what are the most difficult holes on a golf course

by Prof. Shaina Hermiston Sr. 9 min read

The 20 Most Difficult Golf Holes In The World.
  • 20 12th At Augusta National (Par 3) via pgatour.com. The 12 th hole at the Augusta National is a par 3. It’s just 155 yards. Hearing that, you may be ...
  • 19 18th At Doral (Par 4)
  • 18 1st At Oakmont Country Club (Par 4)
  • 17 11th At Old Head Kinsale (Par 3)
  • 16 6th At Olympic Club San Francisco (Par 4)

The toughest holes on the PGA Tour during the 2019-'20 season
  • Ninth hole, TPC Harding Park, 515 yards, par 4.
  • Sixth hole, PGA National (Champions Course), 479 yards, par 4. ...
  • 16th hole, El Camaleón Golf Club, 515 yards, par 4. ...
  • Ninth hole, Monterey Peninsula Country Club (Shore Course), 223 yards, par 3. ...
Dec 26, 2020

Full Answer

Where to experience the hardest golf hole in the world?

The 1 st hole at the Oakmont Country Club is a par four and 485 yards. It’s regarded to be one of the most difficult holes in North America. The course has 210 deep bunkers that trip people up. Two of them are on the first, bordering the fairway. But the green is the most difficult aspect of this hole. It just doesn’t stop moving.

What is the toughest hole in golf?

Oct 10, 2017 · Every good golf course will have a handful of good birdie chances as well as a handful of very challenging holes. The Pearl golf course is no different, both the East and West golf courses feature a number of holes that will challenge even the most accomplished golfer. Hole #6 Pearl East Par 4 – When discussing the Pearl’s most challenging holes, #6 on the East …

How to hit the hardest shot in golf?

Sep 17, 2020 · We pored over more than 1 million reviews at Golf Advisor to uncover the most difficult public golf courses according to you, our reviewer community. When you write a review, one of the optional fields is "Course Difficulty." ... " The view around the course is off the charts. The 5th hole par 5 may be the hardest hole in Michigan." - silguezi ...

What is the hardest golf course in the US?

Feb 03, 2022 · Users at Golf Pass rated it as one of the five most difficult public courses in the United States in 2020, thanks to mogul-filled roughs …

What is the most difficult golf hole in the world?

It's only fitting that one of the hardest courses in the world, Ko'olau Golf Club on Oahu, Hawaii, would also have one of the most difficult holes. One-hundred-foot-deep ravines line the fairway on the 476-yard par-4 18th hole, so if a ball strays to one side or another it's lost.

What are the hardest holes on the PGA Tour?

Toughest Holes (Season)RankCourseHole1TPC Sawgrass182Augusta National Golf Club113Spyglass Hill Golf Course84Augusta National Golf Club1833 more rows

What is the easiest hole on a golf course?

The 12th hole is the easiest of the course. It's a par four and is 373 yards. Most get to the green in two, setting up a simple putt for a birdie.Aug 29, 2018

Is 1 or 18 the hardest hole in golf?

Golf courses determine handicaps by starting with what they think is the hardest hole. That's the No. 1 handicap hole. The hardest hole on a golf course is often the longest par 4, but that's not always the case.Jun 3, 2017

What's the hardest golf course on PGA?

Toughest Courses (Season)RankingCourseYardage1Augusta National Golf Club75102Bay Hill Club & Lodge74663PGA National (Champion)71254Memorial Park Golf Course741226 more rows

What is the longest golf hole on the PGA Tour?

So what is the world's longest golf hole? The 13th at TPC Colorado, home of the Colorado Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour, weighs in at 773 yards.

Are par 3s the hardest?

Par 4s are the most difficult holes to score on, as they have the highest scoring average of nearly +1 shot (0.96). Par 3 are are deemed to be only slightly easier than Par 4s, with an average score of 3.89. Across all handicaps, Par 5s are the easiest holes on the golf course, with an average of 0.47 over.Aug 14, 2020

Is a higher handicap hole harder?

One key point to remember is that the #1 hole is not the hardest hole, but the hole where the higher handicapped golfer deserves a stroke. This is not changing. The holes should still be ranked 1-18 in the order of relative difficulty between golfers of different abilities.Jan 1, 2020

What's the easiest golf course in the world?

5. The easiest golf course in the world (and the most exclusive) Hailed as “the most exclusive golf course in the world”, Pyongyang Golf Course may also be the easiest on the planet (if reports are to be believed). Kim Jong Il claimed to shoot a 38 with a record 11 aces during a round in 1994.Aug 14, 2015

Is handicap 1 or 18 Harder?

This means that the hole with a hole handicap of 1 is the most difficult hole on the course and the hole with a hole handicap of 18 is the least difficult hole on the course.Nov 9, 2021

What is considered a good score in golf?

In golf, scores less than 120 strokes are seen as respectable, or "good" scores among amateur golfers. While 90 stroke scores are considered average, scores below 120 strokes on an 18-hole course are seen amongst the golf community as relatively good.

What does Si mean on a golf course?

Stroke IndexEvery golf scorecard has a column headed “Stroke Index” or “SI” and each hole has a number allocated to it between 1 and 18.May 13, 2019

What is the hardest hole in golf?

Augusta National - 12th Hole. When the great Jack Nicklaus selects 'Golden Bell' as 'the hardest hole in all of golf', you won't hear us arguing with the 18-time major champion. This short par-3 can cause many problems.

What is the 17th hole in St Andrews?

The 17th Hole at St Andrews is a regular stop on the Open Championship rota so any golf fan knows the peril that awaits upon the tee of the 'Road Hole'. That very tee shot, over the corner of the hotel, is one of the most famous in the world. The approach shot is where the main danger lies.

How many yards is a par 3?

A 235 yard par 3 over the Pacific Ocean is going to test the golf game of every golfer and, although there's a relatively safe bail-out option, when you step up to the tee it's almost impossible not to be drawn into an attempt to find the putting surface.

Is Cypress Point a good golf course?

Though it's one of the most beautiful golf courses in the world, Cypress Point has the ability to bear its teeth on a number of holes. In fact, the difficulty of the track is provided by those beautiful surroundings and that is no more evident than on the monstrously punishing 16 th.

Is the 18th at Carnoustie difficult?

There's no doubting the 18th at Carnoustie is a fearsome test. It's revered as one of the toughest finishing holes in the game, and made all the more difficult due to the Barry Burn meandering through the layout on three separate occasions. The hole requires steely nerve and a few confident hits.

What is the shortest hole in golf?

Also referred to as "Golden Bell," the hole is the shortest on the course. Part of "Amen Corner," the hole's pin is boxed in by Rae's Creek in front and bunkers on the other sides. Read More.

What is the hardest golf course in the world?

Ko'olau Golf Club: 18th Hole. It's only fitting that one of the hardest courses in the world, Ko'olau Golf Club on Oahu, Hawaii, would also have one of the most difficult holes. One-hundred-foot-deep ravines line the fairway on the 476-yard par-4 18th hole, so if a ball strays to one side or another it's lost. Read More.

What is the nickname for the pinched nerve hole?

If your ball drops off the cliff on the left side of the 223-yard par 3 at Whistling Straits, you'll understand why the hole has the nickname of "Pinched Nerve." A series of bunkers line the cliffside, and it may take a number of shots to get the ball back up the 40-foot drop to the green.

How many yards is the first hole at Oakmont Country Club?

The par-4, 482-yard first hole at the Oakmont Country Club doesn't give golfers any time to settle into their round. Bunkers crop up on both sides of the 24-yard-wide fairway, and the hole doesn't get easier from there. The second shot directs the ball toward a fast green that slopes both from front to back and right to left.

How many yards is the 5th hole at Bethpage State Park?

Bethpage State Park (Black): 5th Hole. A diagonal hazard makes the 445-yard fifth hole at Bethpage Black extremely difficult to master. With the fairway offset to both the tee and green, a golfer must strike the ball well to avoid a waste bunker on the right.

How many yards is the Southern Hills golf course?

The signature hole at Southern Hills Country Club is the 458-yard par 4. The course's dogleg left means golfers must drive long to set up their second shot. The challenge then becomes avoiding both the water and bunkers that almost completely surround the green.

What is the 16th hole at Merion Golf Club?

Merion Golf Club (East): 16th Hole. A quarry protects the approach to the 428-yard par-4 16th hole at Merion Golf Club and forces golfers to take a blind shot off the tee. A small but deep bunker sits on one side of the fairway, and a long bunker and cluster of trees loom on the other side. Golfers then face a tough read on ...

17th – TPC Sawgrass

The 17 th at TPC Sawgrass is just a par-3, a mere flick of the wedge. The problem is, it’s surrounded by water.

18th – Carnoustie

Golf architects seem to take pleasure in creating final-hole brutes. However, finishing with a ‘strong one’ is a core part of the game.

17th – St Andrews Old Course

We’ve seen the top players overcome the famous Old Course in recent times, but rarely does anyone have an easy ride at the ‘Road Hole’.

18th – Doral

This hole is also known as the ‘Blue Monster’, which tells you everything.

16th – Cypress Point

This stunning par-3 is regarded by many as the most picturesque short hole on the planet.

13th – PGA National

We’re so used to seeing professionals tear tough courses to shreds that it’s nice when we get to see them face a challenge. This certainly the case when they enter ‘The Bear Trap’.

18th – Whistling Straits

A hole known as ‘Dyeabolical’ in tribute to the course designer Pete Dye, the last at Whistling Straits is, well, diabolical.

What is the hardest hole in golf?

The hardest hole on a golf course is often the longest par 4, but that's not always the case. Sometimes, it can be a particularly long par 5. Sometimes it's a longer, but not the longest, par 4. It could be the hole with the most hazards and trouble for players.

How many holes are odd numbered handicap holes?

But setting up the handicap of holes on a golf course completely depends on identifying the toughest hole. From there, they decide all other eight holes on that side of the course are odd-numbered handicap holes, figuring out the relative difficulty of the other eight holes on that side and doling out the No.

How many strokes are there in an 18 hole golf match?

The strokes for an 18-hole match are divided between the nines, with an odd number of strokes giving that player an extra shot on one of the nine-hole sides. For example, if a player gets 13 strokes, they get a stroke on the holes ranked No. 1-13 in handicap, meaning they get seven strokes on the odd-numbered side and six on the even-numbered side. ...

Do golf courses have separate handicap holes?

Course typically offer separate handicap hole rankings for men and women, though that's not required by the USGA. The USGA recommends courses allocate the odd numbers on the front and the even numbers on the back, unless the back nine is decidedly more difficult than the front. They also recommend not allocating the lower handicap numbers -- i.e., ...

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17th – TPC Sawgrass

18th – Carnoustie

17th – St Andrews Old Course

12th – Augusta National

18th – Doral

16th – Cypress Point

13th – PGA National

  • We’re soused to seeing professionals tear tough courses to shreds that it’s nice whenwe get to see them face a challenge. This certainly the case when they enter‘The Bear Trap’. The‘Golden Bear’, Mr Nicklaus, designed the course, and the trio of holes from the13th is the centrepiece. The wind cancause havoc here, especially when a lake surrounds th...
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18th – Whistling Straits

1st – Oakmont Country Club

8th – Royal Troon