I had the good fortune in returning to Congressional in covering the recently played Senior PGA Championship played there. The "new" Blue Course is a compelling layout, and one just tip one's hat to Andrew Green and to the senior leadership at the club for taking the course to a far more interesting result.

The clutter of tree-infested fairways is a thing of the past. Now the Spanish revival clubhouse can be seen from just about all of the holes. The green complexes and the immediate surrounding areas have plenty of vexing movements. There are a number of holes with closely mown areas that can sweep indifferent approaches away and force players to make crucial decisions on what club to use in such situations.

The movement in the fairways is also a quality element because it requires clear thinking on what side of the fairway provides the best angle into the target.

If there is a downside -- the two par-3's on the front side are fairly similar in terms of the topographical element. Both play to uphill targets. Each is quite specific and challenging. The two par-5's on the front side go in the same direction but both are clearly different from one another in terms of length and strategic calculations.

What really fascinated me is the new par-3 at the 10th. For a number of years Congressional has gone back and forth on what to do with the situation presented. Originally the area of land in question had the finishing hole as a par-3 (1997 U.S. Open). Then for the 2011 championship a "new" par-3 was created by Rees Jones and that hole simply seemed out of character to the rest of the course.

Green has brilliantly created a short hole nearer to the clubhouse that plays 150 yards. The hole commences from an elevated tee to a green protected by water to the rear and right side. The green is well-designed with varying movements and pin locations. A back left position is especially daunting to land a ball and have it stay there. The "new" hole fits so well into the total picture of the round.

The rest of the inward half is a strong test. The removal of the trees allows for the broad canvass of the terrain to truly shine. Once you reach the 14th the road to the clubhouse is a stern test with four of the five being demanding two-shot holes highlighted by the terrific closing hole at the 18th.

Congressional suffered when the 2011 U.S. Open was played not just because of the record low scores but because the layout was cluttered with non-essential ingredients.

Andrew Green has worked magic at a number of other old-time established layouts (see Inverness as another example). Congressional lost its ways for a time -- but that time is now in the rear-view mirror. Those who have not been back should endeavor to see / play the course if and when the opportunity arises.