Ryder Cup Course Guide – Front 9

The front nine of the Valhalla Country Club golf course, hosting the 2008 Ryder Cup, is sculpted from low-lying open land and displays some similarities to a links course. The Floyd’s Fork stream winds through the front 9 adding water hazards to several holes.

Hole 1 – 448 Yards, Par 4: The first hole looks like a sure-fire par opportunity at first glance. However, strategically positioned bunkers to the right front in addition to one on the back left can easily trap an errant drive off the tee or fairway.

Hole 2 – 550 Yards, Par 4: Known as “the ridge”, the second hole tests golfers off the tee, with a stream meandering along the right hand side of the course. A bunker lies in wait to the right of the fairway, and precision shots onto the green are required to avoid two other deep bunkers.

Hole 3 – 206 Yards, Par 3: The third hole is known as “Floyd’s Fork” due to the presence of the stream separating the fairway from the green. The green rests on a hill above the stream, and errant shots are always in peril of rolling down the slope and into the water. Two bunkers lurk on either side of the green, demanding accuracy off the fairway.

Hole 4 – 375 Yards, Par 4: Once fourth hole shots have passed the last of the bunkers at 260 yards, the hole offers an excellent birdie opportunity.

Hole 5 – 463 Yards, Par 4: The bunkers guarding the green present the biggest danger golfers have to confront to make par on the 5th hole of the Valhalla Country Club golf course. The right-back hole location also adds to the complexity of landing good shots off the fairway.

Hole 6 – 500 Yards, Par 4: Bogeys lie in wait on the 6th hole, and players are required to clear Floyd’s fork after a straight tee shot onto the fairway. A 200 yard shot off the fairway and over the water needs to be perfectly weighted if the ball is to evade the deep bunker on the green and the closely mown run-off to the right of the green.

Hole 7 – 601 Yards, Par 5: The 7th hole features a split fairway which offers players the choice between a short, but potentially perilous route to the green, or alternatively, a longer, higher scoring approach. The island fairway offers the quicker route to the hole, but thick bluegrass and a water hazard will punish any wayward shots.

Hole 8 – 180 Yards, Par 3: The short distance to the green disguises the fact that the 8th is a diabolically difficult hole to play. With Floyd’s fork running to the right hand side of the course, and one of the most challenging greens on the course, shots can easily pile up on the 8th.

Hole 9 – 416 Yards, Par 4: Hole 9 tempts players with a birdie opportunity, but one of the deepest, largest bunkers on the Valhalla Country Club golf course lies in wait to the right of the green. One of the most challenging aspects of this hole is to correctly estimate the yardage off the uphill fairway and onto the green.