Overview

The Tournament Course hosts the Houston Open, where the world’s top players vie for excellence on the Rees Jones/David Toms-designed course. As enjoyable to play as it is beautiful, this course has abundant native plants and wildlife. There is a sense of serenity and solitude unique for a course that is mere minutes from downtown Houston.

Amid the finely groomed fairways, the well-engineered greens and the challenging bunkers, you can almost hear the echoes of the PGA TOUR Professionals inviting you to have fun, encouraging you to compete and inspiring you to improve your game.

Step onto the tee box with Singh or Couples. Face Scott or Appleby and enjoy the rare combination of professional quality and beauty of this course.

With Golf Club of Houston being Houston’s only PGA TOUR stop, as your backdrop, your tournament takes on an increased aura of significance and the rewards and enjoyment will be immeasurable.

Hole 1

Par 4 | 395 Yards | Handicap 17

The opening hole requires both precision and placement off the tee, in order to avoid the fairway bunkers flanking both sides of the landing area, while assuring a level stance and comfortable approach yardage. The approach must land on the proper side of the subtle roll that splits the center of the green, in order to be left with a reasonable birdie attempt.

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Hole 2

Par 4 | 429 Yards | Handicap 11

Again, placement off the tee is important. The generous landing zone of this slight dogleg right narrows considerably between the opposing fairway bunkers. Deep sand bunkers guard both sides of the multi-level putting surface.

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Hole 3

Par 4 | 392 Yards | Handicap 9

Daily hole location influences proper positioning of the tee shot, in order to achieve the optimum approach angle into the green. Water protects the front and left portions of this uniquely sculpted putting surface. Accessing the rear and right pin placements will be especially challenging.

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Hole 4

Par 5 | 562 Yards | Handicap 7

The tee shot must avoid the large, sculpted bunker left of the first landing area, to provide any opportunity of reaching the green in two strokes. The green angles from the front-right to back-left and is protected by water on the left and a deep bunker on the right. A long spine bisects the center of the green, requiring an accurate approach shot for a legitimate eagle or birdie opportunity.

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Hole 5

Par 4 | 467 Yards | Handicap 1

This long par 4 requires a solid drive, followed by a long and accurate approach shot. The fairway bunker is long and right, with plenty of landing area between it and the lake guarding the left of the hole. The left and front-left portions of the green are protected by sand. A tightly-mown chipping hollow sits right of the green.

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Hole 6

Par 4 | 460 Yards | Handicap 3

This intimidating tee shot must carry the wetland and avoid the long strip bunker, adjacent to the left of the fairway. A well struck tee shot, played with a slight draw, gains extra roll and results in a shorter approach to a green protected by water along its front and left.

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Hole 7

Par 3 | 173 Yards | Handicap 15

The first par 3 of the round is also the shortest, but certainly not to be taken lightly. Club selection is influenced by tee location and wind. Water awaits any shot pulled slightly left of the green. Depending on the hole location, saving par from the sand on the right can also be quite challenging.

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Hole 8

Par 5 | 564 Yards | Handicap 5

A definite birdie and potential eagle opportunity, as two well-played shots will reach this deep and receptive par 5 green. However, bogey is also a possibility, as the fairway approach narrows considerably into the green and is flanked by the lake on the right and a cluster of deep sand bunkers on the left.

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Hole 9

Par 3 | 238 Yards | Handicap 13

This longer par 3 features a wide approach ramp and subtle green contours. Short-siding a left-side pin, in the adjacent sand bunker, presents a difficult up-and-down to save par.

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Hole 10

Par 4 | 382 Yards | Handicap 16

Regardless of the tee angle selected for play, accuracy off the tee is paramount to set up the desired approach shot into the elevated and multi-tiered green. Any approach shots short or right of the green, will roll to the base of the slope, setting up a challenging chip shot.

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Hole 11

Par 4 | 440 Yards | Handicap 10

Perhaps the most demanding driving hole on the course. Water guards the entire right side of the fairway landing area, while a small sand bunker sits on the left, at the far end of the driving zone. The large green is protected by water on the right and deep sand bunkers on the left and rear.

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Hole 12

Par 4 | 335 Yards | Handicap 18

This risk/reward hole provides the opportunity for an exciting eagle or a frustrating bogey or worse. The fairway landing area and approach into the green are sized and shaped to encourage driving the green. The green is deep, receptive and features a lower trough across the center, offsetting higher plateaus in the front and rear.

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Hole 13

Par 5 | 588 Yards | Handicap 8

Precise placement of each successive shot on this hole becomes increasingly more critical, in order to secure a birdie. A series of sand bunkers is parallel to the generous first landing area. Flirting with the bunkers on the left of the second landing area provides the ideal angle to access the smallish, back-right position of the green.

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Hole 14

Par 3 | 215 Yards | Handicap 14

The putting surface contours of this scenic par 3 create distinct cupping areas and reward an accurate tee shot with an excellent birdie opportunity. Deep sand bunkers flank both sides of the green, creating a challenging recovery to an adjacent hole location.

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Hole 15

Par 5 | 609 Yards | Handicap 6

The first landing area of the longest par 5 features a right-to-left cross slope and narrows slightly opposite the left fairway bunker. The second shot must favor the right side of the fairway, close to the sculptured bunker, to obtain the ideal angle into the diagonal green.

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Hole 16

Par 3 | 199 Yards | Handicap 12

The angle of play and varying wind conditions will greatly affect the difficulty of this hole. Regardless, the green is receptive from either set of tees and contoured to reward accuracy with a shorter and more level putt.

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Hole 17

Par 4 | 487 Yards | Handicap 2

This challenging par 4 requires two well-struck shots to reach the green. Carrying the left fairway bunker off the tee results in added roll and a significantly shorter approach shot into the elevated green. However, a failed challenge to carry the steep face of this bunker prevents any chance of reaching the green.

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Hole 18

Par 4 | 487 Yards | Handicap 4

A challenging and dramatic finishing hole. With a lake bordering the entire left side of the hole, the tee shot challenges the golfer to carry as much water as possible, while also avoiding the large sculptured bunker along the left of the fairway landing area. The approach leaves little margin for error, with water on the left and a sand bunker on the right. With the tournament on the line, attacking the left-back hole location is a gutsy proposition.

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The Course

Course Tour

Overview

Par 4 | 395 Yards | Handicap 17

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Par 4 | 429 Yards | Handicap 11

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Par 4 | 392 Yards | Handicap 9

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Par 5 | 562 Yards | Handicap 7

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Par 4 | 467 Yards | Handicap 1

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Par 4 | 460 Yards | Handicap 3

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Par 3 | 173 Yards | Handicap 15

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Par 5 | 564 Yards | Handicap 5

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Par 3 | 238 Yards | Handicap 13

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Par 4 | 382 Yards | Handicap 16

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Par 4 | 440 Yards | Handicap 10

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Par 4 | 335 Yards | Handicap 18

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Par 5 | 588 Yards | Handicap 8

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Par 3 | 215 Yards | Handicap 14

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Par 5 | 609 Yards | Handicap 6

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Par 3 | 199 Yards | Handicap 12

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Par 4 | 487 Yards | Handicap 2

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Par 4 | 487 Yards | Handicap 4

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The excitement begins here.

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