SPRINGFIELD, N.J. – A hole-by-hole look at the Lower Course at Baltusrol Golf Club, site of the 98th PGA Championship to be played July 28-31:
No. 1, 478 yards, par 4: A tough test from the start on a par 5 for members that has been converted to a par 4. Shunpike Road runs along the left side and is out-of-bounds, while bunkers and a brook to the right make the landing area feel even tighter. A slight rise in the fairway hides the bottom of the pin on the approach. The green is relatively small, with bunkers on both sides.
No. 2, 378 yards, par 4: The shortest par 4 on the course with cross bunkers some 240 yards from the tee, pine trees to the left and a large bunker on the right. Most players will hit iron off the tee. The green is surrounded by bunkers and slopes from right to left. Anything above the hole could lead to a three-putt.
No. 3, 503 yards, par 4: A long dogleg left that plays slightly downhill and is framed by trees on both sides. A creek guards the entrance to the green, and a ridge runs through the middle of the green from front to back, creating sharp breaks on either side.
No. 4, 195 yards, par 3: Tee shot must carry water to the green, with a stone wall separating water from land. Three large bunkers are behind the green. The green has two levels, allowing for a variety of hole locations.
No. 5, 424 yards, par 4: The hole plays uphill, making it longer than the yardage indicates. The fairway is pinched by bunkers, and the uphill approach is difficult because of an elevated green that slopes from right to left and from the back. Green protected by three large bunkers to the right.
No. 6, 482 yards, par 4: The tee shot is partially blind to a fairway that slopes sharply down both sides and is difficult to hold with anything but an accurate drive. The approach shot requires a mid-iron to a large green that is open in the front and protected by bunkers on either side.
No. 7, 505 yards, par 4: Another converted par 4, it bends to the right with an out-of-bounds fence and a thicket of trees and bunker down the right side. The drive must be long and accurate to get beyond trees down the right side that are in play from the tee. A large, mounded bunker about 50 yards short of the green makes for a partially blind approach.
No. 8, 374 yards, par 4: Trees line both sides of the fairway on what likely will be an iron off the tee. The approach shot must carry a large bunker short of the green, with more sand all the way around and behind the green.
No. 9, 211 yards, par 3: Described as the most "British" hole on the Lower Course. It features a long green with a narrow opening between two bunkers and a crescent-shaped bunker that circles around the rear.
No. 10, 464 yards, par 4: The fairway narrows to a bottleneck at about 280 yards, with trees and thick rough on both sides of the fairway, and a bunker to the right. The green is protected by two long bunkers on either side, and a smaller bunker in the rear.
No. 11, 444 yards, par 4: A draw off the tee is preferred on this dogleg to the left to get around two large sassafras trees. That leaves a good view of the large, undulating green. A tee shot that is too straight or to the right will leave the base of the pin hidden by a rise in the fairway, and leave a longer approach.
No. 12, 220 yards, par 4: A large bunker to the front and a high mound to the right guard this large, sunken green, making it difficult to gauge the distance. The base of the pin also is hidden. The rear of the green has been expanded since 2005, and a collection area is behind the green.
No. 13, 462 yards, par 4: A diagonal creek helps frame this dogleg to the right. The approach is to a two-tiered green with bunkers and mounds on both sides. It was this hole where Bobby Jones hit into the creek, costing him a chance to win the 1926 U.S. Amateur. It is said to have made such an impression that he used this as the model for his 13th hole at Augusta National.
No. 14, 430 yards, par 4: The most direct route is over the elbow formed by a fairway bunker on the left. That will leave a short iron and a clear view of the green, although players must be careful of the trees that stretch down the entire left side. A safe drive to the right of the bunker will leave a longer, partially blind shot to the green.
No. 15, 430 yards, par 4: Bunkers on the left and right require an accurate tee shot. Two huge diagonal bunkers guard the approach to the green at the top of a rise, with three smaller bunkers flanking the right. The fast, undulating green with a front pitch is one of the toughest on the Lower Course.
No. 16, 230 yards, par 3: An elevated tee takes some of the distance away, but it's still a long iron from the back tee to an undulating green surrounded by bunkers. The green has subtle rolls that are difficult to judge.
No. 17, 650 yards, par 5: The first par 5 on the course, and some consider it one of the best in the country. A long, accurate drive and a good second shot are required to cross the bunkers at about 400 yards. If the ball stays in the short grass, the uphill approach to a well-bunkered green is only a wedge. Some big hitters might get home in two. John Daly at the '93 U.S. Open became the first player to reach this green in two shots.
No. 18, 553 yards, par 5: Only the best tee shots can allow a player to reach the green in two. A safe second shot leaves a short pitch to a tabled green, although water, thick rough and large trees pose hazards along the fairway. Jack Nicklaus clinched his second U.S. Open title in 1967 with a 1-iron into the green. Phil Mickelson tapped the Nicklaus plaque before his 3-wood just right of the green that set up a birdie for his 2005 PGA victory.
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