MUIRFIELD

1st, 448 yards, par 4: Jack Nicklaus calls this as tough an opening hole as any in major championship golf. With punishing rough it's imperative to find the narrow fairway. Bunkers guard the front, left and right sides of the green.

2nd, 351 yards, par 4: A good birdie opportunity, although there is out of bounds down the left. Depending on the wind, many will use an iron off the tee, but in favourable conditions the green, with a cluster of five bunkers on the right, is almost driveable for the big-hitters.

3rd, 378 yards, par 4: The prevailing wind is behind here, but the fairway cuts right in at 290 yards and two bunkers set at the start of the dunes are to be avoided at all costs. The green shares with the short 13th the distinction of being the longest on the course at 43 yards.

4th, 213 yards, par 3: Lengthened by 33 yards since the 1992 Open. Played from an elevated tee to a green that falls away on all sides. Brian Barnes holed-in-one with a nine-iron in 1972, but unless there is a hurricane blowing it will need much more club than that this time.

5th, 560 yards, par 5: Johnny Miller made an albatross two in 1980, but while there may be no repeat of that everybody will be hoping to walk off with birdie or eagle. Some of the bunkers down the right are hidden from view from the tee, though, and eight more circle the green.

6th, 468 yards, par 4: One of the hardest driving holes as the fairway turns left and then drops away out of view. Four bunkers are on the inside of the elbow and then a wall as well. Out of bounds is left of the green, but far enough back not to be a great concern.

7th, 185 yards, par 3: Runs in the opposite direction to the third, fourth and fifth and into the prevailing wind therefore. An elevated green with three bunkers on the left, another right and steep drop-offs all round. Nick Faldo made a great save from the sand in 1987 en route to 18 successive pars.

8th, 443 yards, par 4: A dogleg right with seven bunkers lying in wait down the right from 213 to 284 yards. Steering well clear of them leaves a much longer approach over cross-bunkers that end 30 yards short of one of the smallest greens on the links.

9th, 508 yards, par 5: Not a long par five by modern-day standards, but a demanding one when the prevailing wind is blowing hard. Out of bounds down the left the entire way with the fairway narrowing at driving distance and five bunkers short right of the green.

10th, 475 yards, par 4: The fact that it is normally played in a cross-wind creates the big difficulty here. Drives can easily drift into two bunkers on the right and then two cross-bunkers 100 yards short of the green have to be negotiated. One of Nicklaus's all-time favourites.

11th, 389 yards, par 4: The only blind tee shot on the course, but the biggest problem is the green. It is Muirfield's smallest at 27 yards deep with eight bunkers around it, a tier and lots of subtle swales and hollows. Pin placing all-important and there's usually a price to pay for being wayward.

12th, 381 yards, par 4: Into the prevailing wind and as a result can play a lot longer than it appears. For the drive there is a lone bunker right and another left further on, in amongst dunes. Seven more traps - five right, two left - flank the green.

13th, 191 yards, par 3: A superb par three set in amongst the sandhills. Now playing 32 yards longer, making it more difficult to find the long, slender green which is perched up between five cavernous bunkers. Has the potential to be a real nightmare.

14th, 448 yards, par 4: Back into the standard wind and two woods could be needed if it's a real howler. The fairway starts to narrow down around 260 yards, with three bunkers left and one right. Bunkers short of the green alter the perception and make correct club selection critical.

15th, 415 yards, par 4: Nick Faldo stood on the tee here in 1992 and told himself he needed the best four holes of his life. The championship tee creates a dogleg right, with the fairway at its narrowest around 280 yards and two bunkers strategically placed. More traps further down add to the need for precision.

16th, 186 yards, par 3: Nothing fancy here, but has to be treated with respect, especially coming as late in the round as it does. Anything pulled slightly left tends to kick towards the three bunkers there.

17th, 546 yards, par 5: scene of some great drama over the years, including Lee Trevino's chip-in that dealt such a blow to Tony Jacklin. Reachable in two, but bunkers down the left punish a hook or pull and cross-bunkers around the 100-yard mark from the green mean a blind approach.

18th, 449 yards, par 4: Nicklaus says this might be his No 1 hole in golf. A straight drive is a necessity and the longer the better because there is little margin for error on the second shot, over more cross-bunkers and then threaded between further traps.