Greens
Type of grass - Bermuda Tifdwarf
Height of cut - 2.6mm
Speed / stimpmeter reading - 12.0 Sunday aiming to keep it between 12-12.4 for the week
Any specific comments - The greens are in their best ever condition being firmer than in the past.

Fairways
Type of grass - Paspalum
Height of cut - 10mm
General width and contouring - Quite flat, average width but narrower than ever before.
Any specific comments - The following landing areas have been narrowed: 2nd,3rd,8th,10th,13th & 17th.

Tees / collars
Type of grass - Paspalum overseeded with rye grass
Height of cut - 6mm
Any specific comments - New back tees on holes 8 & 10 and extended tees on holes 6 & 14

Rough
Height of cut - semi-rough - 32mm/ cut daily
Height of cut - Intermediate - 64mm/ cut daily
Height of cut  - maintained - 64mm/ last topped inside the ropes Sunday before the event. It won’t be cut again during the week
Any specific comments - The rough is very consistent

Weather
Weather in advance - Sunny lately and a warm DecemberForecast for tournament - Dry and breezy with a chance of rain on Thursday

Course
Opened - 1998
Course designer - Peter Harradine
Special features  - Every year the rough is over-seeded with rye grass
General playability - The course is in superb condition.
Tree lined / exposed - Quite exposed
Many / few water hazards - Water hazards on holes 4, 6, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 17 & 18
-New fairway bunkers on 3,5,6,13 & 17
-Extensive bunker renovation optimising size and depth.
-Greens 2, 4 & 11 have been slightly enlarged to provide more challenging pin positions.

Other features
Any other features of the course or the event that may be of interest to web readers This is the 1st year of HSBC sponsorship of the event. Prize-money have been increased to US$2.7 million (700,000 more than last year)