Royal Lytham: hole-by-hole

Compiled by PHILIP REID

1st 205 yards, par 3

The green is protected by nine bunkers and there is out-of-bounds – by the railway line – down the right.

Difficulty in 2001: 12th

2nd 481 yards, par 4

The view from the tee box on a hole playing 43 yards longer than when David Duval won in 2001 is one of bunkers dotted on either side of the fairway. A cluster of three traps lies to the right side of the fairway at the 240-265 yards mark, which provides the first test of driving for players. The green is protected by a bunker front left and another two to the right.

Difficulty in 2001: 6th

3rd 478 yards, par 4

This will probably be the toughest hole on the front nine. With an extended tee and repositioned fairway bunkers to the right along with the out-of-bounds fence and a new area of sandhills down the left, some players may opt to lay-up short of the trouble and leave a longer approach shot into a green surrounded by four pot bunkers.

Difficulty in 2001: Tied-3rd

4th 392 yards, par 4

Short in yardage, but with the capacity to bite. New bunkers to the right add to the challenge off the tee, whilst the dunes down the left, which separate the hole from the third, have tightened the fairway. The green is a small one, guarded by five bunkers. Pin placements will be critical.

Difficulty in 2001: 8th

5th 219 yards, par 3

The challenge is to find a small green which slopes off on all four sides. The challenge is accentuated by six bunkers, four on the left of the green. Frank Lickliter’s hole-in-one here in the second round in 2001 remains the longest ace recorded in the British Open.

Difficulty in 2001: 5th

6th 492 yards, par 4

The easiest hole in 2001 – when it played as a par five – it will be a different proposition as a reinvented par four. Fairway bunkers have been added on the elbow of the dogleg down the right. The approach shot is to a long green, protected by five bunkers.

Difficulty in 2001: 18th

7th 592 yards, par 5

The landing area for the tee shot has been tightened by a new system of fairway bunkers. The risk-and-reward element for those attempting to reach the new green in two is to find a narrow putting surface protected by strategically positioned greenside bunkers.

Difficulty in 2001: 15th

8th 416 yards, par 4

The railway line is back in play down the right and the hole has been further toughened by a new fairway bunker down the right close to the landing area. The approach shot is to a plateau green protected by a range of cross bunkers some 40 yards short of the putting surface.

Difficulty in 2001: Tied-9th

9th 165 yards, par 3

This unique hole is surrounded by red-brick buildings on three sides. The tee shot is to an undulating green protected by nine bunkers, with a heavy strip of rough in play over the back. Paul McGinley had a hole-in-one here in 1996.

Difficulty in 2001: 17th

10th 387 yards, par 4

An extra 52 yards has been added although the longer hitters will still be tempted to drive close to the green. A deep fairway has been located down the right – at 350 yards – to catch the bombers. The small green slopes from front to back and has five bunkers as protection.