Course Overview

A CREEK FLANKS THE ENTIRE RIGHT SIDE of the hole from 100 yards out and abuts the right edge and rear of the green, but challenging the right side of the fairway is the best play because trees impede the approach of a drive hit too far left, and the green is bunkered at front right and rear left. Accuracy is at a premium on one of the tougher par 4s.

A DOWNHILL DRIVE to a generous fairway, then an approach over a lake to a small, two-tiered green cut into a hillside. A drive too far left might find a creek running along the woods line, leaving nowhere to drop that permits a clear shot to the green. Water awaits the weak approach and sand the over-bold shot. One of Muirfield's most scenically spectacular holes and tougher than it looks.

THE FIRST OF THE FOUR par 3s slopes gently downhill to a long, narrow, heavily bunkered green cut into a hillside. The disaster area is the depression left of the green. Rolling hillsides framing the entire right side of the hole offer ideal viewing areas for spectators. A strong test of medium- to long-iron play.

DOWNHILL AGAIN from the tee, between wooded hillsides to a wide, level fairway. Some 300 yards out, a creek bordering the left side of the hole swings into the fairway, which it then bisects all the way to the green. The creek finally becomes a moat around the entire left side of the green, which is bunkered at right and left rear. The green is small and one of the most undulating on the course. Altogether, an unusual and demanding hole.

A CLUSTER OF BUNKERS cut into the left hillside and a strategically placed fairway bunker to the right put a premium on the tee shot. The ideal line is the left-center of the fairway, leaving a clear shot over water and sand to a medium-size green. A challenging hole that can require a long-iron or even a metalwood second shot when it plays against wind.

AN EXPOSED, ELEVATED, bunker-lined, double-dogleg hole, reachable in two by only the longest hitters. A rough-grassed swale sweeps in from the right side across in front of the green. Bunkers guard the front left, right and rear right of the putting surface, which breaks severely off to the left towards a wooded ravine. Not an easy hole to birdie, but the farther left the conservative player is on his second shot, the easier his third becomes.

BACK TO WOODED COUNTRY, this time dogwood, beech and hickory trees almost completely surround the shortest of the par-3 holes. The tee shot is appealingly downhill, but the plateau green is almost entirely surrounded by sand, including a pot bunker guarding the back left. The valley between tee and green adds to the difficulty of club selection by making the hole look longer than it is.

ONE OF MUIRFIELD'S most challenging driving holes. Too far right from the tee and trees block the approach. Too far left and a steep, wooded hillside threatens even more serious trouble. The tilted green is spectacularly framed by a lake, a creek and a bold hillside and must often be approached from an angled lie, even off a good drive. A strong par 4 demanding courage and finesse from tee to cup.

COMPARITIVELY OPEN terrain and, as with the 15th hole, one of only two uphill drives at Muirfield. Sand guards both sides of the driving zone and a large, many-fingered bunker fronting the green threatens the under-hit approach. A rugged hole demanding both power and precision, and one of the toughest par 4s on the second nine, especially when played into the wind.

RUNNING THE LENGTH of a lovely valley between high, wooded hills, this hole is the arena for a huge amphitheater capable of accommodating a great many spectators. The drive is enticingly downhill to a wide fairway, but a creek cuts diagonally across the fairway at about 320 yards from the tee, then hugs it on the right before swinging left again in front of the small, elevated green. An inviting hole to gamble on, but two perfect shots are necessary to get home.

MUIRFIELD'S FAVORITE HOLE among photographers features the course's largest lake. The tee shot is played from a wooded hillside entirely across water to a two-tiered, kidney-shaped green cut into another hillside and set diagonally to the line of play. Bunkers flank the right front and rear left of the green. Miss it and the ball will generally find either sand or water.

THE DRIVE IS DOWNHILL to level ground, through a wooded chute to a narrow but normally fast-running and gently curving fairway. Finding the right half of the fairway sets up the best angle into the long and narrow green, which runs away from the player. Bunkers stretching almost the full length of the green on either side demand a precise approach shot, generally with a mid- to long-iron.

ANOTHER DOWNHILL TEE SHOT, once again into a wide, tree-lined valley. About 245 yards from the championship tee, a creek emerges from the left woods to border the fairway for some 40 yards before angling across it and then on down to flank the right side of the green. The green is long and narrow and heavily guarded left by several bunkers. A definite birdie opportunity, but only for the very accurate player.

AN INTRIGUING PAR 5 cut arrow-straight through the heart of a forest. The ideal drive is to the crest of the hill, from where the long hitter should be trying to get home in two. Thwarting him will be the steep slope fronting the green, a couple of deep bunkers and the small size of the target -- not to mention the trees crowding in left and right. There will be many birdies here, but there will also be some disasters.

A FINE PAR 3 IS NOW an even better and more visually intimidating hole and already has produced added excitement. Redesigned in 2010 with The Presidents Cup 2013 in mind, this hole now features a pond guarding the length of the green on the left. The putting surface also is smaller and turned more horizontally to the teeing ground. A front hole location is very difficult sitting between the water and two bunkers.

STRETCHING 478 YARDS, this strong hole offers a stiff test off the tee. Twenty yards separate two bunkers midway up the fairway, leaving a mid- or short-iron to the green. A lay-up off the tee leaves a mid-iron, or depending on the wind, a long-iron approach. The green itself is slightly elevated with bunkers along the right and back left. An approach to the left side of the green allows for an easier putt.

AN INVITING DOWNHILL drive leads to an ample fairway, though bunkers threaten at the corner of the dogleg to the right. A long drive hit too far left can find the creek threading the tree line or can be blocked by a cluster of black walnut trees short of the green. The approach is uphill across a swale to a large two-tiered and heavily contoured green bunkered front left, front right, left and rear right. A spectacular finishing hole capable of accommodating more than 20,000 spectators.