HOLE #1

The opening hole at Bellerive might best typify architect Robert Trent Jones’ description of a great golf hole as “a difficult par but a comfortable bogey.” The crowned fairway may be the most elusive of all to find with the tee shot, so longer hitters may choose a 3-wood because the bunkers squeeze the landing area. Most players will hit a middle to short iron to this wide green. The player hitting a shot from the rough will have a hard time holding the green into a left hole location.

PHOTO BY GARY W. KELLNER / BELLERIVE COUNTRY CLUB

Par 4

438 yards

HOLE #2

Off the tee, if a player lands the ball in the fairway, they will be able to be aggressive with their second shot and attack any hole location. An errant tee shot and the player will have to play safe from a lie in the rough.

PHOTO BY GARY W. KELLNER / BELLERIVE COUNTRY CLUB

Par 4

411 yards

HOLE #3

An enticing par 3, this hole should offer several birdie opportunities, barring a poorly struck iron shot. Water surrounds much of the green, making the right and back hole locations dangerous to access. If the cup is cut over the left ridge, there will be a good chance to see a hole-in-one that day.

PHOTO BY GARY W. KELLNER / BELLERIVE COUNTRY CLUB

Par 3

170 yards

HOLE #4

Players will try to drive over the left fairway bunker, keeping the ball inside the opposite bunker, to get a shot at this well-protected green in two. At 522 yards, this par 5 gives up plenty of eagles, making it an exciting hole to play, even for the shorter hitters. Tee shots that find the rough or the many strategically placed bunkers will force players to lay up in the 80-100 yard range, short of the treacherous bunkers on the right side of the fairway. A birdie here will provide good momentum before going on to the next two difficult holes.

PHOTO BY GARY W. KELLNER / BELLERIVE COUNTRY CLUB

Par 5

565 yards

HOLE #5

This is one of the classic Robert Trent Jones par 4 holes. Any kind of par will be much appreciated here, with the rare birdie chance coming when the hole is cut on the left side of a massive green. All tee shots kick to the right, towards an always thick and healthy rough. Unfortunately, the left rough is even harder to negotiate. Finding the fairway off the tee under any circumstance should be the goal of all players on this difficult hole.

PHOTO BY GARY W. KELLNER / BELLERIVE COUNTRY CLUB

Par 4

473 yards

HOLE #6

This is the signature par 3 at Bellerive. In the 1965 U.S. Open, this hole played to an incredible 4.03 stroke average. The green has even shrunk a bit since the renovation, making the front of the green just as difficult to hit as the back right shelf. Hole locations cut in the middle swale always provide some excitement with tee shots feeding toward the cup. Unfortunately, plan on seeing more than a few big numbers made here.

PHOTO BY GARY W. KELLNER / BELLERIVE COUNTRY CLUB

Par 3

214 yards

HOLE #7

This is the easiest par 4 on the front. The proper tee shot puts a wedge in the player’s hands, allowing for a welcome scoring opportunity. However, the green is well guarded and undulated, making it difficult to control approach shots coming from outside the fairway.

PHOTO BY GARY W. KELLNER / BELLERIVE COUNTRY CLUB

Par 4

397 yards

HOLE #8

This hole underwent a slight change to the landing area. The left fairway bunker, which guarded the dogleg, has been removed, allowing players to take an aggressive line that potentially affords them an opportunity to hit the green in two. The creek that hugs the right side is now exposed, making golfers think twice when laying up for their second shot. This green offers a wide but shallow target. Any hole cut on the left side of the green is protected by two deep bunkers.

PHOTO BY GARY W. KELLNER / BELLERIVE COUNTRY CLUB

Par 5

613 yards

HOLE #9

You can take your pick between holes 5, 10, or 15 as to which is the toughest of the par 4s at Bellerive, but this hole might yield as many bogeys as any of those. At only 437 yards, it’s not the length that makes this hole so challenging. The classic uphill approach to the most complicated green on the course makes it impossible to gauge the right distance in order to be hole high. If the hole is not cut in the front bowl, players will have very few good birdie chances. This hole might offer some of the most interesting up-and-down attempts or lag putts during the round.

PHOTO BY GARY W. KELLNER / BELLERIVE COUNTRY CLUB

Par 4

437 yards

HOLE #10

The 10th hole offers golfers a great eagle or birdie opportunity for the player. Hitting the fairway is a must in order to have any chance at all of reaching the green with the second shot as the rough to the right and bunker to the left are unforgiving. A wide but shallow green provides some defense for a hole that a majority of players will be attacking with long irons or fairway metals. The deep bunkers in the front and behind the green should give the players pause when making decisions on their approach shots.

PHOTO BY GARY W. KELLNER / BELLERIVE COUNTRY CLUB

Par 5

516 yards

HOLE #11

A true risk/reward short par 4! Players choosing to lay up short of the pond guarding the front right of the green will only need a mid iron to do so. This will leave the player with a wedge to a long, narrow green. The risk taker will need a precise drive in order to hit the green. However, the hole can also be played at distances of 271 to 325 yards, enticing more players to try to hit the green. With a pond guarding the front right of the green, the hole will likely surrender as many double-bogeys as it does birdies.

PHOTO BY GARY W. KELLNER / BELLERIVE COUNTRY CLUB

Par 4

358 yards

HOLE #12

The 12th is a solid par 4 with a good look from an elevated tee down the fairway of this dogleg left. Keep the ball out of the left fairway bunkers and opportunities to score abound. In 1992, Nick Price holed a 105-foot putt for birdie en route to victory at the PGA Championship, his first major title.

PHOTO BY GARY W. KELLNER / BELLERIVE COUNTRY CLUB

Par 4

475 yards

HOLE #13

Simply put, hole location means everything as to how tough this hole will play. If the flag is on the accessible left side of the green, plenty of birdies will be available. If the hole is cut back center or right, a routine two-putt will be a tall task. The slopes and ridges in this large green make for quite a roller coaster ride when putting.

PHOTO BY GARY W. KELLNER / BELLERIVE COUNTRY CLUB

Par 3

184 yards

HOLE #14

This is the beginning of The Ridge, the gauntlet of finishing holes at Bellerive. Secluded back in the trees, the 14th asks the player to hit a tee shot to a landing area guarded by treacherous bunkers on the right and deep rough on the left. The longer hitters will have to be most accurate, as the fairway narrows. The green is so tucked around the corner that players hitting approaches from the left side might not be able to see their target. Birdies will come in bunches when the hole is placed on the front right of the green.

PHOTO BY GARY W. KELLNER / BELLERIVE COUNTRY CLUB

Par 4

410 yards

HOLE #15

Another perfect example of a Robert Trent Jones par 4, the 15th is a tough par but a reasonable bogey. Quite long at 495 yards and usually into a prevailing southerly wind, a good tee shot gives a player a chance to hit a middle or long iron into this wide, but shallow, target. However, miss short right or go over this shallow green and a player will find a most difficult up-and-down from the bunkers. The steep right-to-left slope makes short pitches and chips very challenging.

PHOTO BY GARY W. KELLNER / BELLERIVE COUNTRY CLUB

Par 4

495 yards

HOLE #16

Here’s another tough one on The Ridge. Playing at more than 230 yards and again into a prevailing southerly breeze, look for players to carve long irons and hybrids, maybe even a 3-wood, into this large, elevated green. Just make a 3 here and be on your way. The front bunkers are no place to be as the unlucky player will have a hard time just seeing the flag stick from within the depths of the sand.

PHOTO BY GARY W. KELLNER / BELLERIVE COUNTRY CLUB

Par 3

239 yards

HOLE #17

This beautiful par 5 gives the player their last legitimate shot at a birdie (or better) for the round. For those who hit it long and straight, a go at the green in two is the reward for hitting the narrow fairway. A well-struck second shot past a strategically placed cross bunker could provide the player with a realistic eagle or birdie chance. Approach shots should be played with great caution when the flag is on the right front or back of the green as any missed shot to the right will most likely end up in the hazard that winds its way down the entire right side of the hole.

PHOTO BY GARY W. KELLNER / BELLERIVE COUNTRY CLUB

Par 5

603 yards

HOLE #18

A classic finishing hole, the 18th gives very little, especially when trying to finish up a good round. Again, landing the tee shot in the fairway is of the utmost importance. Otherwise, this may be the hardest green to hit on the entire course. There are no easy places on the green from which to score; putts get tougher when the hole moves back and right. A par on the 18th is a satisfying way to end your round.

PHOTO BY GARY W. KELLNER / BELLERIVE COUNTRY CLUB

Par 4

462 yards