Golf is a grown person’s game, no matter what course you play on. That’s why the average guys plays while intoxicated with their buddies on a Sunday afternoon.
But even the world’s best golfers can admire the mental and physical challenges that the game of golf presents. Those challenges become even further amplified in the high stakes version of golf that is the PGA Tour, especially when you consider some of the tougher courses on the slate.
The 10 hardest golf courses on the PGA Tour all provide their share of tight fairways, complicated greens, and incredible length. All of those factors, when combined, have wreaked havoc on even the best golfers in the world.
10: Muirfield Village
Founded by the Golden Bear himself, Jack Nicklaus, Muirfield Village hosted the 2013 Presidents Cup in the first week of October. The course has also hosted the Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup international tournaments and is definitely one of the toughest on the PGA Tour. Two years ago, at the annual Memorial Tournament, the field averaged 1.677 shots over par, so although Tiger Woods did very well, finishing 9 under par, the fact is few beyond the best in the world could come close to scoring so well. If it wasn’t bad enough that the course is challenging when the sun is shining bright, last year’s Memorial Tournament was suspended on multiple occasions throughout the weekend due to rain.
9: TPC Southwind
TPC Southwind plays host to the FedEx St. Jude Classic and has been on the PGA Tour since 1989. It’s located in Memphis, Tennessee, and features just over 7,200 yards of golf course. The 14th hole is 239 yards and is considered one of the most unforgiving par 3 holes on the PGA Tour. The most famous hole on the course is another par 3, the 11th, which features replica grass similar to that of the TPC at Sawgrass. All in all, the fact is that only 34 of 76 who made the cut two years ago at 2 over par actually finished the tournament under par. The Sawgrass course is probably more famous than the one at Southwind, but both TPC courses offer their share of challenges to even the best of golfers.
8: TPC San Antonio
Located in the Cibolo Canyons region of San Antonio, the TPC San Antonio course is relatively new on the PGA tour in comparison to its counterparts on this list, only being around since 2010. The entire resort actually features two separate courses, but the one used by the pros was actually designed by Greg Norman and current PGA Tour player Sergio Garcia. The course is one of the longest in this list, coming in at a grand total of just under 7,500 yards. At that length, even the best long ball hitters in the game feel the heat. The course only allowed 36 players to break par in 2013. That’s better than the 23 players that broke par in 2012. Although this may also show that players are becoming more familiar with the course, it’s still a tough one to play and will be for years to come.
7: The Old White TPC at Greenbrier Resort
The Old White TPC at Greenbrier Resort is a course that should have been on the PGA circuit a long time ago. One reason it didn’t make the grade for the longest time is because the course was originally established way back in 1914, which is around the time golf clubs were invented (just kidding). Nonetheless, the course got a face lift a few years ago and found itself among the most challenging set of links on the tour by 2010. The course offers numerous changes in elevation levels and is well over 7,000 yards, much longer now than it was originally intended to be back when it was first built.
6: Harbor Town Golf Links
Pete Dye is the designer of this course and clearly he was aiming to make grown men cry when he made it. The course is the site of the RBC Heritage event, which takes place every spring prior to the Masters. It features greens that are tough to get to in regulation, narrow fairways that offer little room for error, and dog legs that put the best ball strikers to the test throughout the 18 holes. This is not a course for players that rely on their driving ability. Instead, golfers at Harbor Town need to putt well and be patient in order to avoid being eaten alive by this course.
