May 13, 2009 -- La Cantera Golf Club has been hosting the PGA Tour since 1995, but many fans will be seeing it in a whole new light this year. PGA Professional Steve Shields, the Director of Golf at La Cantera tells us why this course offers many thrills for players and fans alike.

PGA.com: The course has been hosting the PGA Tour for 15 years, but many fans might not be that familiar with it. Can you describe the course and what fans can expect to see this week?

Golfers can experience a roller coaster round in more ways than one at La Cantera Golf Club. (Photo: Getty Images)

Shields: La Cantera is a hill-country course, with lots of elevation changes and rock outcroppings. "La Cantera" means "The Quarry" so the terrain is true to the name. The course itself looks great, it's in excellent condition and the coloring is tremendous. The players and fans will see some of the most impressive visuals you might find on a course including one tee box that features an 85-foot drop down to the fairway. We're excited for the week.

PGA.com: This is the first year for the event in May. What challenges will you encounter hosting the PGA Tour in a totally different season?

Shields: For starters, as you said, it's a different time of year for the tournament and that means a different wind pattern. In the Spring, the wind comes in from the south and the holes will play differently than the course did when the tournament was in the Fall. For example, the first hole has traditionally been a par 5 that many players could comfortably reach in two. Now that hole will play into the wind and is going to be considerably tougher to reach in two. Also, the players will experience a different type of surface. They are used to a course full of bermuda grass, but this time of year, with our overseeding, they will find the course a little different. This will only make a marginal difference to the golfers, but it will be slightly different.

PGA.com: Your event also starts the Texas Swing of the PGA Tour. Is Texas a good golf market? San Antonio?

Shields: Texas is a very good golf area, full of tradition and wonderful courses. San Antonio is an excellent golf market that I believe is going to soon become a premier golf destination. We offer a superb climate, superior hospitality, great people that give this large city a "not-too-large" feel and a number of top golf courses. With the opening soon of TPC San Antonio, I think you'll see San Antonio emerge as a destination with one of the most fantastic portfolio of courses in the country.

PGA.com: Your website lists a host of awards La Cantera has won as an outstanding destination for amateur golfers. What could I expect as a visitor to your facility?

Shields: We are an ultimate "One-Stop Shop" for golfers. Anything you could possibly want for golf, we have it here and have it in a world-class way. We offer 36 holes of championship golf, Our accommodations are top-tier, and we have a tremendous pro shop and a state-of-the-art teaching facility.

PGA.com: Your course is located next to Fiesta Texas, the home of the Six Flags theme park. You have one of the most unusual views in golf, as roller coasters can provide a backdrop for golfers as they tee off on the 7th hole. What's more thrilling, that behemoth of a roller coaster or driving the green on that short par 4?

Shields: Driving that green. The incredible elevation of that tee box means your tee shot seems suspended in the air for forever. The hang time is just phenomenal and it's one of the most exhilarating feelings in golf to strike a shot on that hole and watch it sail down towards the green.