Rich in history and tradition and refreshed with sponsorship verve anew, the ANA Inspiration is still about traversing one of the greatest golf courses in all of SoCal.
Debuted in 1970, the Desmond Muirhead-designed Dinah Shore Tournament Course at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage is filled with wonderful nuance and subtlety. That may explain why the vast majority of ANA victors are either luminaries of the game, or ladies who have required a few flops before enjoying the champion's dive into Poppie's Pond.
• See related story: Tips to Experience ANA Inspiration
With assistance from Gabe Codding, tournament director of the ANA Inspiration, we enjoyed a recent video tour of the 18th hole.
The Dinah concludes in exclamated fashion with an home hole that charts among the most famed finishers in all of pro golf. Deceptive from the box, the 561-yard par-5 18th proves a three-shot hole for most, as finding the island green in two is reserved but for the game's biggest-hitters.
Or it could quality for situational eagle tries such as the 72nd hole “3” carded by defending champion Brittany Lincicome before finding victory versus Stacy Lewis in a three-hole playoff last year.
VIDEO: Watch Judd Spicer and Gabe Codding take a look at the challenges of the 18th hole.
Judd Spicer is a member of the Golf Writers Association of America. Have a golf tip or golf story idea to share? E-mail Judd: [email protected]. Listen to Judd on KXPS 1010 AM from 8-10 a.m. Sundays with Matt McKay for “The Press Box.”
Follow Judd on Twitter: @JuddSpicer
See Judd's previous posts under Life on the Links.
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