At a casual pass, Royal Liverpool Golf Club in the seaside town of Hoylake, England, just west of Liverpool, appears rather bleak and absent the distinction of many of the other courses in the Open rotation. Those who know golf, however, understand there’s appreciably more to Hoylake, as it’s commonly known.

Hoylake is in the same league as Muirfield and St. Andrews in terms of elevating the most accomplished players. During the eight Open Championships contested there in the past 100 years, Royal Liverpool has consistently identified and rewarded the best player at the moment, including Walter Hagen, Bobby Jones, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.

To get you set for the final men’s major of the year, Golf Digest Architecture Editor Derek Duncan breaks down what makes Hoylake such a formidable design that always identifies the game’s best player.