ROBERT TRENT JONES II, LLC ROBERT TRENT JONES JR.'S DREAM 18

One might have chosen to divide these great holes into a seaside nine and an inland nine, since nine of the chosen holes are either on linksland or near the sea, and nine are in what might be called parkland settings. Alternatively, one might have proposed a continuous 18, following the tradition of the Old Course, Pebble Beach, or Cypress Point. Instead, we designed a pair of returning nines.

We wanted balance between the two nines, with the front and back of roughly equal difficulty. We wanted to start our course with a birdie-able par five, and finish each nine with a sequence containing a par three, par four, and par five. Our ideal course would minimize the number of par fours in a row and would retain the features the way they were intended in their actual settings.

We also wanted the course to have a rhythm, to conclude with an exclamation point on each nine, and to culminate with the greatest finishing hole in golf, the 18th at Pebble Beach. We couldn't route the course so that each hole plays in its actual direction, but we tried to place them as closely as possible to their original orientation.

There are always risks in taking things out of context. I hope the collage of great holes we've assembled has the coherence of an artistic tribute, and not the friction of mismatched styles.

ROBERT TRENT JONES II, LLC ROBERT TRENT JONES JR.