No. 7 - Par 4 - 404 Yards
This is the sharpest dogleg on the course. A cluster of bunkers on the right corner can grab tee shots that are pushed or leaked to the right. Most players will try to find the heart of the fairway beyond those bunkers, some 275 yards out, leaving a short iron into a green sloped from back to front. The longest players may be tempted to cut the corner to get close to the green. The putting surface is well protected by one deep bunker on the right and two smaller bunkers on the front left.
No. 8 - Par 4 - 467 Yards
This par five for normal resort and member play is a par-four during the U.S. Open Championship. The average score during the 1999 U. S. Open was 4.5. Most competitors will favor the right side of the fairway off the tee to allow for the right-to-left slope. The approach is the key shot here (as is often the case on No.2). This green is dramatically sloped from back to front, so the heart of the green should be the target for the approach, as a missed shot left or long will find a collection area as much as 20 yards off the putting surface.
No. 9 - Par 3 - 175 Yards
This second par three is the shortest hole on the course. Trouble lurks when missing this green in any direction, making shot selection from the tee critical. Two deep bunkers flank the front, punishing the golfer who underclubs. A steep slope and two more bunkers lie in wait over the green. This two-tiered green is wide and shallow, sloping from left to right, with a ridge running from back to front.
No. 10 - Par 5 - 607 Yards
The longest hole on the course may be reachable in two for some players, but they will have to strike two long, accurate shots. A good drive and a solid second shot, steering clear of a bunker on the left side of the fairway, 110 yards from the green, should leave a wedge or short-iron into the green for a birdie try. This green has a subtle slope from left to right and is protected by two bunkers. The putting surface falls off dramatically into a collection area behind the green.
No. 11 - Par 4 - 476 Yards
This is the first of a critical stretch of four par fours. A new tee has been constructed since the 1999 U. S. Open, adding over 25 yards to this already daunting hole. The fairway appears wide, but is bordered down the right side with a traditional Pinehurst trademark-hardpan sand and wire grass. Most players will favor the left side of the fairway, which offers the best look at the green. The safe approach shot is to the right-center portion of the putting surface. Golfing lore holds that this was Ben Hogan's favorite par four.
No. 12 - Par 4 - 449 Yards
While an accurate tee shot is important on every hole at Pinehurst, it is particularly crucial on the 12th hole. Holding this green with a shot hit from anywhere but the fairway is a particularly difficult task. The culprit here is the deep swale that runs across the green from the left; it can kick what may seem like a workable approach off line significantly to the left. A left-center tee shot, avoiding the two fairway bunkers and Pinehurst waste areas on the right, affords the best angle into the green.
Next Page: Holes No. 13-18
