Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is one of the most exclusive courses in the US – it’s also one of the most private.
The course has hosted some of the sport’s most prestigious tournaments, including three US Opens, and four PGA Championships. It was the scene of the 2007 PGA Championship, where Tiger Woods was at his imperious best as he secured his fourth title in a display that included a tie for the record single-round score in a Major with his second round of 63. Southern Hills is also the host venue for the 2022 PGA Championship after Trump National was stripped of the honour.
Designer Perry Maxwell initially laid out the par-71 course. However, it was renovated by Keith Foster in 1999. Most recently, Gil Hanse redesigned the course in 2018, which is known for its many bending holes, with bunkers guarding most of the greens. Hanse set about restoring Maxwell’s vision of a course that used the topography to create undulated greens and contoured fairways to showcase the course. He and his team trimmed the trees, which had become too prominent and, restored slopes to the fairways, which won the approval of legendary Oklahoma head pro Jerry Cozby.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Holes to look out for include the par-4 2nd, which is particularly demanding with a 225-yard carry over the bunkers. However, that’s not all – there’s also a creek that runs parallel to the fairway. Further on, the fourth has a severe back-to-front sloping green, making putting tricky. The 7th has also features the winding creek to the right of the fairway. Meanwhile, though the par-3 11th is the shortest on the course at just 173 yards, the small green is guarded by four bunkers. Elsewhere, the 456-yard 12th slopes right-to-left, leaving the chance of balls heading to the the stream.
As a player’s round draws to a close, the par-4 17th can leave tee shots either in the trees or a creek, while the two-level elevated green can make for uneasy putting. Finally, the par-4 18th is a dogleg right with a severely sloping green from back to front, almost…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Golf Monthly RSS Feed…