A great course and tough test.

Went into my first time there fairly green. Had expectations that it was tough for its own sake, but it is a far more interesting and natural course than I had expected. Played two weeks before The Memorial. Greens were a little slower than normal to keep healthy, but everything else was close to tournament condition. A brute, for sure, and I did not play well, but had a great experience there.

9-11 were a highlight stretch of golf. Three exceptional golf holes that use the land perfectly, have great green complexes, and pose interesting choices and require interesting shots. Other highlights include the approach into 13, the greens on 7 and 8, and, of course, the milkshakes.

The course lies on the land really well, and there is quite a bit more quirk than I was expecting (not necessarily a bad thing) which requires ball control.

Some of the driving corridors require some real precision and are uncomfortably tight. It's a tournament course, so I understand that. But there are choices a player faces even in those more demanding corridors, and it is not just an execution test (although there are a few of those mixed in as well).

Overall, a special and memorable place worthy of a place in the Top 100. It sounds like, as always, Mr. Nicklaus will be tweaking some golf holes, which hopefully will improve a few spots (the par-3 16th, for example, which is the weakest hole in the course).