OAKLAND – Sure, the course isn’t long, but can you putt?

Maine’s best women golfers will find out this week as they descend upon Waterville Country Club in Oakland, a 5,381-yard, par-73 layout featuring narrow fairways, plenty of sand, and greens that would confuse a drop of water as it tried to flow downhill.

“It’s not the length of the course that is impressive here,” course professional Don Roberts said.

“If you aren’t below the hole, even if you are chipping instead of putting, it’s a chore to two-putt. You would rather be below the hole than pin-high or long here.”

Here are a few of the key holes the women will face along the way over the next three days:

Hole No. 3: The first par-5 on the front nine, the third hole is only 400 yards long, but features a blind tee shot over a bunker on the right as the fairway also bends from left to right. Long hitters trying to run the ball onto the green will find little success thanks to large grassy burns directly in front of the green.

Hole No. 7: A short par-4 at just 265 yards, this hole is the course’s signature hole. A tee shot too long will land in the water, a picturesque pond guarding the front of the green bordered by a wooden wall and crossed by a wooden bridge. The second shot to a tough pin (potentially on the front-right, just behind the water’s edge) will make for some interesting second shots, and the green itself is one of the most treacherous on the course.

Hole No. 8: Listed as the hardest hole on the course, this 340-yard par-4 will be a test for most of the field to reach the green in two. The green is split by a large ridge that runs from right to left, and the approach shot is from an uphill lie. There are bunkers guarding both the left and right edges of the green.

Hole No. 14: There couldn’t be more sand if the whole of Old Orchard Beach were dumped on top of the course. With fairway bunkers down both sides, the fairway is narrow. The green is unforgiving with a false front and a back-to-front slope making putts from above the hole treacherous.

Hole No. 15: The hardest part of this hole is the green. There are no flat places and even a solid drive on the 296-yard par-4 will give golfers a tough approach. Depending on pin placement, this could be a make-or-break hole.