This week marks the Cadillac Championship and the anticipated return to one of the most difficult golf courses on the PGA Tour, the Blue Monster Course at Trump National Doral.
This brute is as long and tough as ever, featuring several stiff par-4s, monstrous par-5s, and formidable par-3s with water peppering the entire property. There is nowhere to hide on this gorgeous South-Florida property; the layout simply mandates great ball striking without forgiveness for anything less.
The Blue Monster at Trump National Doral is extremely long and difficult, with huge water hazards, small targets, and well-placed bunkers wreaking havoc throughout the round. So, let's get to it and examine the five best holes at this mammoth track.
5. 8th hole - Par 5, 590 yards
The par-5s at the Blue Monster are outstanding, and the eighth hole may be the best. The tee shot is fairly straightforward with a relatively generous fairway and two bunkers guarding the right side. The second shot is where things get interesting, as a huge lake enters the picture and traces the entire left side of the hole all the way past the green.
The hole doglegs left around this lake, but due to the way the fairway cuts back toward the right as it nears the green, it creates the feeling that the golfer is aiming directly at the water on the 280-yard second shot.
The green narrows at the back and is guarded by three intimidating bunkers at the front-right side. These bunkers must be carried, but balls that fly too far will end up in the water, so holding this green in two is a daunting prospect. This design makes for a quality risk-reward par-5.
4. 18th hole - Par 4, 473 yards
When this event was played regularly as a World Golf Championship, the 18th was one of the most difficult finishing holes on the PGA Tour. The tee shot is tight, and while the water shouldn't be in play, there are five palm trees left of the fairway and two bunkers to the right.
The approach shot defines the hole with a deep but very narrow green. More bunkers guard the right side, and an intimidating lake sits tight to the left. This hole always provides a daunting finish when the tournament is on the line come Sunday.
3. 11th hole - Par 4, 451 yards
The 11th is a compelling par-4 defined by the tee shot, which offers many different landing areas, all of which are quite small. Theoretically, the fairway is wide, but it is split vertically by a gargantuan sand trap that spans roughly 100 yards. The bunker is angled from right to left, so there is a safer landing area on the right, which would typically call for less than driver as it narrows significantly farther from the tee.
There is another area of fairway on the right side, but this requires a carry over the huge trap, and the length of that carry will depend on the line chosen off the tee. Shots that are kept farther to the right require a shorter carry.
For many players, the play off the tee will depend on the hole location and the desired angle and distance to the pin. The green itself is oddly shaped, with a couple of small protrusions, and is surrounded by bunkers, so expect to see different approaches on the tee shot depending on the day.
2. 16th hole - Par 4, 370 yards
The 16th is a peculiar dogleg around a lake that promises a lot of excitement in the final holes of the championship, especially if it is shortened to become a drivable par-4. There is an enormous bunker on the left and two smaller bunkers that stick in on the right to create three defined landing areas, depending on how long and aggressive the golfer wants to be off the tee. There is also an option to carry the entire lake toward the green, but that requires a 335-yard carry.
The green is large and surrounded by six bunkers; The decision for how aggressive to be off the tee will depend on the hole location. With the pin in the front-right part of the green, golfers will likely lay further back to set up a full wedge shot which can generate more spin.
1. 15th hole - Par 3, 157 yards
The 15th is the shortest and best hole on the course, a beautiful and scary par-3 with a green that sticks out into the lake like a peninsula. Hole locations on the right side are less intimidating, though there is a solitary bunker to guard this dry side of the putting surface.
If the hole is cut in the back-left section, supreme distance control is required, as water surrounds all sides of the hole. This is another hole that presents all the danger in front of the golfer and simply demands a great shot. It will require nerves of steel down the final stretch of championship Sunday.
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