US Open: Los Angeles Country Club course guide

The 123rd US Open will be held at Los Angeles Country Club, starting on Thursday 15th June 2023.

It will be the first time the course, which was opened in Beverly Hills in 1911, will have hosted a Major tournament and it underwent an extensive renovation under the guidance of Gil Hanse in 2010.

Most of the field will have no experience of the par 70, 7,421-yard track, although it did host the 2017 Walker Cup in which Collin Morikawa and Scottie Scheffler were in the winning American team.

The players will find wide fairways but there are plenty of elevation changes and slopes which mean finding the right spot on them will be key.

There are dangerous bunker faces that will have to be avoided and some tricky Bermuda rough lies in wait for anything wayward.

Deep gullies are also a feature on a course that contains five par-3s and just three par-5s and various tee positions are set to be used during the week.

Hole 1 - 578 yards, par 5

The opening hole is a good one to attack if the bunkers on the left can be avoided off the tee. There is further sand to the left of the green, which slopes slightly from right to left. It's a good early birdie opportunity.

Hole 2 - 497 yards, par 4

A draw for right-handed players looks the best tactic off the tee, although bunkers on the right should not be a factor. If the bunker on the left is avoided the next task is to avoid the gully at the front of the green which could spell trouble. The putting surface is full of contours too.

Hole 3 - 419 yards, par 4

There is a long gully to the left and the fairway slopes in that direction. Most will then face a semi-blind approach over three greenside bunkers and thick rough to a green that slopes significantly from back to front.

Hole 4 - 228 yards, par 3

A spectacular downhill tee shot can be intimidating with a huge gully at the front of the small green, which is also protected by a couple of bunkers. Club selection is going to be key.

Hole 5 - 480 yards, par 4

A tough, uphill hole which requires a solid drive up the left to offer the best approach, although the fairway tilts to the right. Two bunkers guard the front of the green.

Hole 6 - 330 yards, par 4

Most will be tempted to have a go at this elevated green and take on the right dogleg, but thick rough, bunkers and a gully lie in wait if the drive is not spot on. A lay-up on the left should provide a short pitch shot, but the green is narrow. Going long over the green may not be the worst option.

Hole 7 - 284 yards, par 3

Missing the gully here will be vital on the third-longest par-3 in US Open history. The barranca merges into a bunker on the right side of the green. A tricky assignment, where pin position could have a big bearing on tactics from the tee.

Hole 8 - 547 yards, par 5

There is a lot to think about on the second par-5. Missing the gully on the right that winds its way across the fairway is the first priority, but the slope means shots up the left can soon head for trouble.

A right-to-left shot will be required to get to the green in two. Anything missing left is heading for the gully but the lie will be vitally important.

Hole 9 - 171 yards, par 3

Players face a semi-blind, uphill tee shot to a green on three levels with bunkers lying in wait on both sides and at the front. A tough closing hole on the front nine.

Hole 10 - 409 yards, par 4

The fairway eventually flattens out after undulations and three bunkers on the right have to be avoided. There is then a wall of further traps guarding one of the smallest greens on the course.

Hole 11 - 290 yards, par 3

Players cannot afford to be mesmerised by the spectacular views of the LA skyline as this downhill par-3 presents plenty of issues. Not only do three large bunkers have to be avoided, but there is a danger of the ball running off the putting surface if the wrong areas are found.

Hole 12 - 380 yards, par 4

Avoiding the left from the blind tee shot is important as the hole doglegs in that direction. From the other side, the green can be attacked but it is full of ridges and slopes so the cup should be well-protected. There will be plenty of hospitality areas watching the action, so it almost has a stadium feel.

Hole 13 - 507 yards, par 4

The fairway is extremely wide but finding the left side of it could be a passport to success because anything too far right leads to a blind second that will be difficult to assess. Bunkers lie in wait on both sides of the fairway so there is plenty to think about.

Hole 14 - 623 yards, par 5

Players are likely to head left to avoid the bunkers off the tee but there is a danger they can fall into the rough. The right has to be avoided at all costs with the approach as there are bunkers lying in wait down that side and further trouble if heading too far down that side. There is plenty of sand around the green too.

Hole 15 - 124 yards, par 3

The three large bunkers mean there is little margin for error on the shortest hole on the course. It will also be tough to find pin positions in the narrowest section on the front of the green.

Hole 16 - 542 yards, par 4

Players can look forward to a tough finish, starting with one of the longest par-4s in US Open history. There is a bunker that will have to be avoided on the left, while rough and trees lie in wait on the right.

Accuracy will then be required to find the right part of the sloping green.

Hole 17 - 520 yards, par 4

Shaping the ball from left to right from the elevated tee should help here. A barranca lies in wait on the right but the bunkers around the green are set to capture plenty of balls, especially if nerves are jangling in the closing stages.

Hole 18 - 492 yards, par 4

The closing hole bends to the left but heavy rough will greet anything that goes too far in that direction. Bunkers flank both sides of the green just to give the players something to think about.