There’s a rule in place in Big 12 college golf that says players cannot play the course that will host the Big 12 Championship for an entire calendar year leading up to the event.

That means no advanced practice rounds, no scouting the greens, no friendly rounds with members to learn some of the local knowledge that might help when it counts.

And for the Kansas University golf team, which is seeded sixth at this weekend’s conference championship at Whispering Pines Golf Club in Trinity, Texas, that also means no problem.

See, more than half of the players who will tee it up for the Jayhawks this weekend have played Whispering Pines on more than one occasion in the past. And while those rounds might not have come during the past year, their memories of the ins and outs of the par-72 course about 90 miles north of Houston played a key part in this week’s preparation for the big event.

“It’s a great course,” said senior Ben Welle, KU’s two-time tourney winner this season. “Fairly tight. Good par-threes. But it’s pretty manageable. There’s a few holes that you’ve gotta be careful about, but nothing special. It’s an awesome venue and it’ll be fun to play there.”

Fun is one word for it. Fundamental is another. Fourth-year coach Jamie Bermel also is familiar with Whispering Pines and he said success there is reliant upon one key concept.

“On that golf course, if you get out of position, you gotta get back in position,” he said. “If you get a little greedy, you’re gonna make a big number. That’s why I like these guys. They’ve been there before.”

Led by Welle, along with fellow-senior Connor Peck and junior Chase Hanna, the Jayhawks will field one of the more experienced squads in Trinity this week. But even with that trio of upperclassmen leading the way, Welle and Bermel both made sure to point out that the team’s quality depth has put KU in its best position to challenge for a top-three finish in years.

“There’s five guys that all have a chance to win,” said Bermel, referring to the his veteran trio and sophomore Dan Hudson and freshman Charlie Hillier. “Only one has won, (Welle) twice, but the other four have been close, with top-five, top-three finishes and that really helps.”

Welle said the play of KU’s fourth- and fifth-leading scorers has helped in ways that go way beyond the scorecard.

“When they’re playing well, it takes a lot of pressure off of everybody,” he said. “And that’s huge. Those 4 and 5 guys have been kicking (butt) all year. That’s what helps. Any team that has a 4 and 5 guy throwing in good scores, that really helps me when I’m off my game.”

With the goal being to win the whole thing but the objective being to play smart and worry only about each hole, each shot and each decision, Bermel said he believed his team could turn in a memorable performance if it just continued to play the kind of golf it has played up to this point.

“Do we have to play great? I don’t think so,” Bermel said. “If we get a little luck and somebody plays well at the right time and we don’t double up on two bad rounds, I think we’ll be in pretty good shape.”

Added Welle: “I think the main thing is we have to get off to a good start. If we have a good 36-hole day on the first day, we’ll be in good shape.”

Texas, winners of three in a row and ranked No. 1 in the nation, is the favorite. Kansas has not won a Big 12 title since 1999.