Reachable in two by the long hitters if playing with the prevailing wind, the opening hole offers a good birdie opportunity - but out of bounds on the left and the fairway bunkers make the drive the premium shot. Pin placement here will also dictate going for the green or laying up in position. At 150 feet front-to-back, with multiple tiers, the green could leave the long hitter with a virtually impossible eagle effort. In fact, the front of the green is so undulating that it is rare to ever find a pin positioned there. Sam Snead once hit a sand wedge from the front of the green to a back pin position rather than risking a long putt.

The first of Warwick's par 3's represents several opportunities for trouble. Medium in length and often into the wind, the three bunkers and severe back to front slope of the greeen can make for some difficult pin placements. The key is to keep the ball left and below the hole. An especially devilish pin position is front right as it brings the front right bunker into play, thereby making it difficult to keep the ball below the hole. On this hole in 1962, Butch Baird made the first hole-in-one in Buick Open history with a 2-iron from 203 yards.

Water down the left side may pose a problem depending on the day's tee position. The right side must be avoided however, as trees, rough, and fairway bunkers await to swallow up errant tee shots that head that way. A well-placed ball from the tee will be rewarded with a middle to short iron shot into a large, two-tiered green, but the back-to-front slope of the green can severely penalize the payer who uses one club too much.

The 7th is the longest of Warwick's par five holes. The tee position for the day and the wind direction, however, will dictate whether players are able to reach the green for an eagle putt. While the driving area is generous, a tee shot to the right will prevent the player from reaching the green with his second shot. Players who lay up will be left with a wedge shot from the bottom of the valley that fronts the green. Those who take a crack with their second shot must get the ball to stop on the crowned green. This hole should result in a flurry of birdies in the 2001 Buick Open.

This hole typically plays against the prevailing wind, which makes the hole extremely difficult considering the length has been increased by 21 yards for 2001. The fairway bunkers on the right will become more of a factor this year, catching drives that stray from the fairway. The ideal drive would be one that approaches a downward slope in the fairway, splitting the bunkers on the right and left, leaving a middle to short iron to the green. Depending on pin placements, the two front bunkers and the trap behind the green will get a lot of traffic. Once on the green, subtle undulations and a north-sloping grain will make putting difficult.

Nestled in the trees, the wind on this par three can be difficult to judge and can make the difference between a birdie and a bogey. Trees behind and to the left of the target, as well as the three greenside bunkers, make an errant tee shot difficult to recover from. However, if the player is able to successfully land his middle iron tee shot on the green, he will be rewarded with a relatively level putting surface and a good chance at birdie. In 1996, Justin Leonard made a hole-in-one here en route to his first victory on the PGA TOUR.

Par here will lose one shot - if not two - to the field. This short par 5 is not without hazards, however. The premium off the tee is to place the drive to the left of the large oak tree that is in the right rough. From there, the player will have approximately 220 yards of all carry to the most severely sloped green at Warwick Hills. Any approach that is slightly pushed will find the water that guards the right front of the green. The hole is the sight of Ben Crenshaw's' miracle "upside down, backwards 9-iron" from under the pine tree for a birdie that helped propel him to victory in 1986. In his 1994 win, Fred Couples played the hole for the week birdie-eagle-eagle-eagle.

The 15th is traditionally the most difficult hole at Warwick Hills, especially with the wind in the player's face. Out of bounds and trees on the left force the tee shot to the right side of the fairway, leaving a long to middle iron into the well-bunkered green. Missing the green in any direction leaves one in a very difficult position to make par. This is especially true for any shot that goes over the green and down the severe slope. A player in position to win should be very happy with a four here. In 2000, the 15th played as the most difficult hole on the course, and was one of the 50 toughest holes on the PGA TOUR in 2000.

The 17th is perhaps the most picturesque hole on the course and traditionally plays as one of the most difficult par threes in the Buick Open. It is also where the most enthusiastic crowds can be found at Warwick. The front bunker has been lengthened for 2001, capturing shots that come up short of the green. From the tee, the player must hit a middle iron to a green that subtly slopes toward the water hazard. Missing the green left is particularly bad, as the ball will tend to kick into the woods if it misses both of the bunkers.