In a game that outsiders sometimes accuse of getting stuck in its traditions just for the sake of it, the PGA of America should be commended for bringing about the latest of golf’s steps into modernity.

For the first time, the administrators of the PGA Championship are allowing golf fans — anyone with an Internet connection, really — to vote on a hole location for the final round of this year’s final major championship. Fans have a choice of four spots on the meandering putting surface of the No. 15 at Oak Hill Country Club’s East Course, located in Rochester, N.Y.

The hole is a par 3 that measures 181 yards, slightly downhill. The green measures nearly 40 yards from front to back, but is only about 15 yards wide. Three bunkers — two of them hidden from view from the tee — line the left side of the green, while a rock wall-rimmed pond lurks down the entire right side. In other words, the options are to hit a straight middle iron or suffer. Not a very fun or unique challenge of a hole, to be honest.

The PGA’s free-for-all competition to choose the final-round hole location, therefore, is something of a saving grace. Anyone who votes — especially those who end up choosing the winning pin placement — have extra incentive to pay attention to Sunday’s coverage (Aug. 11) of this year’s edition of the PGA.

The hole locations are as follows:

Choice A: 4 yards from the right — i.e., water’s—edge and 6 from the front, it might seem the easiest of the four hole locations by virtue of the fact that it makes the hole the shortest, but with the first of those aforementioned three bunkers just steps left of the cup, it has plenty of teeth. The safe play to this hole location is actually a few yards long, which is not an intuitive concept and further complicates matters.

Choice B: The remaining three choices sit in the rear portion of the green, with this one 23 yards from the front and just left of center. A little farther from the water, the safe place to miss this pin is just short and left. A few yards too long and/or left and the ball will catch one of the bunkers or a low area in the back left part of the green.

Choice C: Another 2 yards deeper into the green and 4 yards from the right hand side, this location increases the water’s influence on the shot to be played. Players who want to challenge this hole location will need complete confidence in the yardage and wind.

Choice D: A full 30 yards back in the green and roughly in the lateral middle, this hole location might not yield the highest average score, but would probably produce the fewest birdies. It would seem to pay well to be defensive to this hole location—hit it 30 to 40 feet short and left and settle for a two-putt par.

At the time of this writing, hole location C — the one closest to the water — is crushing the competition in the voting, with 62 percent of the total support. It is the obvious choice — closer to the water, more exciting, right? — but not the best. As the 69^th hole of the championship, it is unlikely that players are going to be thinking of No. 15 as a birdie hole. They are most likely to be thinking defensively, looking only at the center of the green, with only poor shots ending up in the water. This will turn No. 15 into a putting contest. Boring!

If you want to see a good mix of birdies and the potential for some big numbers, especially by the leaders, choose hole location A. It sits as close (just 4 yards) to the water as location C, but because it shortens the hole, more players are likely to get greedy.

At 19 percent of the current vote, it has a great deal of ground to make up on boring-yet-obvious C. To help close the gap, go to the PGA’s website and cast your vote. While you’re at it, implore the PGA to play the hole from a front tee. Remember when David Toms aced No. 15 hole during his PGA Championship victory in 2001? Want to see another? Of course you do!