Closing holes offer chances for comebacks

Memorial Park Golf Course was redesigned by Tom Doak, with input from player consultant Brooks Koepka in getting the Houston public facility PGATour ready.

For most of the 18 holes, when a player misses the green, that is where there is trouble. The greens have sharp edges, lots of slope away from the greens, making chipping so important.

All the par 3s, except for No. 11, are short by PGA Tour standards. There are two drivable par 4s on a 7,500-yard layout. Aside from those holes, the remainder of the course plays long.

The closing holes are risk/ reward. The course was designed to potentially see movement on the leaderboard on holes 15, 16, 17.

A hole-by-hole look at the course for this week’s Houston Open:

No. 1

Par 4, 522 yards. Players start with a hard, long dogleg left. Wind direction will determine length of hole. There is a large fairway that slopes to the left. An aggressive line brings in trees on second shot. A bunker protects right side of green. The hole plays as a par 5 in nontournament times.

No. 2

Par 3, 167 yards. Short par 3 with a difficult green that features huge elevation shift toward the back. Must get ball on the right side for scoring opportunity. Players will most likely be hitting 8- or 9-iron.

No. 3

Par 5, 587 yards. Reachable in two shots depending on wind. Despite being lengthy, it is a good birdie opportunity. A dogleg left with bunker on left side of fairway, forcing players down right side in order to go for it in two.

No. 4

Par 4, 490 yards. Following the third hole, players turn back around in opposite direction. Considered the most difficult par 4 on the course. A slight dogleg to right predominantly into the wind. Be cautious on the approach as there is a creek lining back of the green.

No. 5

Par 4, 440 yards. Players go from a long par 4 to short par 4.

Depending on tee box, players could hit iron off the tee and wedge into the green. It is not a drivable par 4, but by hitting most likely a wedge on the second shot, birdies will be available.

No. 6

Par 4, 443 yards. Another birdie opportunity. A dogleg left makes it risky on left side of the green, but a good scoring hole. Thick trees line left side. Right side of fairway is open and offers perfect angle on the approach.

No. 7

Par 3, 193 yards. Not overly long by tour standards but not a scoreable par 3. It is a difficult green with a lot of risk on the left side. Right is the favorable side.

No. 8

Par 5, 625 yards. Longest par 5 on course with a difficult green to hit. Green is not reachable in 2. But an approach shot landing just in front of the green leads to another birdie opportunity. From the tee, it is a dogleg right, and out of bounds is in play.

No. 9

Par 3, 175 yards. Concluding the front nine is a short par 3 with a sloped green that could spell trouble. The green is extremely difficult and there is risk on both sides. Water on right and tough bunkers on left. Going long is only safe miss.

No. 10

Par 4, 456 yards. A long straightaway hole that plays into the wind. A difficult fairway to hit. Grass bunker on right side must be avoided. An interesting hole with one greenside bunker.

No. 11

Par 3, 220 yards. Sandwiched between two long par 4s, this is the longest par 3 on the course, but it has one of the largest greens. A difficult green that slopes left to right. Because a bunker protects right side of the green, players must favor left and use the slope to their advantage. Par is welcomed.

No. 12

Par 4, 496 yards. A picturesque straightaway hole. For the approach, players could be hitting 8-iron into a small green with two signature oak trees fronting the left and right side of the green.

No. 13

Par 4, 406 yards. Drivable par 4 or wedge shot into green.

Saturday and Sunday tee box locations will make it a drivable par 4, but it is extremely hard. Since it is a reachable par 4, it may appear to be an easy birdie opportunity, but there will be more bogeys than birdies. The narrow green is elevated, making chipping difficult.

No. 14

Par 4, 529 yards. Another hole the professionals play as a par 4. It is long and the pros will be hitting 4 or 5 irons into a green that slopes away from the tee. It is a difficult green to hit with a long iron. Bogey will be a common score.

No. 15

Par 3, 135 yards. The stadium hole surrounded by hospitality tents with lively fans. The popular hole has an elevated green that has a great deal of slope on each side. Although players will be hitting wedge, it is a risky hole and some shots will end up in water, yielding double bogey or worse. There will be a lot of birdies as well.

No. 16

Par 5, 576 yards. A short par 5 that features an island green that is protected by water on three sides. Although it is easily reachable in two shots, many golfers will lay up because it is a tough green to hit. But there should be a lot of birdies on players’ scorecards on Sunday. The finishing holes were designed to allow someone who is chasing the leader during the final round to have a chance to make eagle on 16 and chance for another eagle on 17.

No. 17

Par 4, 382 yards. A major renovation from the last time the Houston Open was played in November 2022. The green has been moved back 38 yards, giving the pros an opportunity to hit driver and bounce the ball on the green rather than try to fly a ball over the water and land on the green. The green is now tucked on the right edge of the water. There are also a couple of bunkers on left side.

No. 18

Par 4, 503 yards. Difficult finishing hole. It is slight dogleg right with big slope in middle of the fairway. Balls moving to the right side of the fairway makes for a more strenuous approach shot. It is another green that slopes away from the tee box. A positioned tee shot is vital.