PGA Championship: Hole-by-hole look at Oak Hill Country Club

A hole-by-hole look at the East Course at Oak Hill Country Club, site of the 105th PGA Championship that starts Thursday:

No. 1, 460 yards, par 4: The tee shot is from an elevated tee to a fairway that bends to the left and has a slope about 290 yards out. Allen’s Creek runs across the fairway some 360 yards from the tee. Out-of-bounds is to the right and three bunkers are on the left. The green is surrounded by grass knolls and a bunker short and right.

No. 2, 405 yards, par 4: The narrow fairway features deep bunkers on both sides, so this likely will be an iron off the tee. The approach is to an elevated green that slopes severely from back to front, meaning the best birdie chances will come from below the hole.

No. 3, 230 yards, par 3: The green is elevated and relatively small, sloping predominantly from back to front. Three deep bunkers are short of the green, which has a false front. This typically is one of the tougher holes at Oak Hill.

No. 4, 615 yards, par 5: The right side of the fairway has bunkers and out-of-bounds, with trees down the left side. A long, accurate tee shot should allow for a chance to reach the green in two. The putting surface slopes toward the front, with deep bunkers on both sides near the front.

No. 5, 180 yards, par 3: This is a new hole from the last PGA at Oak Hill. A two-tiered green is surrounded by four deep bunkers. Anything missing long will find thick rough and leave a difficult par save.

No. 6, 503 yards, par 4: This hole used to be par 3 with a bowl-shaped green that produced four aces in the 1989 U.S. Open and two in the 1995 Ryder Cup. Architect Andrew Green restored it to what Donald Ross originally intended. It originally was the fifth hole. The hole has a slight dogleg to the right with fairway bunkers on the left and Allen’s Creek running down the right, cutting across the fairway and then down the left and long of the green.

No. 7, 461 yards, par 4: Allen’s Creek goes down the right side of the hole and then crosses the fairway, while the left side features a thick strand of trees. Most players will opt for something less the driver for accuracy. The approach is uphill to one of the smallest greens, which is guarded by a front left bunker.

No. 8, 429 yards, par 4: The fairway will seem to be more generous. It has a bunker on each side of the landing area, and the large green is protected by three deep bunkers.

No. 9, 482 yards, par 4: The end of the front nine is a difficult, uphill hole that moves to the right. The longer the drive, the narrower the fairway becomes. Tee shots down the right side run the risk of out-of-bounds or being blocked by overhanging trees. The green slopes from back to front, and missing long will make par difficult.

No. 10, 430 yards, par 4: The fairway slopes severely downhill about 275 yards from the tee, and Allen’s Creek crosses the fairway at 350 yards. The green is protected by two bunkers short and a run-off area to the back left. The middle of this flat green is the safest shot.

No. 11, 245 yards, par 3: The green is surrounded by three bunkers, one to the left and two to the right, while Allen’s Creek runs along the front right. The green is large enough to provide a variety of pin positions.

No. 12, 399 yards, par 4: The hole is uphill and has trees lining both sides of the fairway, along with a small bunker on the right at about 285 yards. The green slopes from the back left to the front right, with three bunkers at the front.

No. 13, 623 yards, par 5: This hole is uphill and heads back toward the clubhouse. Allen’s Creek crosses the fairway about 325 yards from the tee, meaning anyone going for the green faces a long shot up the hill. Two fairway bunkers protect the right side of the fairway about 125 yards from the green. The green sits in a hollow, providing an amphitheater setting.

No. 14, 320 yards, par 4: Players will have the option to drive the green. Those hitting iron off the tee will need to avoid two fairway bunkers on the left and one on the right. Three bunkers around the green would be a good leave for those going for the green. Anything long leaves a tough recovery because the green slopes severely to the front.

No. 15, 155 yards, par 3: Gone is the pond in front of the green. The green is protected by deep bunkers short and to the left, and a tightly mown area to the right that drops off dramatically, leaving a tough pitch from a tight lie to a multi-tiered green.

No. 16, 458 yards, par 4: Two bunkers are on the right side of the fairway. A good tee shot will catch a slope 275 yards away from the tee, and players would be left with a wedge to a receptive green. The area left and long of the green is closely mown and will leave a long pitch back to the green.

No. 17, 502 yards, par 4: This typically plays as a par 5 for members. The drive should be at least 280 yards to provide a full view of the undulating green. A closely mown run-off will send errant shots a long way from the green and leave a tight lie for the pitch.

No. 18, 497 yards, par 4: The closing hole has a fairway only 20 yards wide at the 300-yard mark, with three deep bunkers on the right and trees lining both sides of the fairway. The green slopes severely to the front and is situated between three bunkers to the right and one of the left. This is where Shaun Micheel hit 7-iron to 2 inches to clinch his PGA victory in 2003.