This last weekend I played in Neguri, which is an Arana layout in Bilbao, unchanged since 1961. The course plays 7000 yards from the back tees and 6600 from the men's tees, so its not overly long by today's standards.
Every time I play there I am surprised at how well the course defends itself from low scores despite not having a penal nature (light rough, greens are not lighting fast, no water hazards and few bunkers). For the same reasons, shooting a very high score is also unlikely (in the absence of wind - the course is on the seaside of the Atlantic), which makes it very enjoyable for most people.
I have figured out that in this case it is a result of:
- Difficult set of par 5s (very hard to reach in two, with all three shots posing challenge).
- Difficult set of par 3s (long and uphill)
- Short par 4s have either very sloping greens or challenging drives (in terms of position, not length).
- 6 greens that are sloped front to back
- Good bunker placement
What in your opinions are course features that help make courses tough to score on while still making courses playable for most people? Obviously, please avoid the USOpen tricks (streching tees, long rough, deepening bunkers, etc.).