BMW Championship Guide: Where to Watch

Ask anyone who’s attended a championship there–Cherry Hills is a great gallery course.

Jon Rizzi | Colorado AvidGolfer

The elevation changes create great sightlines, and the short distances between greens and tees and between front- and back-nine holes make it easy to move from group to group. There’ll be players everywhere, especially with no cut and groups finishing on Nos. 9 and 18 all four days.

Access to the sponsor hospitality areas (Skyboxes, Chalets, Pavilions) near holes 7, 9, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 is restricted to hosts and their guests. Showing a BMW key fob will unlock entry into the BMW Owner’s Pavilion behind greens 7 and 14.

Open Seating Free spectator seating is available to all on a first-come, first-served basis at the Driving Range, 1st Tee, 8th Green, 9th Tee, 9th Green, 10th Tee, 16th Tee, 16th Green, 17th Green, 18th Tee, and 18th Green.

WHERE TO WATCH

The Driving Range: As it did for the 2012 U.S. Amateur, Cherry Hills has extended the height of the driving-range fence from 60 to 90 feet to protect traffic on University Blvd. Watching Bubba and the boys hit (or possibly clear) the netting is an unforgettable experience, but so is seeing them hit 20 consecutive 7-irons within a foot of each other.

1 Tee: The excitement of hearing players’ names announced pales in comparison to watching them repeat the feat of Arnold Palmer in the 1960 U.S. Open, when he heroically drove the green to ignite his victorious charge. Fifty-four years later, every player in the field can get there—or beyond.

3 Tee Or Green: This drivable Par 4 presents an early eagle opportunity, but big trouble lurks left and long. Look for a wide range of strategies and club selections. The green is steps away from the 16th green and the fairway cross-bunkers on the par-5 17th.

Behind 4 Green: Organizers of the event call this busy area the “mousetrap,” but in the words of Cherry Hills Head PGA Professional John Ogden, this is the best place on the course to position yourself. “You can watch tee shots on 5, 9, 11 and 16, along with shots into the green on 4 and 8.”

12 Tee: Similar to the water-fronted par-3 4th on Broadmoor East, this is a picturesque, penal and potentially pivotal hole. A front left pin placement could result in some balls spinning back into the drink, while hitting the breaking green may not yield birdie or even par.

14 Fairway: There’s plenty of shade and water running alongside the landing area on one of Cherry Hills’ two 500-plus-yard Par 4s (the 526-yard 5th is the other). Watch players try hitting the green with a mid-iron off a downhill lie.

16 Green: You can toggle between this severely sloping, angled green and the course’s only rebuilt green on the drivable No. 3.

17 Tee, Fairway or Green: Risk and reward define every shot on this classic 555-yard Par 5, making any spot a prime viewing location. With two sets of fairway cross-bunkers lurking 330 and 405 yards out, players off the tee need to decide whether to lay up, land the 70-yard space between sands or bomb it past both sets. An island green awaits. Who’ll go for it in two? Who’ll lay up? Can the risk-takers land a long iron or hybrid softly enough to hold the green with their second shots? And will “safe” players who’ve lain up get too fancy—à la Ben Hogan in 1960—and wind up in the water?

18 Tee or Green: Nab a seat in the stands behind either the teeing area or green. That’s easier said than done, of course, as patrons will crowd what is arguably one of championship golf’s most challenging finishers. How much of the lake left of the fairway will players try to carry? Sitting in the deep rough near the first landing area can get you a good view of the elevated green. So can squeezing in among the throngs ringing the putting surface, ready to erupt when the winning shot drops.

RELATED LINKS

The BMW Championship: How to Watch

David Duval on Course Conditions at Cherry Hills Country Club

BMW Championship Preview: Are These Players Wadley Worthy?

Top Holes to Watch at the BMW Championship

Andy North Knows What it Takes to Win at Cherry Hills

For more information and details onthe BMW Championship, please visit bmwchampionshipusa.com.

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