Hole 1 - 389 Yards - Par 4

Hole Description

This is one of the most famous starting holes in all of golf. It is here where Arnold Palmer drove the green in the final round of the 1960 U.S. Open to come from seven shots behind to win his only U.S. Open. Today, the hole plays 397 yards with a slight dogleg left requiring an accurate tee shot. The green is guarded by bunkers on the left side and is small in size with movement in all directions.

Tee Information

Hole 2 - 409 Yards - Par 4

Hole Description

The second hole is one of the tighter holes at Cherry Hills. The entire right side of the fairway is lined with trees, while bunkers guard the left side. The green is relatively flat, but there is a hidden lake that guards the left side of the green. This is where Vic Ghezzi defeated Byron Nelson to win the 1941 PGA Championship, and it played as the hardest hole in the 2005 U.S. Women’s Open.

Tee Information

Hole 3 - 323 Yards - Par 4

Hole Description

This par 4 could be one of the most exciting holes. The majority of the players are capable of driving the green, but the tabletop green falls off in all directions with closely mown grass and is very difficult to keep a wedge to hold, let alone a driver. Be aware of Little Dry Creek, which comes into play over the green. Players will feel this is a certain birdie hole, but many will walk off the green scratching their heads after making a bogey.

Tee Information

Hole 4 - 430 Yards - Par 4

Hole Description

This dogleg-left par 4 requires a well-placed tee shot to the right side of the fairway to avoid the overhanging trees that guard the left half of the fairway. The short-iron second shot will allow players to make some birdies here, but be aware of the difficult two-tiered green and the trouble that lurks long.

Tee Information

Hole 5 - 552 Yards - Par 5

Hole Description

This short par 5 requires a very accurate tee shot for players to go for the green in two. The tee shot is guarded by a creek to the right and deep bunkers to the left and the fairway is only 26 yards wide between the two hazards. The green has the most slope of any at Cherry Hills and requires a precise shot. Any shots left and short will end up in one of the deepest bunkers on the course and shots long will leave the players with a virtually impossible chip or pitch.

Tee Information

Hole 6 - 161 Yards - Par 3

Hole Description

The relatively short par 3 gives the players a chance at making a birdie. However, the short iron needs to be well placed to avoid the bunkers that surround the green and a small creek to the left. The green is severely sloped from front to back and requires players to keep the ball below the hole. A shot over the green will leave players with a near-impossible second shot and have them hoping to make a bogey.

Tee Information

Hole 7 - 415 Yards - Par 4

Hole Description

The majority of players will hit a fairway wood off the tee to avoid going through the fairway on this dogleg left. Those who try to cut the dogleg will have to negotiate the large bunker complex that helps guard the left side of the hole. The green has a soft slope from back to front and is guarded by a bunker on the left and a severe fall off to the right.

Tee Information

Hole 8 - 266 Yards - Par 3

Hole Description

Historically, this is where Cherry Hills starts to show its teeth. Players walking off this green with a par will feel as if they made a birdie. The hole requires an accurate fairway wood or hybrid to avoid large bunkers both left and right of the green. Errant shots to the right bring Little Dry Creek into play. This is where Arnold Palmer made his only bogey in his final-round 65 during the 1960 U.S. Open.

Tee Information

Hole 9 - 479 Yards - Par 4

Hole Description

This uphill par 4 is one of the most difficult holes at Cherry Hills. The tee shot needs to be both long and accurate. The fairway is crowned, which brings the deep rough on the left into play along with a large bunker on the right. The players will only see the top of the flag on their second shots to a severely sloped green guarded by a large bunker in the front. In the final round of the 1985 PGA Championship, Hubert Green matched Lee Trevino’s second shot to within three feet and made birdie, allowing Green to retain his one-stroke advantage and eventually win the championship.

Tee Information

Hole 10 - 447 Yards - Par 4

Hole Description

This is one of the most beautiful but demanding holes at Cherry Hills. Players will need an accurate tee shot to a fairway which is severely sloped from right to left and guarded by a large bunker and trees on the right side. The second shot must be precise to a right-to-left-sloping green with bunkers on both sides. A right-side hole location will require true confidence from players who decide to challenge the hole.

Tee Information

Hole 11 - 594 Yards - Par 5

Hole Description

Only the longest hitters should try and reach this par 5 in two. The uphill tee shot is guarded by a bunker on the left and out of bounds just off the right side of the fairway. A large cross bunker 110 yards short of the green is what players will have to navigate if they choose to go for the green in two. The green is somewhat large, but severely sloped from back to front. Any putts from above the hole will make even the best putters nervous.

Tee Information

Hole 12 - 219 Yards - Par 3

Hole Description

This beautiful but challenging par 3 over water requires a precise iron shot. Any shot that lands just short of the green will find its way back into the hazard and anything long leaves the player with a virtually impossible pitch. The green is divided in the middle with a severe mound, which makes being in the right quadrant a must.

Tee Information

Hole 13 - 430 Yards - Par 4

Hole Description

This straight-away par 4 requires an accurate tee shot to avoid the deep grass mounds on the left and the large fairway bunker to the right. Players who successfully negotiate the drive will be left with a short iron to a very small and tricky green. Anything over this green is a mistake. This hole was the demise of Jack Nicklaus in both the 1960 and 1978 U.S. Opens.

Tee Information

Hole 14 - 520 Yards - Par 4

Hole Description

The 14th at Cherry Hills is arguably the toughest hole on the course. The hole plays to a slight dogleg left and has the widest fairway on the course. The second shot is downhill with the green guarded by Little Dry Creek to the left and a large bunker to the right. The green is severe and putting is a challenge for all levels of play. This is where Phil Mickelson closed out Manny Zerman to win the 1990 U.S. Amateur.

Tee Information

Hole 15 - 242 Yards - Par 3

Hole Description

This long par 3 plays slightly downhill to a very small green guarded by bunkers on both sides. Shots moving too far left could find their way into Little Dry Creek, which is closer than it looks from the tee. The green has subtle movement from back to front.

Tee Information

Hole 16 - 441 Yards - Par 4

Hole Description

Many who play Cherry Hills for the first time walk away declaring the 16th hole as their favorite hole on the golf course. The majority of players will hit fairway woods or hybrids off the tee to stay out of Little Dry Creek, which works its way through the right side of the fairway and then cuts across the middle of the fairway. The second shot is usually played with the ball below the players’ feet to a green that slopes the opposite way. The green is severe and guarded with bunkers on the front left and the right half. Ray Ainsley’ 19 at this hole during the 1938 U.S. Open is the highest score on one hole in U.S. Open history.

Tee Information

Hole 17 - 544 Yards - Par 5

Hole Description

Ben Hogan lost the 1960 U.S. Open at the par-5 17th by hitting his third shot into the water short of the green, opening the door for Arnold Palmer’s victory. Today, the hole has two sets of cross bunkers that need to be navigated. An accurate tee shot is a must to allow players a chance to either go for the island green in two or to lay up short of the water. The green looks quite docile, but is quite perplexing.

Tee Information

Hole 18 - 487 Yards - Par 5

Hole Description

The 18th hole at Cherry Hills is one of the most difficult finishing holes in all of championship golf - just ask Lorena Ochoa, who made a quadruple-bogey eight in the final round of the 2005 U.S. Women’s Open. Water runs down the left side of the fairway and high rough guards the right side. The second shot plays uphill with the clubhouse in the background. The green is very challenging and protected by large bunkers on both sides.

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