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Imago

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Imago

The World Wide Technology Championship, from Nov 3-9, is all set to land at El Cardonal at Diamante, Mexico. It was the debut of Tiger Woods‘s architectural genius with his TGR Design firm, which kicked off with El Cardonal back in 2014.

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“I set up the golf strategy to make golfers think and make choices,” Tiger Woods said. “Regardless of your handicap, there are going to be different ways to play every hole. Angles of approach are going to be very important and will dictate the type of shots you should consider. I love this kind of golf.”

This course is influenced by the old-style courses of Southern California, where Woods grew up playing. With this one, he created a course that brings back the need for strategy, providing players with several shot options to navigate during each hole. The course is long enough to challenge expert players, but open enough to provide options for those with higher handicaps. It truly is a fun test for golfers of all skill levels.

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“With dramatic long-range views of the Pacific Ocean, natural arroyos, mature vegetation, native dunes and Diamante’s signature service, this Tiger Woods–designed course at Diamante is a challenging and rewarding golf experience that you’ll want to play again and again,” reads the course’s description on the website.

Erik van Rooyen can tell you what it’s like. Last year, he dropped a ridiculous back-nine 28 to hold off Matt Kuchar and Camilo Villegas and secure a win at 27-under, the first time the PGA Tour ever played on a Woods design. His secret? Aggressive, smart play.

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“He’s obviously an absolute legend of the game,” van Rooyen said of Woods. “And to play on a golf course that he’s designed and to win a PGA TOUR tournament that is somehow in a small part linked to him, it’s extremely special.”

Next, take Adam Long, for example, who found every fairway in the tournament. It’s a feat nobody had managed in a Tour event since 1992.

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Where some courses make you thread the needle, El Cardonal gives you room, but it’s a trap for those who coast. If you don’t respect the arroyos or pay attention to the shifting wind, they’ll burn you fast. The championship setup is no joke either, with 7,363 yards, par 72, greens massive at 8,300 square feet. The easiest holes are the par 5s at the start and end, with a handout of birdies and eagles.

Then the short, drivable par-4 third sits low on the course before things start to get tricky. From there, the uphill struggles begin. The par-4 fourth goes up to 30 feet, and the par-5 sixth rises a steep 70 feet to the green. Then the par-4 seventh sends players right back down, dropping 60 feet from tee to green. And just when you feel relieved, the stretch from 10 to 14 keeps players riding those up-and-down switchbacks.

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