TPC Southwind

I played this course about a decade ago during my one and only golf trip to Tennessee.

What I vividly remember all these years later was how fast the greens were and from the ninth hole on, how water becomes a prominent feature of the design.

Its par 3s on the back nine are brutal for amateurs: The island green at the 165-yard 11th hole that looks eerily similar to the 17th at TPC Sawgrass and the 231-yard 14th, which is consistently ranked among the toughest par 3s on Tour.

Is TPC Southwind one of the best TPCs I've played? Not necessarily because it's mostly flat and surrounded by homes. There's not a lot of scenery or charisma to the setting. Is it good enough to deserve a World Golf Championship - one of the premier events in the game? That's debatable, too, but a strong field and strong sponsor (Memphis is the home of FedEx) will certainly raise its profile for the better.