Hole 1
Par 5 | 515 yards (men); 481 yards (women)
Some players will reach the wide, flat green in two and get off to a hot start. But the trees planted in both roughs will punish an errant tee shot.
Hole 2
Par 4 | 376 yards (men); 332 yards (women)
This short par 4 is another good birdie opportunity. Numerous champions at Doral have taken advantage of the two relatively easy opening holes. Some players may tee off with an iron as the fairway narrows to 24 yards between the bunkers. The right fairway bunker has three grass islands, a trademark of the original Dick Wilson design.
Hole 3
Par 4 | 409 yards (men); 357 yards (women)
This may be TPC Blue Monster’s most difficult driving hole. Longer drives find a wider fairway, so expect to see driver off the tee. A miss right will go into the lake, while a miss left will find deep rough or the tough fairway bunker. Approach shots must also be accurate. The sharp slope to the left of the green will cause extremely difficult recovery shots. This is TPC Blue Monster’s only hole with no greenside bunkers.
Hole 4
Par 3 | 220 yards (men); 170 yards (women)
Always a pivotal hole in any competition, this is the hardest par 3 on the golf course, although the 13th hole is slightly longer. Two deep bunkers guard the green’s left side. Players can bounce a ball onto the green; however, even a slight miss to the right will be water-bound.
Hole 5
Par 4 | 390 yards (men); 367 yards (women)
The left side of this par 4 is guarded by four small bunkers pitched into the hillside. The tee-shot landing area is quite narrow. The green is protected by five bunkers. Birdie is possible with a long drive in the fairway.
Hole 6
Par 4 | 437 yards (men); 390 yards (women)
This par 4 has a very wide landing area at the 225-yard mark and narrows as players get closer to the green. The second bunker on the left squeezes the fairway, leaving only 33-yard-wide target. Always facing into the wind, this hole plays longer than its 437 yards.
Hole 7
Par 4 | 428 yards (men); 387 yards (women)
Palm trees at the right-hand corner of this dogleg left block poorly positioned drives. Playing a right-to-left shot from the tee is best. The position of the fairway bunkers gives average golfers more room to drive the ball. The left fairway bunker, with its steeper lip, is intimidating for many players. The green’s left side slopes down to a chipping area.
Hole 8
Par 5 | 560 yards (men); 475 yards (women)
On this par 5, the lake is very much in play for longer hitters. Numerous palm trees beyond the bunker on the right punish any bailout to that side. Many players go for the green in two, but to do so requires a long, accurate drive, usually into the winter wind from the southwest.
Hole 9
Par 3 | 169 yards (men); 144 yards (women)
This hole almost always plays into the wind or with a left-to-right wind. The green is very quick. Putts from above the hole are especially tricky, as they play downwind and down the grain toward the water. Leaving the ball below the hole is critical, allowing players to putt aggressively and maybe walk away with a birdie.
Hole 10
Par 5 | 540 yards (men); 497 yards (women)
This downwind par 5 plays shorter than the yardage. The two fairway bunkers on the right make the landing zone tighter and bring the water more into play. Longer drives find a narrower fairway. Big hitters will play an iron on the approach. Any approach shot pulled left will find the lake. The sloping green is very narrow in back, making a back-left hole location the most difficult to reach. Expect to see many birdies and a few eagles.
Hole 11
Par 4 | 395 yards (men); 320 yards (women)
The large bunker in the center of the fairway gives players three distinct tee-shot options, a common Dick Wilson strategy. Players can drive the ball up to 280 yards down the left side. The better drivers will definitely hit driver, leaving a short pitch.
Hole 12
Par 5 | 590 yards (men); 565 yards (women)
More than 400 trees have been planted on the right side of this hole, making any shot from the right rough very intimidating. The enormous fairway bunker on the right stretches from 96 to 166 yards from the green. The parallel bunker on the left squeezes the second-shot landing area. As on the 11th hole, the front of this green is raised, hiding front hole locations and leaving players with an uneasy feeling on their approach shots.
Hole 13
Par 3 | 232 yards (men); 182 yards (women)
Making par here would please every player in the field. Well-defined bunkers guard either side of the green, but players can use the strip of fairway in front to bounce the ball onto the putting surface. The toughest hole locations are back left because the back of the green actually slopes away from the tee.
Hole 14
Par 4 | 455 yards (men); 396 yards (women)
Because it is usually downwind, this par 4 plays much shorter than its length. Two fairway bunkers guard the right side of the landing area. While many players can carry the first bunker on the left from the tee, the second bunker forces them to find the fairway. Two bunkers sit to the left of the green, while the right side of the green slopes to the right. The green is also dramatically narrow.
Hole 15
Par 3 | 163 yards (men); 140 yards (women)
On this par 3, the faces of the bunkers fronting the green and behind it are grassed down. The step-over spot in the front hazard is commonly seen in bunkers on courses in Scotland and Ireland. The very shallow green and the wind, usually from left to right, makes club selection difficult. Even some of the world’s finest players come up either short or long.
Hole 16
Par 4 | 360 yards (men); 330 yards (women)
This par 4 swings from right to left. The fairway bunkers on the right side are small. The left fairway bunker includes four islands and is completely grassed down. The wide fairway encourages players to hit driver, bringing the bunkers and palm trees into play. The bunker complex around the green is a classic Dick Wilson design. The toughest hole locations are on the very narrow right side of the green, which slopes away from the fairway. Long shots will bound over this green, leaving an extremely difficult pitch.
Hole 17
Par 4 | 410 yards (men); 374 yards (women)
This slight dogleg right features a distinctive elevated green that is 51 yards deep – a three- or four-club difference depending on the hole location. Usually playing into the wind or with a left-to-right wind, this par 4 plays considerably longer than 410 yards. Add at least 15 yards if the hole is back, which also requires a shot over a deep, intimidating bunker. Classic-styled bunkers frame the entire putting service.
Hole 18
Par 4 | 450 yards (men); 388 yards (women)
Since this hole usually plays into the wind or into a left-to-right crosswind, the drive is extremely tough. The fairway narrows to just 25 yards at the end of the lake but widens beyond it, so longer drives have a bigger target. Driving the ball into the right rough leads to a terrifying second shot to a long, narrow green with the entire left side is bordered by water. Smashing a drive down this fairway then firing at a back-left hole location requires real courage.
Hole-by-hole descriptions courtesy of Doral Golf Resort & Spa Miami