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OAKLAND Hills Golf Course has staged six US Opens – most famously in 1951 when Ben Hogan tamed what was dubbed “The Monster.”
The South Course was the longest championship course when hosting the 1937 US Open at 7,000 yards and has always tried to stay one step ahead of the advances in equipment down the years.
Past golf Major winners include Englishman Cyril Walker (1924 US Open), Gary Player (1972 USPGA), David Graham (1979 USPGA), Andy North (1985 US Open), Arnold Palmer (1981 US Seniors Open), Jack Nicklaus (1991 US Seniors Open) and Steve Jones (1995 US Open).
The 90th USPGA Championship – the third to be staged at the Michigan golf club – is no exception with Rees Jones having been retained to add more bite to the golf course Robert Trent Jones had stamped his authority on more than 50 years earlier.
Every hole apart from the par three third has been upgraded or modified since the 2004 Ryder Cup, with new fairway bunkering providing better placed and harder hazards to get out of in line with today’s driving distances.
There are 13 new back tees and many of the fairways have been tightened over the past four years - either on the landing areas, or on the approaches to the green placing a bigger key on accuracy.
Outside of Augusta Golf Club, you are unlikely to find more heavily-contoured greens anywhere in the States.
ANDREW GRIFFIN takes a hole-by-hole view of the par 70 South Course which now measures 7,395 yards - over 400 yards longer than when Europe inflicted America’s heaviest-ever defeat in the Ryder Cup.
| Royal Birkdale Open Championship Course |
| Hole 1 |
453 yards Par 4 |
Elevated tee with three bunkers awaiting on the left. Short iron into a heavily-contoured green with front left and back right pin placements the toughest. |
| Hole 2 |
529 yards Par 5 |
Early eagle chance if you carry bunkers at 300 yards on slight dogleg to left. Four bunkers protect green which has a centre crown creating some wicked putts. |
| Hole 3 |
198 yards Par 3 |
First of several excellent short holes at Oakland. Five traps protect the green which slopes diagonally from right to left. Green narrows to a small terrace at the back. |
| Hole 4 |
446 yards Par 4 |
High tee on hole which plays shorter than its length, even though some 16 yards have been added since 2004, and fairway moved 10 yards to right. Carry the rebuilt four bunkers on the dogleft left to set up short approach to green. Small ridge runs from front left to back left. |
| Hole 5 |
490 yards Par 4 |
Another elevated tee now some 31 yards further back. Trees on the left must be avoided with fairway running downhill to creek 325 yards away, making this a tight driving hole. Fairway narrowed up to a green protected by overhanging elm on right is one of the most difficult on the South Course, sloping sharply from back to front. Two greenside bunkers rebuilt. |
| Hole 6 |
387 yards Par 4 |
Shortest par four on the course despite 30 yards being added since Ryder Cup. Long iron takes out the bunkers on the left. Uphill approach to two-tier green with upper portion just 12 yards wide. Forward tee makes this driveable if the organisers want to add some excitement come Sunday. |
| Hole 7 |
449 yards Par 4 |
Three bunkers on left and extended pond on the right to be missed form the raised tee set a further 38 yards back. Fairway narrowed from tee to landing area. Long, narrow, diagonal green flanked by bunkers. |
| Hole 8 |
491 yards Par 4 |
Toughest driving hole on the front nine even if a short par five now some 10 yards longer with narrower fairway. Eight bunkers from 250 to 300 yards – one new one and existing ones all toughened up - with an uphill approach to a large green. Two greenside bunkers combined into one and rebuilt. |
| Hole 9 |
257 yards Par 3 |
Longest of the short holes extended by 37 yards with new tee. Original high tee to right rebuilt with more length giving three options. Elevated target sandwiches big swale. Large, undulating green slopes severely from back to front. |
| Hole 10 |
462 yards Par 4 |
Extended, realigned tee adds nine yards. Steep fairway can kick ball right into thick rough from the landing area. Deep fairway bunker added on right. Uphill approach to crowned green which slopes severely. Deep front, right-hand bunker now matched with rebuilt one on the left. |
| Hole 11 |
423 yards Par 4 |
Drives from the elevated tee – to the valley below need to feed over ridge on left at 270 mark with a fairway again narrowed. With the back tier four feet higher than front accuracy with a short iron essential. |
| Hole 12 |
593 yards Par 5 |
Two new back tees add 32 yards on the longest hole on the course which is some 40 feet above the narrowed fairway. Some of the willow trees on the right by the lake have been removed but the sand traps on the left have all been rebuilt with one new one added. Three deep bunkers protect slightly elevated green, which has a steep ridge running from back left to front right. |
| Hole 13 |
191 yards Par 3 |
Twenty yards longer from new back tee this downhiller features classic Donald Ross contours including a four-foot hollow at front. Existing right side tee realigned on centre of the green. Pin on top plateau behind front right pot bunker will scare the world’s best players. Greenside traps rebuilt with right one restored to near original pot bunker design. |
| Hole 14 |
501 yards Par 4 |
The beginning of a tough closing stretch even harder with 29 yards added to the longest par four on the course. Fairway again narrowed. Downhill hole has no fairway bunkers but green falls away with a large swale from right to back left. Well protected by bunkers at front. |
| Hole 15 |
401 yards Par 4 |
Trees down the tight side of the big dog-leg left. Second bunker in middle of tightened fairway requires 285 yard carry. Five traps guard an inverted saucer-shaped green with crowns and contours that can confuse even Phil Mickelson. |
| Hole 16 |
406 yards Par 4 |
Signature hole with water right and trees left. Pond extended closer to tee and narrower landing area. Ridge runs through wide, shallow green from front to back. Water lurks front and right, and there are four rear bunkers. Lose your bottle here and its bogey city as the rough has been removed right of the green. |
| Hole 17 |
238 yards Par 3 |
Exceptional short hole now 37 yards longer with option of shorter forward tee. Six deep bunkers ring the raised green some 30 feet above tee – right front pot bunker removed and right greenside rebuilt and enlarged. Severe slope from ridge running from front right to middle of the back. |
| Hole 18 |
498 yards Par 4 |
Fairway slopes to left on the dog-leg right with out of bounds on the left making this the most demanding tee shot of the day. New fairway bunker on left makes three in total, with tighter landing area. Slightly uphill approach to shallow green protected by four traps – front greenside bunker rebuilt. Mound in the middle will ensure plenty of missed putts. |
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