Ranking the 18 holes of Pebble Beach for the U.S. Open

Normally considered one of the easiest starting holes in all of tournament golf, a drive that lands on the left side of the dogleg fairway is ideal. The golfers will want to be below the pin, usually, on the approach. It's placement golf from the start, and anything worse than par is just giving strokes back to the course.

One reason the 11th might not get much love is because it follows a seriously challenging, three-hole stretch that can make or break a round for even the best golfers in the world. The hole is within the inland portion of the course, with a tight fairway, though relatively straight until turning short of a green that can be difficult.

The par 3s on this course are a major factor in the overall charm of the track. No. 5, though, seems to be the least appealing of the group. Tee shots will play somewhat downhill, but there is a good amount of room left off the tee. As the folks at Pebble note, the fifth green is one of the few on the course that slopes front to back.

A pair of trees on either side of the fairway leading up to a sloping green are a unique challenge. Pin location is often the key to this hole, thus taking away options a golfer has to go at the flag. It's not long, and most at Pebble this week will be using an iron off the tee to make sure those trees aren't in play.

Some work has been done to the green area on this hole in recent years, with a new bunker added. Scoring well here could come down to how the golfers manage their play on and around the green. Getting there should not be too much trouble for the world's best, but strokes are lost and gained up close.

A converted par 5, the second hole offers bunkers on either side of the fairway. The premium is on accuracy when playing the second-longest par 4 at Pebble Beach. The green is somewhat small and well-guarded by bunkers. Depending on how confident the big hitters are off the tee, it can be a rewarding hole if straight.

The various bunkers that pave the sides of the fairway are perhaps the biggest obstacles the field will face this week. Still, this one might have the most character of all the inland holes at Pebble Beach. Placement on the approach will be key, but this is one hole where birdie is there for the taking. 

A dogleg left, the key to the third hole is if golfers are able to make it over the corner. This hole is about positioning and angles. The shorter the approach the better, and the green is not as unforgiving as most of the others on the course. It's a hole where birdie is a nice way to get the round going and prepare for the challenges that await at the end of the front nine.

There's a lot happening on this hole. From the bunker to the shallow depth of the green, it's not as easy or straightforward as it might seem. Once again wind can be an issue, considering the golfers will be dealing with that of the prevailing kind. We could see a variety of club selections on this hole throughout the weekend.

Perhaps the most underrated hole on the course, this is another that combines both beauty and danger. The left-to-right route slopes toward the sea, and the green is on a bluff. It culminates what's potentially the most brutal three-hole stretch in all of championship golf and one that, when finished, can leave a golfer exhausted.

No. 4 is a risk-reward run where the bay comes into play and begins a stretch of holes that showcases the ocean along the way. The shortest par 4 on the course features a green that is reachable with a driver by the longest hitters in the field. It's small compared to others on the course, but it's well-guarded by bunkers.

Even the biggest hitters in the field will have to think twice about trying to reach the green in two, as it has been enlarged, making it even more challenging. But, really, the overall length and strategically placed fairway bunkers tell the tale of the longest hole on the course and one where a birdie is a true accomplishment.

This might not be as potentially daunting a hole as No. 14, but it's not a walk along the coast either. A blind second shot might be the most important of the entire hole. The bunkers and cliff alongside make it one of the most unique holes in all of tournament golf and one that requires another strategic state of mind.

It's all about the wind on one of the most scenic and beautiful holes in all of golf. It will play just over 100 yards, but depending on the wind the hole can be anywhere from a sand wedge to a 6-iron throughout the tournament. It's the shortest hole in all of championship golf but also one that requires a lot of attention.

With the Pacific Ocean taking us down the left side, there is perhaps no more picturesque finishing holes in all of golf. That being said, the hole is only as tough as the situation facing the person on the tee. Par is more than achievable, but birdie can be a tall order depending on the wind. This is the one hole on the course that usually demands the most strategy to complete. 

For as scenic and beautiful as No. 9 can be, it's usually just as dangerous. The blind landing area off the tee slopes toward the sea. Fairway lies are rarely even. A valley and huge bunker guard the green in front, and there is really no room to miss behind. According to the course, the new tee area set up for the U.S. Open should make it tougher for the fairway's down-slope to reached off the box.

One of the most iconic holes in all of major championship golf, the 17th also has quite the U.S. Open history. It was the site of Jack Nicklaus' near hole-in-one on Sunday in 1972 and Tom Watson's memorable, final-round chip-in from just off the green a decade later. That small ridge in the green is the X-factor when it comes to placement on this long par 3.

This is usually the consensus when it comes to the best hole on this course. From the blind tee shot to the inlet that awaits to the small, but severely sloping green well-guarded with bunkers, this is one of the toughest holes in all of competitive golf. It has the ability to turn a good start to the round into really bad one.