I'm afraid I lost. 1 up, on the last hole. My opponent made a birdie after I had skulled my third shot out of the front bunker. Wonderful golf course, which I hope to see again soon. I made some silly mistakes, and missed a few key putts.
Now, the golf course.
Frankly, I liked the first 15 holes more than the last three. 16 is a nice hole on its own, but to me, it would fit a little better if the nines were switched. 18, with the really elevated tee, seems like a more modern hole than the others. However, the second shot into that hole is excellent, and not out-of-place. I just think that if there were a tee lower to the ground on the last hole, it would be a more thought-provoking visual. The way the tee is now, one can see the entire landing area, as if from an airplane. There really aren't any other holes that concede a perfect view of the landing area, and I really liked the semi-blindness of some of the tee shots. To see them unfold and become clear when walking to the tee ball was exhilirating in a way.
My two favorite holes on the golf course were 12 and 14. 12 is an incredible work of deception, whereby the green appears to be about 30 yards closer than it actually is. 14 may be the best redan-type hole I've played, and the pin was tucked just behind the front-left bunker. Other favorites were 4, 5, and 11, but there were no holes I disliked. 11 is a superb short par 4, which must be great fun in fast and firm conditions.
The bunkers were delightfully scruffy, the grass appropriately green-and-brown, and the course, perfectly-relatively unmarked (just square stone plates at 200, 150, and 100). It is definitely an incredible place, and I will definitely watch the U.S. Women's Open. I hope I get back before too long, though I know it's a pretty exclusive place.