Course Guide to Medinah

Medinah Golf and Country Club’s Number Three Course in Chicago is set to host the 2012 Ryder Cup, but it will set-up very differently to the previous U.S. Opens and U.S. PGA Championships that have graced its fairways.

In the past – during the three U.S. Opens (1949, 1975, 1990) and two PGA Championships (1999, 2006) – Course Three was prepared with brutish rough and tightly cut run-off areas. Now, for the biennial match, it will set-up a lot more welcoming, with wider fairways and shorter rough. 

The thinking behind this is that the American’s are used to going for flags on the PGA Tour, and a tough set-up would favour the European team; as a result, the two teams should be trading birdies and eagles, rather than pars and bogeys.  

Architect Rees Jones has also transformed some of the holes to favour risk-reward decisions. The 15th, for example, is now a drive-able par 4, after its length was reduced by 100-yards and a new two-acre lake that borders dangerously on the right side of the fairway and green was added.

Statistically Medinah is a bit of a slog, playing at over 7,600-yards off of a par of 72. This was undoubtedly behind the decisions of the respective captains to pick Dustin Johnson and Nicolas Colsaerts.

Follow our links below to access hole-by-hole descriptions from PGA Director of Golf at Medinah Country Club, Michael J. Scully, as well as hole photos and info graphics.

Click on the photos below to read about each hole in our Medinah No. 3 course guide.