Colonial

The 5th is perhaps the most celebrated and the toughest hole at Colonial. This brutal doglegged par four measures 472 yards from the tips. Anything drifting too far to the right may find the Trinity River underneath the trees and even a long straight drive may run out of fairway and into the trees at the elbow of the dogleg.

Ben Hogan claimed that "a straight ball will get you in more trouble at Colonial than any course I know." You need a well struck, but more importantly, well placed drive to have any chance of reaching the green which is well protected by bunkers and yet more trees.

Writing in the Confidential Guide to Golf Courses, Tom Doak was rather more disparaging: “The stock of Colonial has fallen over the past 20-30 years, as Ben Hogan’s glory days fade in our memory. In truth, it has only ever been a standout on a regional basis. Still, it was a shock to my system when a course once feted as a long and narrow championship test was identified as the best possible venue for Annika Sörenstam to compete in a PGA Tour event, in 2003. What keeps the course relevant are a bunch of curving dogleg holes through the trees, most famously the banana-shaped 5th, rewarding the golfer who knows how to shape the ball instead of just bombing away.”