July 27, 2021
On one hand, it is a test of both physical and mental coordination, takes place outside among some of the most gorgeously landscaped terrain and beautiful views and doubles as a social event. On the other hand, it is ridiculously difficult, demanding the utmost precision and synchronization, and even the slightest bump in your form, follow-through or equipment can throw off your entire game.
That mix of thrill and tedium is part of golf’s appeal. Mastering both your physical and mental poise is a challenge. So few golfers are able to go pro at the highest level, and even then, achieving consistency is incredibly rare. All you need to do is check out the U.S. Open betting odds to understand the parity; there is a new favorite to win almost every year.
Some of that is owed to the difficulty of the courses. Not only are clubs constantly changing up the positions of holes, in order to increase the toughness, but designers often ideate terrain that inherently complicates completing the course, making it so no one person is every playing the same 18 holes, even when they’re technically playing the same 18 holes.
These types of links are a draw among pros and amateurs alike. People like to say they took on the toughest 18 holes in the game, even if it comes at the cost of their score—or sanity.
With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of the toughest courses to play in the world. If you’re into pushing yourself to physical and mental limits, these are links you’ll want to consider for your next golf trip.
- The Ocean Course, Kiawah Island, South Carolina, United States
No 18 holes in the world are as tough as those on The Ocean Course in South Carolina. Not only is it rife with monstrous sand dunes, wild and thick marshes and devilish bunkers, but the fairways and greens are so slick that even the most talented golfers will invariably screw up the estimated speed and angles of their drives and puts.
The Ocean Course is so tough, in fact, that when the Ryder Cup was held there all the way back in 1991, the sports biggest names were competing to win while hitting double-bogeys.
- Carnoustie Golf Links, Dundee, Scotland
The difficulty of Carnoustie Golf Links is even evident in their nickname. People grew to call it “Carnasty” during the Open Championship in 1999, largely because it reduced a handful of popular names to borderline tears when they didn’t play so well.
Between the wind coming over from the North Sea and villainous pot bunkers peppered throughout the course, Carnoustie takes everyone roughly forever to play. It isn’t just a matter of distance—the course totals over 7,400 yards—but conditions and placement. The weather can be brutal, and there isn’t a single hole that’s not full of at least a couple of pitfalls should your ball fly too far left or right.
- Ko’olau Golf Club, Oahu, Hawaii, United States
Just how tough is the Ko’olau Golf Club? So tough, it needed to be re-designed.
When it first opened it was rated as a 162 on the difficulty rating scale—an astronomically high number. The United States Golf Association didn’t believe it, so they sent people out there to confirm it.
Believe it or not, the USGA ended up rating it a 172—10 points higher. And with a score so steep, owed in part to the number of pot bunkers and bodies of water, Ko’olau has since undergone a few renovations to make it easier for golfers to play.
- Whistling Straits, Kohler, Wisconsin, United States
Designed by the same person who cooked up our No. 1 hardest course, The Ocean Course, Whistling Straits in Wisconsin is a brutal 18-hole stretch located near lake Michigan. The running joke is that the course is broken up into two segments: really hard holes, and impossible holes.
On top of that, when the folks over at Golf Digest went to play it for themselves, they counted nearly 1,000 bunkers.
5. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Golf Club, Lijiang, Yunnan, China
This name says it all. The Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Golf Club is on a mountain, enveloped by snowy dunes and peaks, across a nearly 9,000-yard stretch.
Among Jade Dragon’s 18 holes is a Par 5 that spans roughly 725 yards, one of the longest Par 5s in the world. And yes, Mountain means “mountain.” The wrong hit off the tee or out of the “rough” can result in your ball being lost forever—in addition to the usual one stroke penalty.
