This year’s PGA Championship is set for the Ocean Course on Kiawah Island, South Carolina. Designed by Pete Dye, it’s an extremely challenging course with a great pedi-gree. Few courses outside of the United Kingdom and Ireland are affected by the wind as much as this course. From one round to the next, a player can experience up to an 8-club difference on holes depending upon the direction and strength of the wind. But there are five critical holes on the course that could very well determine not only what kind of day a player has but also who wins the tournament.
Hole No. 1 (395 yards/Par 4)
Players want to get off to good starts when playing in a championship match. This is a good hole to do that at. Even players with low golf handicaps could make a birdie here. But you also have to be careful on this hole. You can use a driver on the hole, but a 3-wood is just as effective. This hole feature’s the narrowest fairway on the course and there’s plenty of room to recover from a waste bunker on the right side that guards the fairway from tee to green. The green is at ground level and everything hit to the left bounces into the green.
Hole No. 2 (543 yards/Par 5)
This is among the toughest holes on the course. It’s also a great risk/reward hole. After a good drive, the player faces two rather delicate shots into the green, with two crossings over marshes that make it a more difficult hole even for players with low golf handicaps. But the pros can reach the green in two, setting themselves up for birdies. Whether the player lays up or goes for the green on the second shot, the player will be hitting into an elevated green set between two dune ridges, front and back. The green is narrow, long, and intimidating. Much depends on the wind. Miss your second or third shot here and you’re looking at a bogie or worse.
Hole No 10 (439 yards/Par 4)
This is a good solid golf hole. It’s also another good risk/reward hole aiming over the waste bunker off the tee. If you miss, you’re staring at the bunker’s huge wall forcing the player to lay up. If you can get it over the bunker, the player has a short wedge down the length of the green. A sandy waste area to the left front of the green and a deeper, steep-faced waste bunker to the back guard the green that can be attacked by a variety of shots. If you can get it over, players have a short wedge down the length of the green. A collection area behind the back left of the green was added in 1997 for shots through the green.
Hole 11 (562 yards/Par 5)
This hole cost Annika Sorenstam a victory in 1998 on Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf matches. It’s that tough. The fairway looks like a backward “S.” The player needs to avoid the bunkers on each side of the turns in the “S”. If you hit a bad drive, sand dunes on the right stand ready to give you a golf lesson. The second shot must be placed in a very narrow area to get into position to pitch to the green. The green is slightly offset and most times players will be coming at it sideways. It’s an elevated green and drops off sharply. This is another hole with plenty of risk/reward.
Hole 18 (439 yards/Par 4)
Many consider this the toughest hole on the course. There’s a premium on a good drive and on the second shot. The drive over the waste area is intimidating even for players with low golf handicaps. The best drive is one that hugs the right side of the fairway. A good drive sets up a second shot to an elevated green open from the right and running away to the back left. The wind will determine whether players fire at the flag with medium irons or simply try to hit the green with long irons or even fairway woods. Into the wind, even the best players to pull out a long iron or more to reach this treacherous green.
The last hole is a great finishing hole. It could very well determine who wins the tournament. If the tournament does come down to the last hole, the players will be under intense pressure. Look for a player with experience performing under great pressure and who plays the five holes described above to win the tournament. Whatever happens, the tournament will be fun to watch.