The tournament organisers have attempted to set the course up to emulate the conditions at Augusta as closely as possible.

Said Stuart Appleby this week: 'They try to make it like Augusta. They make an attempt. I think that helps.'

An attempt? Actually they have made a pretty decent stab at it. The fairways are firm, fast and generous. There is a lot of talk about the mowing patterns being similar to Augusta and the fairways have been mowed back from the greens to the tees.

The rough has been cut back to an inch and half and mowed towards the hole which generally creates a 'flier lie' like Augusta does.

The run off areas around the greens have been shaved down so any balls which role even slightly off the greens will not stop.

But as Steve Stricker pointed out last year; 'I don't know if there's anything that can simulate Augusta.'

Appleby agrees.

"You can't get the (same) greens speed and you can't get the chipping the same - and that, you know, is what makes Augusta,"the Australian insists.

The Tournament Course at Redstone is a tree lined par 72 course designed by Rees Jones and David Toms in 2005. It plays 7,457 yards and was the eighth longest course on the PGA Tour in 2007.

There are a number of lakes around the course and a significant amount of water in play from both the tee and around the greens at holes 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 17 and 18.

The areas around these greens are mowed down towards the water and any wayward shots will feed down into the hazards.

The greens are fairly large by tour standards but Steve Timms, the Tournament Director, describes them as; 'compartmentalised, greens within greens'. They are multi tiered and there many different hole locations. Spin control and accuracy with irons will be the key this week.

On Wednesday the greens were reading 13 on the stimpmeter and with a forecast for minimal rain they should maintain their speed throughout the week.

Last year conditions were firm, fast and windy for the first two days of the tournament and at that point the leader board was littered with all styles of golfer.

It was only after rain drenched the course on Saturday morning that long hitters came to the fore. The conditions this year should ensure an even playing field.

The prevailing South/South Easterly wind is expected to blow on Thursday at 15-25mph with some gusts up to 30 mph in the afternoon.

On Friday the wind forecast is 6-12 pmh switching to North/North West and strengthening to 8-15 mph. An early morning Thursday tee time may prove to be a distinct advantage.

Looking at some of the cricial holes at the Redstone's Tournamament Course we note that the par five 8th and 13th holes offer realistic eagle opportunities - there were 18 eagles and 352 birdies on these holes last year.

In stark contrast the par five 4th and 15th holes gave up only 2 eagles and 206 birdies in 2007.

The par four 12th is drivable but just one eagle and only 153 birdies were made there in 2007.

The long par-

four 5th, 6th, 17th and 18th are all testing holes, particularly the eighteenth hole which was the eighth toughest finishing hole on tour in 2007 and the forty seventh most difficult on tour.

It is reminiscent of the finishing hole at Doral with water down one side of the fairway and around the green. When the wind blows from the North/North West the eighteenth plays at its most treacherous.

In 2006 when the tournament was played after The Masters the winning score was 19-under par.

In 2007 the tournament was rescheduled for the week prior to The Masters. The new course set up combined with strong winds saw the halfway leaders at six under par and the cut at one over.

It was only after heavy rain that the players were able to go low last year and given the current playing conditions I would be surprised if the winning score reached fourteen under par.