Hole No.1

Par-4, 350 yards
Augusta National, Georgia
Known as Flowering Peach after a deciduous tree that blooms in time for the Masters, this short par-4 appears to offer the gentlest of starts. But its appearance is dangerously deceptive. Apart from the biggest hitters who might chance their arm by taking driver, most players will opt for position short of the fairway bunker complex (built in 1982) that famously put paid to Jeff Maggert’s challenge in 2003. A smooth wedge should follow, but designer Alister Mackenzie warned: “The left side of the green is very narrow, whereas the right side is broad. It’s easy for anyone to reach the wide portion of the green with their second shot but difficult to reach the narrow end where the pin will usually be placed.” This shallow green also has a raised front to devour shots hit with too much backspin and a run-off behind for which the words ‘short-sided’ could have been coined.

Hole No.2

Par-4, 428 yards
Oakmont CC, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The Church Pews bunker occupies two acres of real estate down the left side of the fairway (it poses a similar threat on the adjoining 4th). For many golfers this is a place of worship, though Mr. Palmer might have dissented just after the photograph of him playing from the Church Pews during his final U.S. Open appearance in 1994 was taken. The Church Pews is made up of 12 grass-covered ridges filled with sand in between, and often a sideways or backward chip is the only means of escape. A line of five traps down the right make this one of golf’s hardest driving holes, though a straight blow usually sets up a short iron to an elevated green sloping slightly away but fairly flat by Oakmont standards. However, a cluster of bunkers in front of the green—three right and two left—lie in wait for anything misdirected or mishit.

 

Hole No.3

Par-3, 198 yards
Torrey Pines Golf Course (South), La Jolla, California
The South Course, a natural masterpiece with a little human design thrown in for good measure, is an early stop-off on the PGA Tour’s annual schedule. The view from this tee is among the most breathtaking in golf as this hole slopes sharply downhill toward a green that rests on a large cliff directly above the Pacific Ocean. The wind is a huge factor when it comes to playing this hole because even though it’s usually pretty brisk from off the ocean it tends to swirl unpredictably. Sometimes the best way to judge its direction is to watch the paragliders that invariably hover over the beach below—visually right above the green. The bunker intruding into the left front of the putting surface and the thick scrub beyond mean that the safe play is to aim at the right half of the green. Another error to guard against is hitting long and over the cliff-edge.

Hole No.4

Par-5, 516 yards
Kingsbarns Golf Links, Fife, Scotland
This Kyle Phillips design just south of St. Andrews opened in 2000 and is perhaps the outstanding links of the modern era. Set on a beguiling stretch of coastal headland, Kingsbarns offers a view of the North Sea from all 18 holes. On a calm day, this fast-draining, sandy-soiled masterpiece offers plenty of birdie opportunities. None more so than at this risk-reward par-5 that invariably tempts players into an aggressive approach. With the prevailing wind, a drive aimed to the left will feed down the slope onto a fairway that runs like a chute between the dunes and a similar line is needed for the second shot to reach a slightly raised green. But when the wind blows out to sea, the slightest cut will likely result in a visit to the beach. Otherwise, the biggest threat is the serpentine bunker that stretches almost 50 yards up toward the right front of the green.

Hole No.5

Par-4, 477 yards
Royal Lytham & St. Annes, Lancashire, England
The ideal tee shot on this straight but treacherous par-4, the longest hole on the front nine, should finish on the right side of the fairway, just left of the scrub and the out-of-bounds (a rail track) that lurk menacingly further right. With a ditch and a procession of bunkers flanking the left side of the fairway between 180 and 280 yards, many players at the 2012 [British] Open Championship will aim to fade a long iron or fairway wood off the tee with the prevailing easterly crosswind and then fire a mid-iron at the middle-front of a slightly raised, well-bunkered green that is better missed on the right than the left. The main objective for the second shot is to pull up short of the bunker that eats into the back left of the putting surface. However, the green, fairly flat in a hummock-sheltered bowl, also has a couple of right-hand bunkers that must be avoided.

Hole No.6

Par-4, 405 yards
Chung Shan Hot Springs (Palmer), Zhongshan City, China
This Arnold Palmer design in the rural heartland of Guangdong Province in southern China became the country’s first new golf course for more than half a century when it opened in 1984. The brainchild of the late Hong Kong tycoon Henry Fok, the rolling Palmer Course at Chung Shan Hot Springs meanders through groves of gum trees, ivy-covered hills and lily-padded ponds. Unlike most modern Chinese layouts (it has small greens and tree-lined fairways as opposed to oceans of sand and water), the course was built without the aid of a single piece of machinery—400,000 cubic yards of dirt were moved entirely by hand. Hole No.3 is a classic dogleg-left par-4 where the green is hidden from the tee. Flat and slightly elevated, the green is guarded by a canal, a deep, front-left bunker and out-of-bounds to the left. The ideal line for both the drive and approach is to err slightly to the right.

Hole No.7

Par-3, 196 yards
Cherokee Run, Conyers, Georgia
Mr. Palmer is especially proud of this semi-private facility that he laid out with Ed Seay for the city of Conyers back in 1995—so much so that it bears the hallmark of an Arnold Palmer Signature Course. This visually attractive, downhill par-3 has four sets of tees, ranging from 196 yards (black) to 110 yards (burgundy). The further back the tee is positioned, the higher the elevation from which the shot is played and the more engaging the view. From the back tee, a carry of at least 190 yards is required, largely due to the presence of a cavernous bunker that eats into the front and right half of the green. The usually slick putting surface slopes from front to back toward a pair of traps that sweep round behind. These have been carved out of the rock face and are backed by an eye-catching fieldstone wall that abuts the sand.

Hole No.8

Par-5, 560 yards
Oceanico Victoria Golf Course, Vilamoura, Algarve, Portugal
The Palmer-designed Oceanico Victoria course has matured considerably since it opened in 2005 and within a matter of weeks it found itself hosting the World Cup of Golf team event, albeit in distinctly inclement weather. This long, tough par-5 requires a straight tee shot though a big tree guards the left side of the landing area. For the second shot, a group of three bunkers spreads across the fairway at around 450 yards so a decision has to be made whether to go for the carry or lay up with a view to playing a comfortable wedge, ideally from the left side, into an elevated green that is especially visible with the flag standing out and fluttering on the skyline. Long hitters can reach the green in two with a favorable breeze, but the second shot must be accurate as the entrance is narrow and surrounded by trouble, including more traps front left.

Hole No.9

Par-4, 466 yards
Baltusrol (Lower), Springfield, New Jersey
There’s a reason Baltusrol has staged seven U.S. Opens (the first in 1903), eight other USGA events and the 2005 PGA Championship—and the clue is in the enduring course designs of A.W. Tillinghast. As with all great clubs, though, Baltusrol has made a point of moving with the times and several of its holes have been lengthened and tightened to accommodate modern equipment. In 2016, the PGA Championship will return to the Lower Course and the 3rd, a long, right-to-left dogleg, is again likely to pose one of its stiffer challenges even though it plays slightly downhill. A long drive is required to a fairway that is relatively open despite being tree-lined, but more demanding is the approach to a green guarded by a creek in front, two deep bunkers to the right and another trap left. When it comes to putting, a spine through the green from front to back creates sharp breaks on both sides.

 

Hole No.10

Par-4, 498 yards
Erin Hills, Hartford, Wisconsin
This Michael Hurdzan, Dana Fry and Ron Whitten collaboration across 652 acres of glacial terrain 35 miles northwest of Milwaukee is already seen as one of America’s foremost golf properties despite only opening in 2006. Kelly Kraft won the 111th U.S. Amateur Championship here this summer and the U.S. Open comes calling in 2017. With no cart paths, this ‘walking only’ course is a celebration of ‘natural golf’. One shining example of this is the long par-4 3rd. From the left-hand tees, it’s a case of ‘carry what you dare’ over the corner of the tamarack wetlands by aiming at the bunker on the far right hillside. From the right-hand tees, it’s best to favor the right center of the fairway to avoid kicking down toward the traps on the left. The green has three distinct levels—low on the right, high front left and higher still back left. The safe approach is short or right.

Hole No.11

Par-4, 434 yards
Bay Hill Club & Lodge, Orlando, Florida
After two tricky opening holes that require both length and precision, this sumptuous par-4, doglegging left at right-angles round the largest of the five lakes on Bay Hill’s main course, completes a challenging start to the round. It goes without saying that extreme care needs to be exercised with the tee shot, whether struck from the tips the Tour pros use during the Arnold Palmer Invitational or from further forward. Players who fail to take note of the breeze can easily fall foul of a crosswind that will force the ball further left than intended, toward the expanse of water that hugs the left side of the fairway. However, an extensive bunker eating into the right elbow of the dogleg awaits any drive that flies too far down the conservative line. The approach to the well-bunkered and relatively small green must carry over the rock wall that sits at the water’s edge.

Hole No.12

Par-3, 149 yards
Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, Carlsbad, California
Located just north of San Diego, this Palmer-designed coastal layout stretches beyond 7,000 yards and offers subtle glimpses of the Pacific Ocean. It is sculpted around rolling hillsides and native wildflowers as well as numerous water hazards, including cascading waterfalls and streams that are visual extensions of the Batiquitos Lagoon. Home to more than 130 species of shorebirds and waterfowl, Aviara took nearly a decade to develop before its opening in 1991 because of the need to preserve its environmentally sensitive wetlands. This delightful short hole is not usually a scorecard wrecker but it demonstrates why Aviara is considered one of America’s most scenic courses. With what is in effect an island green—two waterfalls, front left and back right, feed into lakes that fold round 75 percent of the putting surface­—care must also be taken to avoid two back bunkers that catch anything hit long by players wary of falling short and drowning.

 

Hole No.13

Par-4, 474 yards
Royal County Down (Championship), Newcastle, Northern Ireland
This beautiful links, stretching alongside Dundrum Bay with the Mountains of Mourne as a glorious backdrop, was first built by ‘Old’ Tom Morris in 1889 for the sum of four guineas ($7 at today’s exchange rates). Narrow ribbons of fairway, flanked by purple heather and golden gorse, thread their way through mighty sand dunes while the ‘bearded’ bunkers feature overhanging lips of marram, red fescue and heather, and the greens are fast and mainly domed. This spectacular par-4 overlooks the bay from an elevated tee. Shorter hitters aim between two fairway bunkers, allowing for a bounce right, while longer hitters can fly the left-hand trap onto a plateau that delivers a superb line into a flat, slick green. The approach is awkward due to the knuckle guarding the front left of the putting surface, which throws underhit shots right and short, and a deep bunker, also front left, from which the only bail-out is pin-high right.

Hole No.14

Par-4, 390 yards
Pebble Beach Golf Links, Monterey Peninsula, California
Since 1919, the exquisite beauty and unique challenge of Pebble Beach Golf Links have thrilled golfers and spectators alike. Designed by enthusiastic amateurs Jack Neville and Douglas Grant for founding owner Samuel F.B. Morse, the course hugs the rugged coastline of Carmel Bay with its sweeping vistas, cliff-top fairways and sloping greens. In addition to being the venue for the annual AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, this iconic links will stage its sixth U.S. Open Championship in 2019. On the face of it, the 3rd hole represents an early birdie opportunity, though plenty can go wrong! A gentle draw round the corner of this right-to-left dogleg should find the heart of the fairway and leave a short pitch into a tightly-bunkered green. But those who play safe to the far right of the barranca in front of the tee will find themselves flirting with three diagonal bunkers just off the right side of the fairway.

Hole No.15

Par-5, 511 yards
St. Andrews (New), Fife, Scotland
Before a second course was built in St. Andrews in 1895, the first layout was known simply as the Links. But with its sibling’s arrival it was rebranded as the Old Course and the second, predictably, was named the New Course. This classic links, with undulating fairways and challenging greens, was initially designed by ‘Old’ Tom Morris, and to this day remains one of his finest achievements. Using modern equipment, the ‘long’ 3rd is often reachable in two shots by good players. The line off the tee is to aim for the right half of the fairway, making sure not to stray toward the line of three pot bunkers in the light rough. From the middle, the only real impediment in front of a wide double-green (shared with the 15th) is a large depression that deflects run-up shots to the left. The shallowness of the green, though, makes it hard to hold, even with a pitch.

Hole No.16

Par-3, 223 yards
The Olympic Club (Lake), San Francisco, California
The venue for next year’s U.S. Open has no water hazards and instead owes its name to nearby Lake Merced. Even though the final four holes usually take their toll, the stretch between the 2nd and 5th, known as Earthquake Corner, is equally exacting. The terrain on this slightly downhill hole slopes away to the right while, confusingly, the green tilts in the opposite direction and uphill. Protected by bunkers right and left, not to mention a firmness that often causes an exaggerated bounce, the green can only be hit by a long-iron or hybrid, though holding it is no ‘given.’ Indeed, the penalty for overshooting the target and scurrying down the hill beyond is a short-sided second shot, and almost certain bogey. However, the apron in front of the green provides a lay-up option. In 1955, Jack Fleck holed a 20-foot putt from here during his shock playoff victory over Ben Hogan in Olympic’s first U.S. Open.

 

Hole No.17

Par-4, 296 yards
Kingston Heath, Victoria, Australia
Well-connected visitors to the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne might have been lucky enough to play the other world-class, sandbelt course in the city’s southern suburbs. After moving to its current site in 1925, Kingston Heath benefited from Alister Mackenzie’s design input and this short par-4 is one of the good doctor’s signature holes. Five-time [British] Open champion Peter Thomson regrets in the club’s history that “holes of this length are not built any more” and describes the 3rd as a “gem.” A slight dogleg right, it can be driven with a power fade but any sacrifice of accuracy guarantees a dropped shot. Therefore, most tee shots are played with a long-iron or rescue club, followed by a pitch to a small, raised green surrounded by five bunkers to the right, two more to the left and a deep depression over the back. The green, often firm and fast, is difficult to hold from any of these hazards.

Hole No.18

Par-5, 625 yards
Essex County Club, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts
History abounds at this most traditional club that dates back to 1893 and boasts an 18-hole design that took Donald Ross nearly a decade (1908-17) to complete. Essex County Club was also the home of sisters Harriot and Margaret Curtis, founders of the biennial ladies’ amateur team match between the U.S. and Great Britain & Ireland that bears their name. When the 2010 Curtis Cup took place at Essex County Club, the players only had to tackle the massive 3rd from 556 yards rather than its full, unexpurgated length. But this rugged three-shotter’s difficulties aren’t confined to distance. Firstly, the drive must skirt a ‘transition area’ that contains sand, rocks and thick fauna; then, the second shot must avoid a stream to the left and a giant bunker up the right; finally, a strong approach is usually required to a ‘bathtub’ green protected by a deep hollow front left and a pot bunker back right.