slope in the fairway. That leaves a mid-iron approach shot to a peninsula green angled from right to left. The green is bisected, making two putts a challenge when playing from the wrong quadrant. This is one of the great finishing holes in all of championship golf and likely will decide the 111th U.S. Open champion. Congressional Notes Hole 18: