Maxwell’s magical green complexes are on full display. With par being 70, it allows for a sub-80 round despite some early big numbers. The back nine is more forgiving and imminently more scoreable. You can miss short right like I did, but still face a daunting chip. Under club and your ball might carom off the rock formations. Miss short left and you are probably rolling back into the hazard. If you still have any wits left, they will likely be spent on the approach shot at the par-5 sixth, which plays dramatically uphill to a wildly undulating green. There is a brief respite at the par-3 fourth hole if you know how to play it (more on that in a moment), that leads into maybe the toughest hole on the course: the par-4 fifth. Next is a 600+-yard par 5, followed by another 400+-yard par 4 uphill and into the fan. The first plays more than 400 yards from the blue tees uphill and into the wind. There are no gentle handshake opening holes. Famed architect Perry Maxwell comes out punching from the opening tee shot and you just have to stay off the ropes and hope your score doesn’t get knocked out by the turn.

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