Moorland was once hailed as one of Americas 50 hardest courses by Golf Digest, but the P.B. Boasting a USGA rating of 75.6 (against a par of 71) and a devastating slope rating of 148 from the PGA Tours Heritage tees, this is one of several Well protected greens.Fairway bunkers ask you to think your shot through. From the white tees, you face 10 forced carries of at least 115 yards. With the Stadium course, we have a situation not seen very often: players complained it was too hard. If you have to think about your talent, don't take the chance. Now I haven't played many of the other courses on the list, but as I moved down the list I fully expected the Black course to be in the top 5! 25 Highest Slopes. No. Here is a listing state by state of the toughest courses in each state by course rating from the back tees. GubJr, Clio, Calif. Yardage: 7,015 | Slope/Rating: 139/72Architect: Robin NelsonWhat they're saying: "If you can hit precise and long shots like a single digit h-cap and also fade the ball off the tee you can score. Then again, 13th on this list is by no means easy. 74.0 and 140. And the fast green speeds mean long comeback putts on missed attempts. The famous Church Pews bunker is just one of the many challenges that await golfers at Oakmont [+] Country Club, which over the years has been widely regarded as one of the toughest courses in the U.S. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images). How tough is it? Harbour Town Golf Links Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Some blind approaches to greens, especially on the very hilly back nine." Crag Burn Golf Not sure what the single digit handicap golfer was drinking when he posted that the Red and Blue courses at Bethpage were better tracks, but that is simply ludicrous. It's rating does deceive at 73.2, but it is par 71, and sloped 150. Pete Dyes Ocean Course tops our eclectic new ranking of Americas 50 Toughest Golf Courses. I scored the lowest score I have ever scored in competition to prove the point." Almost each hole is in its own canyon.The second time I played it we played from the white tees and it was a little easier.They do have warning signs that only expert golfers should play from the blue tees.Even though I am a ten handicap, I should have heeded the warning. It's also extremely heavy in the usual architecture suspects: Pete Dye (7), Jack Nicklaus (9) and the Jones family tree (9). Then, a slightly errant drive will kick off a sloping fairway and find thick rough. I've played all of the highest-rated courses in the country. Consistently ranked in the Top 20 of Americas Toughest Golf Courses by Golf Digest, the Ocean Course is undeniably the toughest course to beat on Kiawah Island. Maybe it would be better to just get out of purgatory and get where you're going. Feeling up for a real challenge? Location: 5218 Patrick Road, Verona, NY 13478 Type: Public Par/Yardage: 72/7,105 Course Rating: 75.2. It's not just the rough that makes the Black course special, it's the elevation changes, the undulation and speed of the greens, the length and the contours of the course! With this as 25, we've got a long way to go. Not a tricked out target golf course, you just need to clear a mini Grand Canyon to reach the fairway." Keeping your score in check requires having the muscle to navigate a number of forced carries over wetlands and bunkers and the patience to recover from shots that bound off greenside mounds or into swales. This is where the term "Target Score" comes into play. not a coincidence these are target golf course with penalties looming everywhere for stray shots. Total: 224.4. In this case, it brings out the best San Antonio has to offer." Pete Dyes Ocean Course tops our eclectic new ranking of Americas 50 Toughest Golf Courses. 14; Shortest hole - 153-yard No. If this were the official course of the Butler Bulldogs, its bark would be as bad as its bite. The Robert Trent Jones Masterpiece at Treetops Resort, The Pete Dye Course at French Lick Resort, Dubsdread Course at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club, The Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, Spyglass Hill at Pebble Beach Golf Resort, Monterey Peninsula Championship Courses Stay & Play Package, Blue Monster at Trump National Doral Miami, Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Silver Lake, Kampen Course at Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex at Purdue University, Local Golf Advisors field report: Erin Hills, Golfers' Choice 2023: Best golf courses in Kansas, Golfers' Choice 2023: Best golf courses in Maryland, Golfers' Choice 2023: Best golf courses in Wisconsin, Golfers' Choice 2023: Best golf courses in South Carolina, Golfers' Choice 2023: Best golf courses in North Dakota, Golfers' Choice 2023: Best golf courses in Alabama, Minnesota Nice: Meet Brainerd's newest golf course, the Lehman 18 at Cragun's Resort on Gull Lake, Touring Kingston Heath, host of the 2028 Presidents Cup, The best new golf books of 2023 worth reading. BR is the score a 20-24 capper would score. Sharp corners, deep pot bunkers, and seemingly misshapen mounds await you when you approach this beast. Rating? Most are well protected by deep bunkers and water hazards. A few USGA qualifiers. The average score, when Target isn't achieved, would typically be 2 to 4 strokes higher than a Target Score. The beauty of the three rating systems is that it provides a more complete picture of the relative difficulty of a course for a given golfer. That's in conjunction with the 6991 yards that you have to hit through in order to finish. Miss the green, and youll no doubt be looking to blast out to a green well above your head. - crangel, Marana, Ariz. Yardage: 7,849 | Slope/Rating: 141/77.1 Architect: Jack NicklausWhat they're saying: "The layout, it (is) very well thought out. And neither pro was playing from the back tees! Index 5. Golf is one of the hardest sports in the world. America's 50 Toughest Golf Courses | Courses | Golf Digest. The tips are 7366 yards, sloped at 148 and rated 76.6. Slope: 144. How we rank Americas best golf courses. The par-3 sixth hole has been ranked by PGA of America as one of the 18 Good luck lighting this tobacco on fire. The first time that former U.S. Open champion Scott Simpson played Ko'olau, he shot 80. The Club at Cordillera, Mountain Course, Edwards. You may opt-out by. At 8325 yards, a par 73, and course rating of 80, you aren't getting out very soon. The par-73 layout, built in 1954 and reworked by Robert Trent Jones in 1972, has long been considered one of the longest in the world. Even at an elevation of 8,000-plus feet, Hale Irwins gorgeous Mountain Course plays long and hard. But seriously, Bethpage is not only one of the toughest courses played, it's a public course that is such a force (much credif to Rees Jones for the revamping for 2002). To be the tenth course on this list is really no small feat. "It's not like we could fill them in or anything. I don't know how, with 130 inches of rain per year, any course could be set up to drain it sufficiently. - PROLWING, Hilton Head Island, S.C. | Browse tee times and green fees Yardage: 7,099| Slope/Rating: 148/75.6Architect: Pete Dye, Jack NicklausWhat they're saying: " Very tight course with tree lined fairways, but fair. Located in Illinois, Butler National Golf Club was once known for hosting one of golf's former "majors," the Western Open. A mainstay of championship tournament golf since opening in 2003, this course offers many holes that initially seem wide open. Greens were like putting on smooth concrete. TPC Craig Ranch led the way in the listing of the Top 25 Toughest North Texas Golf courses with a slope rating of 142. Fescue, actual rough, seemingly welcoming fairways, water, and elevation." These 4 Scottsdale courses were ranked by Phoenix Business Journal as the Most Challenging Golf Courses in Arizona: 1. The answer is the champ course, no mercy, no bail out, and tons of risk rewards opportunities!" -silguezi, French Lick, Ind. - Tjahan125, Santa Cruz, Calif. | Browse Tee Times and Green Fees Yardage: 6,500 | Slope/Rating: 141/72.4Architect: Alister MackenzieWhat they're saying: "There's not a bad hole on the course (even the BRUTALLY long par-3 3rd hole is fairly incredible even as it chews you up and spits you out) and the vibe at the course is perfect." / 8,325 YARDS / PAR 73. Hilton Head is an oasis for golf lovers and Harbour Town Golf Links offers the stiffest challenge on the island. The Slope Rating is the relative difference between both, essentially an indicator of how fast scores are rising on a given course for the non-scratch golfer). Mayacama Golf Club (Santa Rosa, CA), 153 slope. Course knowledge is very helpful here." Download all 25 Companies for $25.00 . Then divide that by 113 (standard slope rating) and round the result to the nearest whole number. Hazards come into play on most holes." My solid opening drive missed the first cut of rough by one yard and settled into primary rough so thick I could barely see the ball. Total: 220.2 To those who have played all three of Turning Stone's incredible championship courses, Kaluhyat always is remembered as "the tough one." A weak approach will land in a well-placed bunker or water hazard. It does, however beat it when you figure out its rating is 79.6 and 155 is the slope. Toughest Golf Courses in the Memphis Area Ranked by USGA Course Rating and Slope Rating Locally Researched by: Jason Bolton, Memphis Business Journal Apr 19, 2019, 5:00am CDT The exclusive private club was influenced by Augusta National and designed by Rich, who interviewed five architects before discovering he could draw the plans himself. He told me, 'Oh, yeah, we didn't have any way of getting down there, so we just measured from the tops of the trees.' When the course opened in 1992, a USGA rating team gave Ko'olau a slope of 152 from the gold tees. It has you covered. KANEOHE, Oahu, Hawaii -- Carved from a tropical rain forest in the shadow of majestic mountains, Ko'olau Golf Club remains one of the most difficult golf courses in the world. 25 Highest Ratings At Bethpage you are not going to have your worries about 3 putting. The slope rating of a golf course is a measure of its difficulty for bogey golfers. Cobblestone Creek Country Club 100 Cobble Creek Road Victor, NY 14564 www.cobblestonecreekcc.com (585) 924-6464. Locally Researched by: Lea Konczal, St. Louis Business Journal Apr 19, 2019, 5:00am CDT Revised: Dec 13, 2019, 12:52pm CST. You're going to need a spyglass, GPS and possibly overhead spy planes to finish 18 holes. Springfield Golf Club in Fort Mill is No. If you tee off on the back, you'll find the 18th hole, 656 yards into it. Second, there is water everywhere. - dahlryan, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Yardage: 7,215| Slope/Rating: 76.4/155Architect: Pete DyeWhat they're saying: "I scored 18 shots higher here than I did at a similarly challenging course (Tobacco Road) just a few days before. What is the hardest golf course in America? THE INTERNATIONAL -- Bolton, Massachusetts, The Pines is the private course at The International, which also has the Tom Fazio-designed Oaks [+] course. The fairways are tough to hit, and when you don't hit the fairway, there's a good chance you'll hit a tree. Slope? - Book1073489, I have played Bethpage Black twice and there is nothing that I have seen or played that is as tough. And these Islands apparently are merely almost the most remote. I think Boulder Creek in Streetsboro, OH and Northstar in Columbus, OH are more difficult for sure. It provokes a little self-pity. For those hoping to get a crack at these back-breakers, the best part of this list is that seven of the 10 are public golf courses that you can readily play with a little time and fortitude. If a par-72 course has a Course Rating of 68, it's safe to say the scratch golfer will play it under par. "We discovered that the topo maps were all wrong. Another course with a 155 Slope Rating from the Black tees, Oak Tree National also has a 79.3 USGA Course Rating and a 108.7 bogey rating, the third-highest in the nation. Kiamesha Lake, New York hosts one of the toughest courses in America. It is now a 152, and a 75.7 rating. Read on to learn about the hardest golf courses in the world. 5-over par Moonah Links Open Course, Vic 77. If you get through this course without a bounce shot, then you just conquered a 73 rated, 138 sloped course. The par-3 14th, teasingly called "Cypress Pint," at Pikewood National in the hills of West Virginia. [+] (Photo credit: Pikewood National), RICH HARVEST FARMS - Sugar Grove, Illinois, Rich Harvest Farms has been ranked among America's 100 greatest courses. For better or worse, Ko'olau is the toughest golf course in the world. THE INTERNATIONAL (THE PINES) BOLTON / MASS. Sort of. The Concord Resort & Golf Club is that golf course. 1. The Dragon was a ridiculous test of golf back before it was softened. To view the top five and see which one tops the list, check out the slideshow with this story. PALM SPRINGS, CA | Enjoy 4 nights' accommodations at La Quinta Resort & Club and 4 rounds of golf at Stadium and Nicklaus Tournament Courses at PGA WEST, and Indian Wells Celebrity Course and Players Courses. Opened in 1991, the design by Dr. Michael Hurdzan and Carl Schreiner brings water into play on 10 holes as it winds through the upscale Cobblestone Creek community. In case of ties, courses are listed alphabetically. Pine Valley Golf Club Golf Digest Panelists comments: "Even though you know theres room off the tee, youre on edge and your swing doesnt flow as smooth as it normally Lots of them. The winner? 10. If your game goes sour at this course, located east of the Hudson River and 30 minutes south of Albany, at least you have the Catskills to the east and Berkshires west to look at in the distance. To view the top five and see which one tops the list, check out the slideshow with this story. - Hawkeye124, Kaneohe, Oahu, HawaiiYardage: 7,310 | Slope/Rating: 153/78.2 Architect: Dick NugentWhat they're saying: "I have a 20 handicap and this was the most challenging course Ive ever played. It was the site of the 1988 PGA Championship, the 2006 Senior PGA Championship and the 2014 U.S. Senior Open, where only four players shot below par. - ishot73, Mesquite, Nev. Yardage: 6,939 | Slope/Rating: 154/75.4Architect: Denis & John Rider What they're saying: "Tight layout but holes largely separated by canyons. Tobacco Road should be much lower on this list. WebPrecise course and slope ratings are provided for each set of tees so that all golfers can enjoy the benefits of an accurate and equitable handicap system.Whether or not you are a TGA Member Club, if you are interested in having your course rated, please contact Shona DeMint at 214.468.8942 ext. Longtime golfers might find themselves playing among a younger contingent these days. Slope: 144. The Country Club (Championship Course), rated third toughest, is an exclusive private club established in 1894, and one of the five charter clubs of the USGA. Oahu's Ko'olau offers all the challenge a golfer could ever want. It has an unrivaled 81.7 Course Rating, a 155 Slope Rating and a Bogey Rating of 112.2. At 7305 yards, it's not the longest, but not the shortest course out there. Yardage: 7,800 | Slope/Rating: 145/77.9. Another USGA Handicap team spent a couple of days at Ko'olau and came up with a stratospheric 162 rating from the gold tees, 158 from the blues, 154 from the whites and 143 from the reds. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 7/1/2023). Or ridiculous ones, like Winged Foot. 1. PGA West, TPC Stadium Course -- Maybe the most famous course in the Palm Springs area, this Pete Dye design opened in 1985 and was intended to be the most difficult course ever created. Thus, if bogey golfers are playing a course with a 113 slope, they can expect to shoot around their normal good scores in the mid-90s. Its defined by waste bunkers, elevated greens, and the challenge. 12-16 are as visually stimulating as they are challenging, and provide a stellar finish to the round." WebThe Kentucky Golf Association was formed in 1911 and it looks after the interests of amateur golfers in over 200 member clubs. If all courses had the rough that Bethpage Black does it wouldnt be no 1. "Most golf professionals play the Fazio Course to put their game to the test," he said. The beauty of this course is spectacular, and the golf course design is as good as you will find." oakridge 142 slope at 6328yds. After that, simply add the given tee's USGA Course Rating (rounded) to find the Target Score and see what you'd shoot to "play to your handicap.". Consider these points: Carnoustie has a Course Rating of 75.1 and a Slope Rating of 145 from the regular (yellow) tees, making it officially the hardest course in Scotland. I really enjoyed the challenge of golf management on this course." Medalist Golf Club - Hobe Sound, FL. The 25 Oahu and 25 Neighbor Island courses are measured by their slope ratings from the back tees. WebThese are the four hardest golf courses in Arkansas according to their course rating and slope. Trump National Philadelphia (Pine Hill, NJ), 153 slope. The slope is an indication of how much more difficult it is for a non scratch player. Search Related Hardest Golf Courses In The Us Online. Location: 929 Lynaugh Road, Victor 14564 Type: Public Par/Yardage: 72/7,083 Course Rating: 74.7. First, the superbly strategic bunkering places a huge emphasis on positional play throughout. The course is located just below the Pali Lookout at the windward base of the steep, green Ko'olau Range, 20 minutes from downtown Honolulu. It will be a thorough examination of the best college players in the nation, as the Professional tees at Rich Harvest Farms play to 155 Slope rating, a 79.1 USGA Course Rating and a 108.4 Bogey Rating. WebIn its July 2008 list of America's greatest golf courses Golf Digest ranked Bethpage Black #26 overall, #6 in the state of New York, #6 of America's 50 toughest courses, and #5 of America's greatest public golf courses. Slope: 148. Location: 5218 Patrick Road, Verona, NY 13478Type: PublicPar/Yardage: 72/7,002Course Rating: 74.2. Every golfer has a course that stands out in their mind as the most difficult they've played. Location: 722 W. Main St., Endicott 13760 Type: Public Par/Yardage: 72/7,037 Course Rating: 75.0. Our community of reviewers voted these 20 courses as their favorites in Maryland in 2022. When played from the back tees, The International is ranked as the hardest golf layout in the U.S. according to all three ratings. I would have to say that Pete Dye is the story here, but his courses provide a nice backdrop. This course can be a little soggy at times. The tee ball will have you thinking double bogey from the outset. 132 Stonebridge Golf Links. - phojes10, Naples, Fla. Yardage: 6,949 | Slope/Rating: 147/74.6Architect: Greg NormanWhat they're saying: "The Black course has no rough to speak of, but you have to keep it on the fairways to have any chance for a good round." These are South Carolina's 25 best public golf courses according to our community of reviewers. Carnoustie's Championship links is regarded by many as the very toughest Open Championship links for two main reasons.