| Out |
In |
| Hole | Par | Yards | Hole | Par | Yards |
| 1 | 4 | 401 |
10 | 5 | 607 |
| 2 | 4 | 469 |
11 | 4 | 476 |
| 3 | 4 | 336 |
12 | 4 | 449 |
| 4 | 5 | 565 |
13 | 4 | 378 |
| 5 | 4 | 472 |
14 | 4 | 468 |
| 6 | 3 | 220 |
15 | 3 | 203 |
| 7 | 4 | 404 |
16 | 4 | 492 |
| 8 | 4 | 467 |
17 | 3 | 190 |
| 9 | 3 | 175 |
18 | 4 | 442 |
| Total | 35 | 3509 | Total | 35 | 3705 |
| | | | 70 | 7214 |
No.1 (401-yd., par 4): A solid drive in the fairway will leave a short iron to this classic Ross green, providing a glimpse of the challenges to come. Proper club selection is crucial because shots missed long or short will leave a demanding up and down.
No.2 (469-yd., par 4): A drive favoring the left side of the fairway is best on this subtle dogleg to the right. Four bunkers guard the left side, but this position offers the best look at this green, which sits at an angle and is protected by a bunker front-right. There are several good hole locations on this green, in particular the one back-right, as an approach that comes up slightly short will roll back off the green, and an approach hit long or right will easily bounce away from the flag. It is a very demanding target.
No.3 (336-yd., par 4): Due to the very narrow fairway, shot selection is pivotal on this short par 4. Players can either lay up between the bunkers on the left and waste-area on the right, leaving a short wedge approach shot, or they can go for broke and try to clear all the sand by attempting to drive the green. This well-crowned green is sloped back to front and protected by three green-side bunkers, which encourages bold iron play. Use caution when approaching a back hole location as shots missed long will keep rolling well past the green.
No. 4 (565-yd., par 5): This is the first par 5 on the course and offers a good birdie opportunity. Hitting the fairway is imperative to get to this green in two. Avoiding the large fairway bunker on the left is crucial, so most players will aim for the right side of the fairway. Those who do not try to reach the green in two can lay up on a flat area between two bunkers, some 80-90 yards from the green. The short-iron approach will offer competitors a better chance of one-putting, as the fourth green is less 'crowned' than many others on the No. 2 course.
No. 5 (472-yd., par 4): This challenging par 4 was the toughest hole in the 1999 U.S. Open, with the competitors averaging 4.55 strokes. Ross considered the approach to this green the most difficult shot on the entire course, as it has to be hit with a long iron with the ball above your feet. Players should aim their approach shots for the right side of the green—any missed shot to the left will leave them with a very demanding up and down. This typical Ross green offers some of the toughest hole locations on the course. Players and caddies alike will be tested when attempting to read their putts. Be cautious when approaching a back left or front right hole location.
No. 6 (220-yd., par 3): The first par 3 on the course is difficult enough at 220 yards, but it is usually played into the prevailing wind as well. Most competitors will attempt to execute a long and high tee shot, struck well enough to hold the green on the fly. The significant slope in the front portion of this green, otherwise known as a 'false front,' will repel shots hitting short. Be cognizant of the deep green-side bunker on the left that challenges even the greatest short games in the world.
No. 7 (404-yd., par 4): This is the sharpest dogleg on the course. A cluster of bunkers on the right corner can grab tee shots that are pushed or leaked to the right. Most players will try to find the heart of the fairway beyond those bunkers, some 275 yards out, leaving a short iron into a green sloped from back to front. The longest players may be tempted to cut the corner to get close to the green. The putting surface is well protected by one deep bunker on the right and two smaller bunkers on the front left.
No. 8 (467-yd., par 4): This par 5 for normal resort and member play is a par 4 during the U.S. Open Championship. The average score during the 1999 U.S. Open was 4.5. Most competitors will favor the right side of the fairway off the tee to allow for the right-to-left slope. The approach is the key shot here (as is often the case on No.2). This green is dramatically sloped from back to front, so the heart of the green should be the target for the approach, as a missed shot left or long will find a collection area as much as 20 yards off the putting surface.
No. 9 (175-yd., par 3): This second par 3 is the shortest hole on the course. Trouble lurks when missing this green in any direction, making shot selection from the tee critical. Two deep bunkers flank the front, punishing the golfer who underclubs. A steep slope and two more bunkers lie in wait over the green. This two-tiered green is wide and shallow, sloping from left to right, with a ridge running from back to front.
No. 10 (607-yd., par 5): The longest hole on the course may be reachable in two for some players, but they will have to strike two long, accurate shots. A good drive and a solid second shot, steering clear of a bunker on the left side of the fairway, 110 yards from the green, should leave a wedge or short iron into the green for a birdie try. This green has a subtle slope from left to right and is protected by two bunkers. The putting surface falls off dramatically into a collection area behind the green.
No. 11 (476-yd., par 4): This is the first of a critical stretch of four par 4s. A new tee has been constructed since the 1999 U.S. Open, adding more than 25 yards to this already daunting hole. The fairway appears wide, but is bordered down the right side with a traditional Pinehurst trademark—hardpan sand and wire grass. Most players will favor the left side of the fairway, which offers the best look at the green. The safe approach shot is to the right-center portion of the putting surface. Golfing lore holds that this was Ben Hogan’s favorite par 4.
No. 12 (449-yd., par 4): While an accurate tee shot is important on every hole at Pinehurst, it is particularly crucial on No. 12. Holding this green with a shot hit from anywhere but the fairway is a particularly difficult task. The culprit here is the deep swale that runs across the green from the left; it can kick what may seem like a workable approach off line significantly to the left. A left-center tee shot avoiding the two fairway bunkers and Pinehurst waste areas on the right affords the best angle into the green.
No. 13 (378-yd., par 4): This is a classic short par 4 that can be especially treacherous around the green. Players should not have much trouble safely clearing the fairway bunkers on the right, but navigating this narrow fairway may alter club selection off the tee. The green sits 15 to 20 feet higher than the fairway, protected by numerous bunkers, once again making club selection essential in trying to keep the ball on the putting surface. Players may have to take one club more than normal, because an approach hit even slightly short will roll back down into the fairway. Two putts on this green is no small feat.
No. 14 (468-yd., par 4): The scenic view from this elevated tee will show a straightforward hole that requires a shot favoring the right side of the fairway, avoiding the bunker on the left. The green here is an excellent example of how the many swales that Ross built into the perimeters of his putting surfaces effectively shrink the size of the hittable area. In this case, the most dangerous swales are those behind the green, because a ball that is hit long could roll down a slope as much as 25 yards beyond the green. The swale on the right is no bargain, either, for it will kick the ball away from the green down into a greenside bunker that sits well below the putting surface.
No. 15 (203-yd., par 3): Two of the last four holes at No. 2 are difficult par 3s, with this one requiring a 203-yard tee shot to one of the most severely-crowned greens on the course. Getting the ball to stay on this green with the tee shot is an accomplishment. A competitor who can effectively shape his shot, and manage the trajectory, will have a better opportunity to birdie this challenging hole. The false front will repel any shots hit short, and the deep greenside bunkers will swallow up any errant shots missed to the right. Competitors walking off this green will be pleased with a score of par.
No. 16 (492-yd., par 4): Usually this hole is a par 5fo r member and resort play, but for the U.S. Open it will play as a par 4. During the 1999 U.S. Open, the field averaged 4.5 strokes. Notice the pond just off the tee—the only water on the course, and it will not come into play. The left-side fairway bunker should pose no problem, but the two bunkers to the right of the landing area are very much in play. A long, well-positioned drive here will leave a middle-iron approach to this classic Ross green. A downhill, double-breaking 20-footer holed by Payne Stewart here in 1999 was the first of three clutch one-putts that propelled him to his U. S. Open victory.
No. 17 (190-yd., par 3): This picturesque par 3, guarded by five bunkers, played a pivotal role in the outcome of the 1999 U.S. Open, with Payne Stewart making a dramatic birdie to assume a one-shot lead heading into the final hole. Right-side hole locations are the most difficult as a gaping bunker in the front of the green, and a bunker in the back right, stand ready to swallow misjudged shots. The front portion of this green is sloped considerably from right to left.
No. 18 (442-yd., par 4): This Donald Ross masterpiece culminates with a superb par 4 that plays uphill and slightly left to right. A hole location in the right portion of the green is far more accessible from the left side of the fairway—although a deep swale creeping into the putting surface from the right can kick approach shots well beyond the green. Avoiding the long, deep fairway bunker down the right side off the tee leaves a mid-to-short iron into the green. The greenside bunker short is particularly tough, and don’t be long, as up and downs from behind the green are very rare. In the final round of the 1999 U.S. Open, Payne Stewart saved his par here by calmly rolling in an uphill 15-footer to a hole location that was 25 paces on and six from the right to win his second U.S. Open. The statue that now stands behind the green celebrates his victory pose.
