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A hole-by-hole description of the Blue Course at Royal Montreal Golf Club, site of the Presidents Cup matches to be played Sept. 27-30:

No. 1, 444 yards, par 4: A dogleg left slightly uphill, with bunkers down the left side that can be cleared with a 320-yard drive. The green is shaped like a kidney. The back left plateau of the green slopes away, making it difficult to hold approach shots.

No. 2, 385 yards, par 4: Because it is a dogleg right that plays downhill, some players might try to drive the green, which sits perpendicular to the fairway. The putting surface has two dramatic spines that divide the green into three areas. A deep bunker guards the left side of the green, while the right side falls away sharply.

No. 3, 437 yards, par 4: Another dogleg to the right that requires a well-placed tee shot for an approach into a three-tiered green that is slightly elevated. Deep bunkers guard the front of the green on both sides. The green falls away sharply at the back.

No. 4, 501 yards, par 4: Perhaps the most difficult hole on the front nine, his dogleg left is uphill with a narrow landing area for tee shots, bunkers on both sides. If the length isn't enough, it also plays into the prevailing wind. The kidney-shaped green is narrow at the front and has bunkers guarding the entrance on both sides.

No. 5, 203 yards, par 3: Another kidney-shaped green that is slightly elevated, this par 3 is well-protected by deep bunkers at the front left and front right of the green, which has a pronounced spine through the left and middle sections.

No. 6, 570 yards, par 5: The only par 5 on the front nine is reachable in two shots by the big hitters; the prevailing wind comes from ahead and slightly across. The hole bends to the right with a generous landing area bunkered on both sides. The green sits on a plateau with two deep bunkers at the front and a cluster of bunkers along the back.

No. 7, 153 yards, par 3: The shortest hole on the course is deceptive and demands precision. The green is small and features deep bunkers on both sides.

No. 8, 394 yards, par 4: This is considered the breather on the front nine, a short par 4 that usually plays with the wind and bends slightly to the left. The green is round, although it is not visible from the fairway.

No. 9, 437 yards, par 4: A slight dogleg left with bunkers on the left side that require a 320-yard carry. The green is elevated, narrow at the front with deep bunkers on both sides. The green has a spine from the middle of the back to the center of the green, and birdies are rare if the ball is in the wrong quadrant.

No. 10, 460 yards, par 4: A large pond on the left side comes into play about 300 yards off the tee and stretches all the way to the green. The right side is tree-lined the entire hole. The green has a waterfall-style surface, with three areas that increase in height from the back left to the front right.

No. 11, 476 yards, par 4: Uphill and bending slightly to the right, players must carry a bunker on the right side about 260 yards away, keeping it out of the trees on the right. The prevailing wind means this hole will play to its full yardage. The green is bunkered on both sides and has a spine from the back through the middle of the green.

No. 12, 570 yards, par 5: The second and last par 5 on the course, it plays downhill and usually downwind. The landing area is generous with a bunker about 280 yards on the left side and more bunkers about 290 yards to 320 yards down the right. It can be reached in two, but bunkers protect the left side and a collection area awaits any ball missing to the right. The green moves sharply from back to front.

No. 13, 224 yards, par 3: This plays downhill and is backed by a stand of mature sugar maples. The green has three plateaus, with the back hole location the most demanding. The front of the green is narrow and bunkered on both sides.

No. 14, 369 yards, par 4: A large pond comes into play on the left side of the fairway and stretches from the green halfway back to the tee. The right side is a forest of mature maples. The fairway narrows to a tight landing area bunkered on the right side. The smart play is an iron off the tee, then a short iron to a narrow green with three sections. The hole can be played from 300 yards, tempting players to go for the green.

No. 15, 448 yards, par 4: Position off the tee is critical for the best angle to the green, where a pond is located in front and around the left side. The green is long and narrow with a pair of bunkers on the right side and a pot bunker on the back left between the green and a pond. The back pin is the most difficult, sitting on a small plateau.

No. 16, 456 yards, par 4: A large pond goes down the left side of the hole, and the approach is played over water to an elevated green that is protected on the right side by a larger bunker. A collection area is to the left. The toughest pin placement is back right on a plateau, behind a bunker.

No. 17, 160 yards, par 3: The tee shot is over a pond that extends down the right side of the green and beyond. The prevailing wind is left-to-right, toward the water, so there is no room for error between this narrow green and the pond. The green is bunkered on the left side and has a spine through the middle from back to front.

No. 18, 466 yards, par 4: A strong finishing hole, where water is in play off the tee and all down the left side. The landing area off the tee is narrow with bunkers on the right side. The green is elevated and configured from back right to front left. The back plateau of the green is small and flat, but the front portion has a steep slope guarded by an imposing bunker.