On the Course: First and last impressions on Hole 18 and Hole 1
Hole 18: Win, Lose or Sudden Death
Several Solheim Cup matches will never make it to the Des Moines Golf and Country Club's finishing hole, but those that do will put it all on the line on Hole 18. Win the hole, you either win the match or go to a sudden death playoff. The par 4 dogleg left hole will play approximately 400 yards to a fairway lined with five bunkers at the dogleg. Players will shoot for the center or left-center of the fairway which will leave a long or mid-iron shot into a back-to-front sloping green guarded by five more bunkers on the left side. A par on this finishing hole could very well determine the outcome of a match.
Hole 1: Home Team Advantage
The opening hole of the Solheim Cup is a scene like no other. Every player who steps to the Number One tee box will pass through thousands of raucous fans supporting team USA. If that's not enough pressure, the hole sets up as one of the most challenging on the Des Moines Golf and Country Club Championship Course. As he has done with many of his designs, course architect Pete Dye tempts the player with a "benign" appearing opening hole -- often inducing the player to pull out their driver and swing away at the green. Be forewarned. Water stretches down the entire left side of the hole, and tee shots finding the well bunkered right side will face a shot into a small severely pitched green. Expect some early challenges when one team attempts to drive the green and entice their opponents to follow suit, especially in four-ball and alternate-shot matches.
Holes 1, 18 and all those in between make the Solheim Cup the foremost match-play tournament in women's golf. Don't miss a moment of the action and the strategy when Team USA and Team Europe square off at Des Moines Golf and Country Club. Get your tickets now.
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