(WXYZ) — The 2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic kicks off on Thursday with 156 of the best golfers in the world taking on the historic Detroit Golf Club course.
Related: 2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic: Everything you need to know about Detroit's PGA TOUR event
It won't look much different from the first two years, but fans will be back as they were in 2019.
Related: 2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic: Here are the tee times for the first 2 rounds
Nate Lashley scored great here in 2019 with a -25 score, but the rough was grown out longer in 2020 and Bryson DeChambeau won with a score of -23.
This year, players are saying the rain has softened up the course – both the fairways and the greens – which could lead to lower scores.
Check out the details of each hole below. Descriptions from the tournament website.
Total yardage: 7,370 yards
Par: 72 (36-36)
Hole 1: Par 4, 397 yards
Detroit Golf Club’s original starting hole, as designed by Donald Ross in 1916, provides players an opportunity to get off to a fast start. Players that manage to avoid the two bunkers that guard the left-side of the fairway on their tee shots will be left with a wedge into the green. The oak located to the right side of the tee box was bent by Native Americans to mark the trail they used when traveling from Detroit-to-Saginaw. At the base of the oak sits a bronze tablet memorializing this part of Detroit Golf Club’s celebrated history.
Hole 2: Par 4, 453 yards
Accuracy off the tee is critical on the second hole, with out-of-bounds, bunkers and trees lining the fairway. Players will be left with a mid-to-short iron into the green depending on club selection off the tee, with many players opting to not hit driver.
Hole 3: Par 4, 393 yards
The third hole is the only one on the South Course that will be used for tournament play. Players will need to avoid having too much spin on their approach shots into the green, which slopes dramatically from back to front. Any player finding themselves putting from above the hole will need to be careful should they wish to avoid the dreaded three-putt.
Hole 4: Par 5, 635 yards
The longest hole on the course, the par 5 fourth will test big hitters should they attempt to reach this green in two. Players that opt to lay up will need to have an accurate approach shot to this contoured green should they wish to walk away with a birdie.
Hole 5: Par 3, 167 yards
The tee shot on the uphill par 3 fifth plays slightly longer than the yardage to a blind green. Any back pin location has the potential to produce difficult putting conditions with a spine running across the back area of the green.
Hole 6: Par 4, 461 yards
Accuracy off the tee on the sixth is at a premium. To have a clear approach to a two-tiered green, players will need to hit their tee shots down the left-side of the fairway while avoiding the fairway bunker. Any player that makes a birdie here will likely be picking up a stroke on the field.
Hole 7: Par 5, 552 yards
Another tight driving hole. Accuracy off the tee on the seventh is at a premium for players trying to reach this par 5 in two. Players that don’t find the fairway will have to negotiate a challenging layup.
Hole 8: Par 4, 372 yards
On the shortest par 4 on the course, club selection off the tee will be important as players look to avoid fairway bunkers and out-of-bounds. A two-tiered green also features a significant drop-off on its left-side, posing an interesting challenge.
Hole 9: Par 3, 207 yards
The ninth is a long, beautiful and slightly downhill par 3 that plays about half a club shorter than the yardage. With multiple tee complexes stretching the hole between 175 to 207 yards, players will be faced with a challenging tee shot into a difficult and undulating green closely guarded by out-of-bounds. A birdie here will be a bonus.
Hole 10: Par 4, 425 yards
An opportunity to get off to a quick start on the back nine. A solid tee shot on the dogleg left 10th leaves players with a short iron approach to the green. Birdies should be plentiful.
Hole 11: Par 3, 233 yards
The 11th is the longest par 3 at Detroit Golf Club and features a large tee complex that allows the hole to be played anywhere from 180 to 233 yards long. Players will need to manage a green that looks deceptively simple from the tee, but which has a front bowl as well as several potential challenging hole locations.
Hole 12: Par 4, 489 yards
Par is a great score on the long and difficult par 4 12th. Players managing to find the fairway will be left with a mid-iron into an elevated green which features a false front, causing any approach shot that comes up short to roll off the green and down a steep slope.
Hole 13: Par 3, 393 yards
The dogleg par 4 13th requires a precise tee shot. Many players will opt for a fairway wood or long iron off the tee to set up a short iron into the elevated green. Spectators should see lots of birdies on this hole.
Hole 14: Par 5, 555 yards
A classic risk-reward par 5. The 14th will see a majority of players approaching it as a two-shot hole with long hitters only having a mid-to-long iron approach shot into this two-tiered green guarded by water in front. Those who elect to lay up on their second will need to control the spin on their shots due to a false front on the left side of the green.
Hole 15: Par 3, 160 yards
A classic Donald Ross designed par 3 that plays longer than the posted yardage. The 15th features large bunkers protecting the front, left and right sides of the green.
Hole 16: Par 4, 446 yards
Players will need to place their tee shots on the 16th short of the fairway bunkers that guard the landing area, leaving them with a mid-iron approach to the green. Many will face challenging birdie putts on what is one of the more underrated putting surfaces at Detroit Golf Club.
Hole 17: Par 5, 577 yards
Fans can expect to see excitement on the reachable par 5 17th. Players will favor the right side of the fairway off the tee to set themselves up for a clean look at the green. A generous opening into the green will allow many to chase their second shots onto the putting surface. Coming down the stretch on Sunday, an eagle here could decide the tournament.
Hole 18: Par 4, 455 yards
A great par 4 finishing hole. The 18th features a shallow ditch running the entire length that will dictate strategy from tee to green. With a fairway bunker and a large Sycamore tree on the left and bunkers on the right, a tee shot in the fairway will be critical, leaving just a short iron into the green. Once on the green, players will be faced with possibly the most difficult putting surface on the course. A par here very well may be all that is needed to win on Sunday.
