HOLE #1

The addition of a new back tee has lengthened the hole, and hitting a hybrid or 3-wood off the tee will mean a flatter lie in the landing area. The attempt to hit a driver may result in a hanging lie in the fairway, so it might be wiser the leave it in the bag. The green has a slight pitch, from back-to-front, with a typical Rees Jones collection area back-left that needs to be avoided. The toughest hole placement is back-right, with only 18 feet of green behind the front-right bunker. It’s an easy opening hole, compared to the rest of the course, and can give a player a false sense of security.

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Par 4

433 yards

HOLE #2

Many players say that the difficulty of this course begins on the second tee box. This very challenging par-3 has a forced carry, with no bailout on the left side. A missed shot left leads to a walk of shame to the drop area. The traditional winds from the southwest will blow in and across the face of the players.

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Par 3

192 yards

HOLE #3

From the tee, the players will see the Rees Jones bunkers down the right side; the target should be to work the ball right-to-left to avoid them. Players cannot go too far left as they have to avoid the overhanging Medinah trees. The green slopes from back-to-front and is guarded by bunkers on both sides.

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Par 4

412 yards

HOLE #4

Favor the right side of this pitched fairway, as any balls hit down the left side will likely find the rough. Approach shots to the green always play a club longer because of the severe elevation change from fairway to green. The green is slightly sloped from back-to-front, but has a way of disguising one of the fastest putts at Medinah. The key here is to keep the ball below the hole.

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Par 4

463 yards

HOLE #5

The shortest par 5 on the course makes this is the perfect risk/reward hole. The premium location with a driver is right-center, leaving most players with a 3- or 4-iron to an elevated green. The green isn’t easy to hit in two because of this elevation. However, the hole makes most players want to gamble.

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Par 5

536 yards

HOLE #6

With the addition of a new back tee, the length on this par 4 requires a driver shaping from left-to-right off the three fairway bunkers. Do not make the mistake of missing the fairway to the right, or you are staring bogey in the face. The left side of the fairway will still leave most a mid- to long-iron into a sloped and well-bunkered green. This is a hole where the tee shot will definitely dictate the score.

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Par 4

509 yards

HOLE #7

The seventh is the longest par 5 on the course, as well as the No. 1 handicap hole for members. Rees Jones added another tee box that calls for the ideal tee shot down the left side, which will set up a layup shot from 120 yards out. Anything closer brings a left fairway bunker into play. Do not miss the green or fall into the steep greenside bunkers. The green is elevated and has a several subtle breaks that make it difficult to read and putt.

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Par 5

617 yards

HOLE #8

The heavily guarded green on this hole breaks hard from left to right. The key here is to locate the halfway house, as most putts will break to the building.

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Par 3

201 yards

HOLE #9

A great dogleg left that presents somewhat of a blind shot off the tee, requiring a 3-wood or hybrid. Hugging the left side here will leave you an uphill look at a well-bunkered green that breaks fast from right-to-left. Take your par here, and run to the 10th tee.

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Par 4

432 yards

HOLE #10

A thinking man’s par 5 that can be reached in two, but demands that both be great shots! The drive should be played toward the right bunkers, shaping from right-to-left. Club choice might include 3-wood to take the bunkers out of play and then hitting a hybrid or long iron to a conservative layup area to make the third shot a little easier. The 10th green has the greatest slope from back-to-front as any on the golf course. The dilemma here is whether to be aggressive or conservative.

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Par 5

578 yards

HOLE #11

The 11th has the smallest green on the course and the addition of the Rees Jones fairway bunker has put a premium on driving accuracy and club choice. The play is 3-wood or hybrid off the tee, which will leave the player with short iron into a small, undulated green. The hole looks easy, but it could easily swing the momentum of the player’s round!

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Par 4

440 yards

HOLE #12

This gem just may be the best par 4 on the property. A generous driving area benefits the player staying to the right side for a better angle to approach the green. A big oak guards the green on the left side that members have hit 95,345 times (and counting) over the years. The second shot should be a mid-iron to a green that slopes hard from left-to-right, but doesn’t look as severe because of the sharp drop-off on the right side to the pond. Par is a good score here.

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Par 5

476 yards

HOLE #13

Known over the years as Medinah’s signature hole, the green on 13 is now guarded by three bunkers and slopes from right-to-left. The club choice will be the challenge as players contend with the winds off Lake Kadijah. Being the longest par 3 on the course and with the challenge of the wind, this hole may make or break the leader's round on Sunday.

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Par 3

245 yards

HOLE #14

The longer players have the advantage here if they can get the ball to the top of the hill. From there, they will have a long iron or fairway metal to a green that is well-guarded by bunkers and which slopes significantly from back-to-front. It is hard to get the ball close on the third shot because of the slope of the green. The challenge here will be to contend with the overhanging Medinah trees.

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Par 5

609 yards

HOLE #15

This was the most significant change that Rees Jones made during his last update to Course #3. What was the easiest par 4 on the course was turned into a short and potentially exciting par 4 with water adjoining the landing area and green. The green complex is where the challenge will begin as it is well-bunkered in the front and has a collection area back-right.

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Par 4

390 yards

HOLE #16

The 16th hole is where all the fireworks began during the 1999 PGA Championship, with Sergio Garcia’s miraculous shot from behind an oak tree on the right side of the fairway. A new tee box has brought driver back into the hands of many players to leave approximately 200 yards to an elevated green that may require an extra club. Once greenside, there is no bargain dealing with a sloped green from right-to-left that is heavily guarded with bunkers. Par is a premium here.

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Par 4

482 yards

HOLE #17

The key here is the wind off Lake Kadijah, and the nerves of trying to win on Sunday. Hitting this relatively flat green will be tough if you are long or left, making up-and-down quite difficult.

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Par 3

193 yards

HOLE #18

Off the tee of the finishing hole, Rees Jones added a group of bunkers to work the ball from right-to-left. On the approach, the green has been raised in the air almost one story high and is flanked by some steep bunkers. The green itself is pitched from back-to-front, with a collection area in the back-right. Getting up-and-down to a back-right hole location almost impossible. The 18th will produce a dramatic finish to another storied event at Medinah.

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Par 4

449 yards