1: (Tea Olive) Par four, 445 yards: Tee moved forward 10 yards this year to help spectator movement. Tee went back 20 yards in 2005 to bring hill in landing area more into play. Pine trees on left side of a slight dogleg right. Fairway bunker extensive and tee shots must be 327 yards to clear. Deceptive green adds to the challenge.

2: (Pink Dogwood) Par five, 575 yards: Dogleg left, rarely reachable in two. Second shots often from sidehill lie and large, deep bunkers guard the front of the sloped green.

3: (Flowering Peach) Par four, 350 yards: Classic short par four. Four bunkers guard left fairway. Green slopes from right to left, with a thin neck on the left side protected by a bunker.

4: (Flowering Crab Apple) Par three, 240 yards: Long par three often made more difficult by deceptive wind. Two greenside bunkers, front right and along the left side, protect a green that slopes to the front. Jeff Slumen landed the only hole-in-one here in 1992.

5: (Magnolia) Par four, 455 yards: Uphill dogleg left with sloping green. A tee shot left allows a shorter second shot and brings two fairway bunkers and harsh rough into play. Green, rebuilt this year for agronomy reasons, slopes down to the front with a bunker at back.

6: (Juniper) Par three, 180 yards: Elevated tee to double-tiered green. Pin position is critical because of the elevation difference. Chris DiMarco shot the fourth hole-in-one here in 2004.

7: (Pampas) Par four, 450 yards: Tee area revamped after being moved back to force driver or three-wood to start. Tight fairway lined by trees. Elevated small green slopes from back to front, guarded by three bunkers in front and two in back. Green features tricky back right pin placement.

8: (Yellow Jasmine) Par five, 570 yards: A fairway bunker on the right is a 305-yard carry on this uphill hole. Two trees removed this year from right side of fairway. Mounds and trees make for trouble left of green. Drive and lay-up as 2002 lengthening took decision-making out of equation.

9: (Carolina Cherry) Par four, 460 yards: Dogleg left with pines guarding the fairway. Multi-tiered green slopes back to front with bunkers on the front left that can be taken out of play by tee shots to right.

10: (Camelia) Par four, 495 yards: Plays downhill with a nasty fairway bunker. Draw shot is key. Green slopes right to left, with bunker guarding the right front. Balls hit short, left or long will roll down the slopes.

11: (White Dogwood) Par four, 505 yards: Opening hole of the fabled trio called Amen Corner. A pond guards the green to the left and a bunker is placed right-centre. An accurate tee shot much more vital. Once wide-open fairway, with a more level landing area, squeezed on both sides by rough.

12: (Golden Bell) Par three, 155 yards: Shortest par three on the course and arguably the most famous in the world. Swirling winds make club selection tricky, while Rae's Creek in front and three greenside bunkers make it essential to land on the putting surface.

13: (Azalea) Par five, 510 yards: Accurate tee shot to centre of fairway allows a player to go for the green in two on this dogleg, but it's more of a gamble since tees moved back in 2003. Tributary to Rae's Creek flows in front of green, with four bunkers behind the four-shelved putting surface.

14: (Chinese Fir) Par four, 440 yards: The only hole on course without a bunker. Green slopes sharply left to right. Few landing areas where ball will not roll away.

15: (Firethorn) Par five, 530 yards: Shot into green must clear the pond in front of the green and avoid bunker on the right. Site of Gene Sarazen's fabled double eagle in 1935.

16: (Redbud) Par three, 170 yards: Played entirely over water to green sloping significantly from right to left and secured by three bunkers. It was here that Tiger Woods spectacularly chipped in on his way to beating Chris DiMarco in 2005.

17: (Nandina) Par four, 440 yards: Trees protect both sides of fairway, including the Eisenhower Tree left centre of the fairway some 195 yards from the tee. Instead of clearing a hill, many will hit second shot off upslope. New trees tighten landing area past 300 yards.

18: (Holly) Par four, 465 yards: Trees left of the fairway bunkers test golfers with the sand in play for long drivers. Uphill dogleg protected off the tee by two bunkers at the left elbow. Green guarded by two bunkers.

AFP

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