The Los Angeles Country Club’s North Course will host its fourth USGA championship, first since the 2017 Walker Cup, when it welcomes the world’s best for this week’s 123^rd U.S. Open.

The 1927 George C. Thomas Jr. and William Bell design, which was restored by Gil Hanse, Jim Wagner and Geoff Shackelford in 2010, will play as a par 70 and at 7,423 yards for this championship – and it could be like few U.S. Open layouts we’ve seen.

For the first time since 1947, the U.S. Open will be played on a course with five par-3s, which could include one of the longest (290-yard 11^th) and shortest (120-yard 15^th, which was played from as short as 78 yards at the 2017 Walker Cup) in U.S. Open history. Bermudagrass rough will be employed for this championship for the first time since 2005 at Pinehurst No. 2. Fast fairways – wide but with much undulation – and firm, slopey greens will be the course’s main defense.

“It just has such a unique feel to it that I think has this incredible way of – you know that you're in Los Angeles, but at the same time, it's kind of hard to imagine that you're in one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world,” said Stewart Hagestad, three-time Walker Cupper and longtime LACC member. “There are definitely some different teeing grounds, and there's some open areas where they can get a little creative as far as like putting tees in different spots. … I think that the score relative to par will be a little bit lower than maybe people are anticipating or ready for.”

Here is a hole-by-hole look at LACC North, using hole details from the AP’s Doug Ferguson and commentary from Hagestad:

No. 1, 590 yards, par 5

For only the third time in the last 20 years, the U.S. Open opens with a true par 5 (Chambers Bay was played as a par 5 and a par 4). This is short by modern standards with a speed slot that can make it seem shorter. The green is protected by a bunker and slopes to the left.

Hagestad says: “It’s take a drive, and if you do, then go for it in two, and if you don’t, lay up and hit a nice wedge.”

No. 2, 497 yards, par 4

This presents an immediate wake-up call. The fairway slopes to the left toward a bunker. The green is fronted by a barranca that traverses the front nine. Anything in the rough will make a player decide how much to take on to avoid the barranca or missing the green.

Hagestad says: “Doesn't play that long. That's probably from all the way back, like a foot in the rough back. I've always felt like that fairway kind of runs out. There's like a little bank in the middle of the fairway on the right side that kind of kicks it back. There's a barranca in front, so like if you take a drive, you're obviously going for it, and if you miss the fairway, then you're probably laying up. I mean, there's not a whole lot there that like is a gotcha type of moment. If you're above the hole, it can be a little speedy. But again, these are the best players in the world, like they can figure that out quickly. Sunday [pin] is gonna be top right. There's more room up there than it looks. But, you know, with a 6-iron in hand, obviously, guys will probably play just short left.”

No. 3, 419 yards, par 4

The tee shot and the approach are partially blind. The tee shot must avoid barranca to the left. Deep bunkers protect the front of the green, with fingers of grass that could present problems with bunker shots. The large green slopes severely from the back.

Hagestad says: “There's a pin that's front right that if you're above the hole can get a little spicy. You're putting it back into the wind, so there's that. But yeah, typically, who knows? We'll see what they do. But you know, if the pin’s front right, maybe they move the tee up from 419 to like 407, and you probably have the exact same strategy. These are the best players in the world, the fairway is 80 yards wide, and it holds to the front for the most part. Yeah, they're gonna have a look at birdie there. That's a birdie hole.”

No. 4, 228 yards, par 3

The first par 3 is shorter than the yardage because of a 30-foot drop in elevation. Bunkers are front right and back left, but the barranca front the green and could present the biggest challenge.

Hagestad says: “The wind will be a touch helping off the left. It feels like an island green. Front right bunker is OK, but not to a tight front right pin because of how firm the greens will be. The last, I would say, like fifth, there's a pin that's all the way back-middle where it kind of falls away. But you know, with 4- or 5-iron, you're typically just going at the middle of the green, and if you're that good, then go for the pin, I guess. But yeah, it feels like an island green. In my opinion, it's probably the toughest par-3 on the course just simply because if it falls off, it can kind of get into a gnarly lie.”

No. 5, 480 yards, par 4

Palm trees on the horizon indicate the green, which can’t be seen from the tee. The fairway is generous but slopes hard to the right, so players will be trying to hit the left side. The green is large and has a large expanse of closely mown turf to the left.

Hagestad says: “It's really wide, but it doesn't play that wide because it kind of falls off. It's got a lot of elements of 13 in it. Pick a palm tree in the distance. There's a famous story where one of the caddies told Hogan to hit it to the palm trees, and he said, ‘Which one?’ There's more room left than it looks. I always kind of try and favor like the left third of that fairway. Winds helping from behind. Again, it doesn't play as long as it does on the card and there's another front right pin there that'll be a good one; maybe they move the tee up a little bit for that, you know, so they have like 7- or 8-iron in.”

No. 6, 330 yards, par 4

This can be reached from the tee, but the drive is blind over a tree to a shallow green protected by a bunker and barranca short of the green. The safe shot is to the fairway on a hole that turns sharply to the right. That still leaves a precise wedge to the extremely shallow green.

Hagestad says: “If you lay up, the greens are just going to be super firm, and in U.S. Open conditions, you could one-hop it to the back, which is a really tough up-and-down to the left pin – it’s doable, but really tough. Back bunker’s super dead to all pins – back right bunker. The front bunker, if you go for it, is a great spot for all four pins. I just think that most guys with 3-wood or whatever it may be – maybe for super-long guys like 3-iron, some guys driver, but I think for the most part it'll be a 3-wood – if they knock it in that bunker, that's a good spot to be.”

No. 7, 284 yards, par 3

The barranca runs left and then cuts in front of the green, though it leaves ample room for tee shots to land short and run onto the green. A long bunker with fingers of grass lurk along the right side of the green.

Hagestad says: “The par-4 thing at the Walker Cup was a nice test run, but ultimately, it's kind of a dumb hole. If they make it at 284, they'll probably only have it be there one day. There's another box at like 240, 245, and then there's another one at 220. There's a pin that's back right, where they'll probably move it up as much as they can similar to 4 Augusta. Hit the green. If you're below the hole, it's uphill. But for the long guys, 4- iron, 3-iron, just hit the green, and try and give yourself good look.”

No. 8, 537 yards, par 5

Another par 5 that should be easily reachable in two with a good tee shot. The fairway slopes to the right, and two bunkers guard the left side of the fairway. The green is small, and anything left will find a native area that might be more troublesome than a large bunker to the right.

Hagestad says: “It's super reachable. Those guys are probably going to hit 3-wood and the shorter guys might hit driver. There's a tee box they might use that’s just ahead of the green on 7 that's kind of like the blue tees or the white tees, and a couple guys might try and smack it over the trees – the target is like the left edge of a building you can see in the distance. If they do that, it's probably going to be on Saturday. For the most part, it's just hit one up there the way you’re supposed to play at, knock a long-iron on. Right bunker is not great, but to a right pin, that's doable. Long is actually super fine. Short, super fine. Left's not great, but, you know, you're hitting it back uphill and into the wind, so it's fine.”

No. 9, 171 yards, par 3

This hole is about 15 to 20 feet higher than the tee box and into the prevailing wind. The green is some 43 yards deep and very narrow, and is flanked by two large bunkers.

Hagestad says: “There are a couple plateaus. There's one like middle right that's a little interesting. There's a short one that's in the front that's a good one. There's kind of a back, middle right that's also there. This is a challenging hole because it’s into the wind, and it's such a different contrast to being kind of in the trees and in what feels like the chutes of the front nine; you get up there and you feel a little bit more exposed. But again, these are the best players in the world, they're gonna be hitting anywhere from 7- to 5-iron, at most. Go and hit a good one. Left bunker is actually OK to a lot of pins.”

No. 10, 409 yards, par 4

The tee shot should avoid a large bunker complex on the right, and the fairway slopes hard to the left. The approach will be a short iron at most, but the green slopes severely to the front and only the upper part of the flagstick is visible.

Hagestad says: “Hit the fairway, try and knock it close, try and make birdie. It’s a birdie hole, right? I mean, it’s 3-wood or driver, depending on what you want to do, and then it’s a wedge in. In front of the hole is pretty speedy, but nothing those boys can’t manage.”

No. 11, 290 yards, par 3

This is as much about the view of the Los Angeles skyline as the length, which plays shorter because of a 40-foot drop in elevation. The green is protected by three large bunkers, but there is room short and left of the green to land the ball. Anything long runs off a slope and leads to a tough recovery.

Hagestad says: “Doesn't play that long. Yeah, it's probably helping off like 4 o'clock, or maybe, if anything, from 3. But it's a reverse redan, and it kind of runs out. Obviously, it's going to get a lot of fanfare just because of how long it is, but the front bunker is not bad because it kind of releases out; you know, you're playing it to the front edge or a couple of yards short. Long left isn't great, but again, those guys chip it so nice. It’s a blind chip shot, but you're chipping it back into the wind. And if you go right, you're kind of chipping it back uphill. I'm not saying it doesn't have teeth, but it doesn't have the teeth that you might expect.”

No. 12, 380 yards, par 4

The short par 4 starts with a 50-foot slope to a fairway that gets narrow. Two of the largest bunkers on the course protect a green that is some 43 yards wide.

Hagestad says: “I typically take driver and hit a fade over the trees on the left. That's a strategy because the wind is kind of helping off the left to push it that way. Another one, if you draw it, is to hit driver or 3-wood kind of the more traditional way. Hit the fairway, turns into a birdie hole.”

No. 13, 507 yards, par 4

The tee shot crosses a deep valley can’t be seen and should be on the left side to avoid the pronounced left-to-right slope. Anything too far right, if it’s not in the rough, leave a blind second shot. A bunker is to the right, but it’s otherwise closely mown turf that allows for options on a recovery shot.

Hagestad says: “It doesn't play that long because there's like a collection area. It's going to play relatively firm and I would think fast unless something's changed since I've been there last. There's like a collection area on the right side of the fairway, where the balls are going to kind of go down and find themselves. I think some of the shorter hitters are gonna struggle, probably have long-irons, maybe even something with graphite in it on the way in. But some of the longer guys are going to have mid-irons, maybe even as little as like an 8- or a 7-iron. The green is very receptive. You know, those guys chip it nice. Right bunker is not great but doable. Left isn't great but doable. But it's a green that you can kind of knock it up around there and be in a good spot.”

No. 14, 623 yards par 5

The only par 5 on the back nine, and the longest hole on the course, has out-of-bounds down the right side. A bunker on right requires a 300-yard carry into the prevailing breeze. The green narrows at the front right and is protected by a deep bunker.

Hagestad says: “Fun, interesting thing to watch here. They made the hospitality tent real close. That's right in line with the bunkers, and it's very in play. And I was out there in April, and I made a comment to the GM or whoever was around, and I was like, ‘Hey, if you see people in this hospitality area, I would warn them,’ because your miss is not going to be in the bunker right, it's gonna be in this, like on the left side. My guess is the USGA sees this and they go, shoot, we may have made a mistake, and they only play it at like 620 like one day. I bet they move it up a little bit and make it reachable.”

No. 15, 124 yards, par 3

The most intriguing of the par 3s because it can play anywhere from 80 yards (count on it) to 145 yards. The narrow green widens at the back, and nearly the entire green is protected by a bunker complex that makes the target look even tinier.

Hagestad says: “On Saturday, they're gonna put it at 78 yards. I don't love it, but it doesn't matter. It's downwind. You're landing on a downslope. This hole, there's a very good chance that this hole gets moaned about at some point if it gets really firm and like kind of a hotter, windier day. I would love to see them put it at like 85 yards to generate a little bit more speed and a little bit more height so the ball can stop and that you kind of avoid any controversy. But who knows? With the speed of U.S. Open greens, they're double-cutting, they're double-rolling, greens lose a little bit of friction, and that's fine because you know what's happening. But when you're above the hole – and to play it safe, you can be like 20-25 feet left, but then there's a very good chance you could leave it like 6 or 7 feet short or potentially even putt it off the green. There’s just not really anywhere to miss. There’s a front right, a catcher’s mitt pin, there’s a back right and then there's one that's like just over the mound on the left. And the catcher’s mitt one, you could very easily see a 1, which will be super compelling. So, yeah, there's a lot of cool stuff going on.”

No. 16, 542 yards, par 4

This starts a finishing stretch of par 4s that are a combined 1,554 yards. The tee shot is slightly downhill and the landing zone is framed by a large bunker left and rough on the right. The green slopes from the back. Front pins will require shots landing short and running onto the green.

Hagestad says: “You know where you can and can't hit it, right? There are bunkers left, bunkers right, and it's helping off the right, so you're going to smash driver down there and it runs away. This is a hole where guys on the internet might sit there and say like, ‘Oh my gosh, look how far they're hitting it,’ because it's gonna go 320. Well, yeah, but it landed at 275, 280, and it ran for 40 yards. I think in the Walker Cup, I hit like 6-iron in, by the way, 540 is from all the way back; it's not going to play all the way back. The green kind of bowls from the left side and the right, wind’s helping off the left. Short of the green, there's a bunker that looks like it's front, guarding the right side, but like there's 25 yards that are short of the green, 20-25 yards short of the green. It doesn't feel as scary as it might look.”

No. 17, 520 yards, par 4

The barranca returns down the right side of the fairway, and the right side offers the best angle to the green. The bunker complex prominent on the left side starts about 50 yards short of the well-bunkered green.

Hagestad says: “17 is the real deal. That one, I'll leave my comments aside. 17, you know, left's no good, right’s obviously no good. But in a weird way, it almost makes it easier because it's just like, well, there's not really any options, you just grab driver and you try and hit a good one. If you don't, then you deal with the consequences, right? And then you hit your second shot, and there's a back left pin that’s a challenging one. But, you know, you go and hit a couple good ones.”

No. 18, 492 yards, par 4

The closing hole plays uphill and into a prevailing breeze, and the landing area is semi-blind. The best angle is from the right side of the fairway. The green is protected on both sides by bunkers, with the bunker complex on the left starting well before the putting surface.

Hagestad says: “Wind will be, on the tee ball, it'll be off the left, and then on the second shot, it'll be from like 9:30, 10 o'clock. It's a very forgiving green, and I'm happy that they brought the mow lines back to kind of like what it was. It's a touch wider and a touch more forgiving. I actually think 18 will be a little bit of a birdie hole just because you're going to have some kind of a mid-iron in, like an 8- to a 6-iron. Maybe the shorter guys 7 to 5, but it's a pretty forgiving green, and if you're just short of it, everything kind of bowls in the middle. So, assuming you get your number and your yardage right, you're gonna have a decent look at birdie.”

– Excerpts from The Associated Press' hole-by-hole course preview were used in this article