To put things in perspective, here's a pic from the review section taken in May of '06.
Jim's pic above was taken July 18th 2009.
In '06 the region was just about to come out of a long term drought.(end of el'nino) In the month of June in '06 everyday was 105 degrees with convection oven winds. This June there was 9-10 inches of rain.(early la'nina) with less than a handful of days in the 90's.
The daily changes in wind and firmness is a great aspect of this golf course and can alter one's appreciation for all the holes.
I find myself thinking about the wind on the closers, the way they say the pros think about the 17th hole at Sawgrass. Early and throughout the round. Either hoping it stays or shifts.
IMO,
#'s 1 and 2 introduce, then you fall in love because the prettiest hole is #3. #4 stuns with the scale of he region. While 5 and 6 tests our brains and greed. #8 is the sexiest but it's the 7, 8 sequence that makes it so.
I'll stick to my initial impression of #9 as a sensory breather.
#10 can be the most satisfying to score well on.
#11 is the best par 3 and #'s 12 & 13 are what the entire place is all about. I have seen more great shots on 13 that any other hole.
14 has subtle mojo dependent on how the golfer approaches it, and the wind.
16 and 17 have serious symbiosis like the hip bone attached to the thigh bone.
The closer on it's topography eases one back to their respective realities from their adventure through the rolly polly Chop Dunes.
It's the entirety of the course that grabs souls. Dissecting the parts seems like asking which child you like better. But feel free to carry on, I make no judgement.