| Royal Birkdale Open Championship Course |
| Hole 1 |
450 yards Par 4 |
Accuarcy off the tee vital – expect to see long irons or hybrids off the tee to find left side of the fairway. This gives a view of the flag with the second with around 230 yards left. Big sand hill to fly from the right. Green has some new contours and slopes from front to back. |
| Hole 2 |
421 yards par 4 |
New bunkers down the right and deep rough so finding left side of the fairway is vital. Driver into the wind leaves around 150 yards to small but fairly simple green but must avoid short-siding yourself. |
| Hole 3 |
451 yards par 4 |
New tee adds 44 yards making this another long hole although the helping prevailing wind means a three-wood is the likely play to avoid the bunkers which are a chip out. Left side is safer route again. Big green but back pin is tough to reach. |
| Hole 4 |
201 yards par 3 |
Elevated tee and plays shorter than in 1998 – the only hole that does. New mound and humps plus enlarged right greenside bunker. Tricky if wind is from the left and a left pin requires a draw into the bank. Need to make birdie here to get a score going. |
| Hole 5 |
346 yards par 4 |
Narrow hole with dog-leg right. Downwind big hitters will be tempted for a shy at the green but there are dangers lurking in the shape of knee deep rough right on the bank. Green well-protected and expanded slightly on the right. |
| Hole 6 |
499 yards par 4 |
A carry of 275 yards to see the green means if played into the wind from the new tee, it’s going to play closer to the par five it is for the members. Laying up short of the cross-bunkers leaves a long, blind approach to a long and narrow green. Expect some early momentum to come to a grinding halt here. |
| Hole 7 |
178 yards par 3 |
Well-protected small green with tiny pot bunkers leaving many a tricky up-and-down. Back pin requires a great draw. Back-to-back bogeys could abound. One of only two unchanged holes. |
| Hole 8 |
457 yards par 4 |
Get the big stick out especially for the drawers who can take on a long slow curve to the left. Tiger almost drove the green in ’98 but three- wood may still be the call as you need to find the short stuff. The fairway traps are penal and there are two new ones on each side. Typical Birkdale green with gentle borrows. Rear gully on the right now in play. |
| Hole 9 |
414 yards par 4 |
Fairway has been moved to the left to increase the dog leg. A tee shot of 270 yards is on the money with new mounds catching out anyone who cuts the corner. Raised green with deep rough awaiting if you fly it. |
| Hole 10 |
408 yards par 4 |
Carrying the new bunkers at 250 yards is vital with a sharp dog-leg left. Short approach of around 130 yards into the wind means it is easy to leave the second hanging if you go for too much backspin. |
| Hole 11 |
436 yards par 4 |
Straight and narrow hole with new tee moved back and right. New bunker on the left at 270 yards makes it even tougher into the wind. Players will be forced to take driver if the wind is up. Hog’s back running down the centre of the green will cause plenty of three putts. |
| Hole 12 |
184 yards par 3 |
Best short hole at Birkdale according to Tom Watson, winner here in 1983, and left alone by Mr Hawtree & Co. Wind normally off the right where a sandhill juts out, so a fade with extra club is the call. |
| Hole 13 |
499 yards par 4 |
Elevated tee offers great views with remodelled bunkers on the left of fairway at 324 yards, with new one on the right at 290 mark. Both must be avoided or this is another three-shotter. Green has big slope up from the front so front half is the target. |
| Hole 14 |
201 yards par 3 |
Tricky to judge the wind with the tee sheltered by a bank. Back pins play more like 220 yards. Entrance to extended green has been narrowed with bunkering. Front pin leaves fast putt. |
| Hole 15 |
544 yards par 5 |
Tee moved 30 yards to left with new bunkers around 300 yards means this will not be an eagle opportunity all week. Course management at a premium as traps await at the obvious lay up points. |
| Hole 16 |
439 yards par 4 |
Another hole that has been lengthened 23 yards with a new driving line. Straight tee shots a must with thick rough on the left and broken ground with small bushes on the right. Arnie blasted out of it famously in 1961. Could be just a wedge in calm conditions to the raised green where a front right pin will be protected by bunkers. Some severe runs off to boot. |
| Hole 17 |
572 yards par 5 |
A drive on a now different line through the imposing sand dunes will still carry danger as Trevino nearly found to his cost when winning in ’71. Must avoid mound on the left and three new bunkers on right. Can be reached in two though. Green has been relaid and remade 25 yards back with new contouring – and a severe tiering - to make it a tighter proposition. Find the wrong tier and you are in three-putt territory. |
| Hole 18 |
473 yards par 4 |
Great finishing hole. Right-hand side is shorter route to the green but rough is deepest with out-of-bounds lurking. From the left you can cut back in second from 180 or 190 yards. Front bunkers lurk if you come up short. Downwind a birdie chance to finish in style and claim the Claret Jug. |
Front 9 - 3,417 yards par 34
Back 9 - 3,756 yards par 36
Total 18 - 7,137 yards par 70 |
1998 Open Championship
Course - 7,018 yards par 70
Stroke Average - 74.03 (front 9: 36.35 back 9: 37.68)
Hardest ranked holes in order - 6, 1, 18, 11T, 16T, 13, 2, 10, 7, 9, 12, 14, 8, 5, 4, 15, 3, 17 |
