Clay Man,
That bunker on the 18th is kind of out of the way, but not out of play if you hook a shot from that lie that induces a draw anyway. I've been in it.
But the cart path running between the two bunkers is kind of an eyesore. I believe the fairways were actually narrower in the original version by Maxwell but I would have to check in my information from the first course history book put out in 1987. I think one of the people who was on the original construction comments on that.
As for the trees that exist there, they don't come into play on 15, or they shouldn't anyway. The only hole they really affect play is on 12 if you don't go about 20 yards off the fairway or something like that. I can understand what people are saying about the trees affecting play, but aside from that what is so wrong with the trees on 12 through 15. There are trees all over that course, but they just aren't in play. There are trees by the 1st and 2nd holes, by 4 and 6 and near the 8th green. There are trees by the 11th tee and in back of the 11th green. I think I have heard that complaint many times, but just don't get the reason for it with the possible exception of the 12th hole. To me that is a preference thing. If you see many of Maxwell's courses you will see a similar strategy on many of them, so it isn't out of character with what he did in his work.
The one thing that really stood out to me was that none of the women ever played out of the bunker, or at least a smaller number than if the men are playing. Is it that the bunkers at PD are real hazards and the women stay away from them due to that or is it that the women approach the play on the course differently than the men?
My favorite feature on the course is one that didn't come across as well as I hoped on the television, but the rippling affect of the fairways with the sloping of the fairway. It is amazing how much those fairways roll in some spots. 8 and 9 are extreme, but several other holes have this feature as well. And believe me, they can play havoc with your stance and lie and make what would normally be a rather easy shot into a difficult option.
The other feature that stood out is that the greens each set up some difficult pockets for pin positions on shelves and in bowls. I didn't really see these "ultra" pins being used on many holes from the coverage I saw. I did notice that the 9th pin placement on Sunday was the same as the day I played and scored a birdie on the hole.
