The tee shot plays long to reach the corner, about 290 yards from the back cut. Anyone attempting to shorten the hole is risking ending up in the fairway bunker at the turn. The relationship between the drive and the approach is complex. A longer drive will allow the player to play back toward the green, but adds length. Playing close to the corner shortens the hole, but brings the creek into play on the second shot.

The approach is downhill, the green slopes toward the creek, so players who must move the ball left seriously complicate their shot. Like #5 and #7, the sand on the left side poses challenges to people trying to avoid the penalty area. The green slopes left-to-right.

”…Probably the course’s most famous single hole. Arnold Palmer picked it as a favorite in his book featuring 54 great holes in America and as did Dan Jenkins. The golfer simply must find a way to squeeze his tee ball past the fairway bunker on the left and hold the right to left sloping fairway. From there, one of the most famous approach shots in golf awaits.

Maxwell’s use of the creek as a diagonal hazard is evidenced throughout the course and is exemplified here. The portion of the stream that trails down the fairway stops… It is interesting to note that Maxwell piped twenty yards of it underground just prior to the green.”

Source: Golf Course Atlas