Obstacle course

Tom Holdsworth grew up in the Hamptons, playing the Triple Crown of Eastern Long Island golf courses; the National Golf Links of America, Southampton Country Club and Shinnecock Hills. Holdsworth served as a teaching professional at Shinnecock in the mid-1990's and is currently the head professional at Southampton Country Club, whose sixth green borders Shinnecock Hills. Holdsworth recently toured Shinnecock with Newsday's Erik Boland, offering a local perspective to a world-renown course.

Hole 1 -- 393-yard par 4 -- "Westward Ho"
Shinnecock's opening hole is the second shortest par 4 on the course (after the 13th) and has played easy enough in past Opens to be called a birdie hole, one of the few on the course. Still Holdsworth said, the first, with an exceptionally narrow fairway, is not a grip-it-and-rip it tee shot. "You get a pretty strong left to right wind," Holdsworth said. "Most players will fade a 3-wood or 2-iron off the tee and have anything from an 8-iron to wedge into the green." The fairly flat green offers flag positions in all four corners, the most difficult of which is the back left.

By the Numbers: 1995 Scoring Average: 4.061 16th most difficult 1986 Scoring Average: 4.025 16th most difficult

Hole 2 -- 226-yard par 3 -- "Plateau"
Each of Shinnecock's par 3s is unique in its own way; the second hole is the longest. Players will hit uphill to a well-bunkered green. "You'll see most players land short of the green and boune it on," Holdsworth said. "Most balls to the green won't hold." Most of the aprons surrounding Shinnecock's greens have been cut low, meaning shots not hit perfectly will roll off, making for some difficult up-and-downs. The green is relatively flat.

By the Numbers: 1995 Scoring Average: 3.212 8th most difficult 1986 Scoring Average: 3.321 7th most difficult

Hole 3 -- 478-yard par 4 -- "Peconic"
One of the course's most difficult holes during the 1986 Open (It played as the fifth hardest hole), No. 3 has been lengthened 25 yards. "It was already a long hole," Holdsworth said. "Although it usually plays downwind. You can come out of your shoes [with the driver] on this hole." Long drivers will be rewarded with a short iron into a flat green - perhaps the last flat putting surface on the course - that should be approached with a run-up shot. "The green is relatively flat but can be very fast from above the hole," Holdsworth said.

By the Numbers: 1995 Scoring Average: 4.210 9th most difficult 1986 Scoring Average: 4.397 5th most difficult

Hole 4 -- 35-yard par 4 -- "Pump House"
The tee has been moved back some 30 yards on this hole, one that if the prevailing wind is blowing, will be the first time players have the wind in their faces. "Instead of an 8 or 9-iron into the green players will have a 5 or 6-iron in," Holdsworth said of a hole that heads back toward the ocean. "And this is the type of green more receptive to short irons than long irons. Bunkers guard the entire right side, making the drive difficult as the dogleg right hole sets up best for a fade off the tee. The green is elevated and contoured and falls sharply away on the right. "Miss this green and getting up and down will be extremely tough," Holdsworth said.

By the Numbers: 1995 Scoring Average: 4.232 7th most difficult 1986 Scoring Average: 4.281 10th most difficult

Hole 5 -- 537-yard par 5 -- "Montauk"
One of Shinnecock's two par 5s. This one typically plays downwind and, Holdsworth said, "is a hole all of them can reach in two." But, Holdworth cautions, "this is a scary green." The chipping areas around the knob-shaped green have been shaved more tightly than past Opens so players trying to get up and down for birdie may struggle. Players will be better off flying second shots into the right front bunker than over the green, an area rife with gnarly rough and fescue. Still, the hole played as the easiest in the 1986 and 1995 Opens and should again this year.

By the Numbers: 1995 Scoring Average: 4.723 18th most difficult 1986 Scoring Average: 5.007 18th most difficult

Hole 6 -- 474-yard par 4 -- "Pond"
Players walking off No. 5 feeling good about themselves can quickly be brought back to the realities of Shinnecock Hills on this long par 4, which usually plays into the wind and has the course's lone water hazard. Players will not be able to see the fairway from the tee box, making their practice rounds critical as they pick out trees or other landmarks with which to aim tee shots. "Most players will aim left and fade the ball back," Holdsworth said of the dogleg right hole. "But if you get your drive too high above tree level, the wind just carries it right." If players find the rough off the tee, the pond located some 50 yards in front of the green can come into play. Those who don't still are faced with a mid-iron into a tricky, back-to-front sloped green. "This hole is a pain," Holdsworth said.

By the Numbers: 1995 Scoring Average: 4.410 1st most difficult 1986 Scoring Average: 4.491 2nd most difficult

Hole 7 -- 189-yard par 3 -- "Redan"

Related topic galleries: Clubs and Associations, New York, Montauk, Corey Pavin, Golf, Suffolk County (New York), Lee Trevino

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