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Images: A Virtual Tour of the Ryder Cup Course at Medinah

Hole 1 COURTESY OF MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB
Hole 2 of the Ryder Cup course at Medinah. 192 yards/176 meters, Par-3, Many players say that the difficulty of Course No. 3 begins on the second tee box. This 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 and makes this hole a difficult par 3. COURTESY OF MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB
Hole 2 COURTESY OF MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB
Hole 3 of the Ryder Cup course at Medinah. 412 yards/377 meters, Par-4, From the tee, the players will see the Rees Jones bunkers down the right side that should be the target to work the ball right-to-left. They will have to try to stay to the right side to avoid the overhanging Medinah trees. COURTESY OF MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB
Hole 3 COURTESY OF MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB
Hole 4 of the Ryder Cup course at Medinah. 463 yards/423 meters, Par-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. COURTESY OF MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB
Hole 4. COURTESY OF MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB
Hole 5 of the Ryder Cup course at Medinah. 536 yards/490 meters, Par-5, The shortest par-5 on the course makes this is the perfect risk/reward par-5. The premium location with a driver is right-center, leaving most players with a 3- or 4-iron to an elevated green. COURTESY OF MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB
Hole 5 . COURTESY OF MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB
Hole 6 of the Ryder Cup course at Medinah. 509 yards/465 meters, Par-4This is one of Medinah’s truly great par-4’s. With the addition of a new back tee, the length requires a driver shaping from left-to-right off the three fairway bunkers. Left side of the fairway will still leave most a mid- to long-iron into a sloped and well-bunkered green. COURTESY OF MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB
Hole 6. COURTESY OF MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB
Hole 7 of the Ryder Cup course at Medinah. 617 yards/564 meters, Par-5, Another Medinah Classic, the seventh is the longest par-5 on the course, as well as the membership’s No. 1 handicap hole.Do not miss the green or fall into the steep greenside bunkers. COURTESY OF MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB
Hole 7. COURTESY OF MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB
Hole 8 of the Ryder Cup course at Medinah. 201 yards/184 meters, Par-3, A couple of major championships ago, this was a blind tee shot. However, the leveling of the fairway has given the players a great view of a heavily guarded green that breaks hard from left to right. The key here is to locate the halfway house, as most putts will break to the building. COURTESY OF MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB
Hole 8. COURTESY OF MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB
Hole 9 of the Ryder Cup course at Medinah. 432 yards/395 meters, Par-4, This hole offers a great dogleg left that presents somewhat of a blind shot off the tee, and in today’s game it will require a 3-wood, or hybrid. Hugging the right 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. COURTESY OF MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB
Hole 9. COURTESY OF MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB
Hole 10 of the Ryder Cup course at Medinah. 578 yards/529 meters, Par-5, A thinking man’s par-5 that can be reached in two, this hole demands that both be great shots. Club choice might include 3-wood to take the bunkers out of play, and then hitting a hybrid or long iron to a conservative lay-up will make the third shot a little easier. COURTESY OF MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB
Hole 10. COURTESY OF MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB
Hole 11 of the Ryder Cup course at Medinah. 440 yards/402 meters, Par-4, The 11th hole has the smallest green on the golf course, and the addition of the Rees Jones fairway bunker has put a premium on driving accuracy and club choice. The hole looks easy, but it could swing the momentum in a match. COURTESY OF MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB
Hole 11. COURTESY OF MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB
Hole 12 of the Ryder Cup course at Medinah. 476 yards/435 meters, Par-4, 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 the membership has hit 95,345 times over the years. COURTESY OF MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB
Hole 12. COURTESY OF MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB
Hole 13 of the Ryder Cup course at Medinah. 245 yards/223 meters, Par-3, Known over the years as Medinah’s signature hole, the green on No. 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. COURTESY OF MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB
Hole 13. COURTESY OF MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB
Hole 14 of the Ryder Cup course at Medinah. 609 yards/557 meters, Par-5, 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 into a green that is well guarded by bunkers and slopes significantly from back-to-front. It is hard to get the ball close on the third shot because of the slope in the green. COURTESY OF MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB
Hole 14. COURTESY OF MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB
Hole 15 of the Ryder Cup course at Medinah. 391 yards/356 meters, Par-4, This was the most significant change that Rees Jones made during his last update to Course No. 3.What was the easiest par-4 on the course has been turned into a short and potentially exciting par-4 with water adjoining the landing area and green. This small shallow green should produce a lot of memorable shots for this Ryder Cup. COURTESY OF MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB
Hole 15. COURTESY OF MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB
Hole 16 of the Ryder Cup course at Medinah. 482 yards/441 meters, Par-4, The sixteenth hole is where all the fireworks began in ’99, with Sergio Garcia’s miraculous shot from behind an oak tree on the right side of the fairway. The new Rees Jones tee box has brought the driver back in to the hands of many players, leaving approximately 200 yards into an elevated green that may require an extra club. COURTESY OF MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB
Hole 16. COURTESY OF MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB
Hole 17 of the Ryder Cup course at Medinah. 193 yards/176 meters, Par-3, The key here will be the wind off Lake Kadijah, and the nerves of trying to win a match to capture the 39th Ryder Cup. Hitting this relatively flat green will be the key. Being long or left will make getting up and down quite difficult. COURTESY OF MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB
Hole 17 . COURTESY OF MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB
Hole 18 of the Ryder Cup course at Medinah. 449 yards/411 meters, Par-4, This finishing hole was no easy bargain during the 2006 PGA Championship.Off the tee, 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, with up and down to a back-right hole location almost impossible. COURTESY OF MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB
Hole 18. COURTESY OF MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB
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