NCR (North)

The South course at the NCR Country Club tends to attract all of the traveling box-checkers, which unfairly belies the quality located on the north side of the property. Although the PGA Championship and Women’s U.S. Open host is hilly and wooded, the North Course at NCR is much more open and much less sloped, which provides most of the relief from its sibling (the yardage at the North is just 200 yards shorter than the South).

Still, very few courses designed by Dick Wilson can be described as a “walk-in-the-park,” and indeed a walk at this parkland route will require a deft approach from players looking to score. A prime example is No. 4, a par four playing 412 yards, which tightens up significantly when bunkers come into play along the right side of the fairway. A player looking to get home in two will need to hug said bunkers to set up the necessary line into the green.

That said, there are considerably fewer bunkers at the North course, and they tend to be on the smaller side as well. Overall, the North course takes up the challenge of providing a relatively relaxing alternative to its big brother, without becoming too relaxing to become a bore.