The greatest holes in tournament golf

It's one of the more intimidating holes in the Open Championship rotation. The par 4, sometimes a 5, plays at 496 yards in tournament play at the English course, but it will feel even longer if the wind has kicked up. St George's toughest golf hole also features one of the deepest bunkers in the United Kingdom.

This is traditionally one of the most popular holes on the PGA Tour. The final challenge on the infamous "Horrible Horseshoe," the par 4 runs 481 yards while currently playing host to the Fort Worth Invitational. The winding fairway is extremely tight, leaving little room for error off the tee. Not surprising, bunkers surround a green that rewards accuracy every time.

The No. 2 course at the North Carolina resort is among the most famous in all of golf. The fifth hole is its signature and played as a par 5 for the 2014 U.S. Open, in the neighborhood of 575 yards. The fairway tilts right to left — so does the green — which is severe even without the slope. The hole rewards precision, especially on the approach. 

This Merseyside gem is another among the great courses that host the Open Championship. The sixth hole is a par 4 that will play around 500 yards during championship rounds. Bunkers line each side of the fairway and should be avoided off the tee. The same hazards also guard the green, which is elevated, large and subject to some of the most brutal pin placements in major golf.

At just under 500 yards, this hole offers golfers a good chance at birdie for a par 5. However, it usually depends on how well-placed the ball is off the tee. Like most courses in the U.K., this special English track must be managed well, and the sixth is at the top of the list. Cross bunkers provide a worthy obstacle, adding more to the challenge. 

It's shortest hole on the PGA Tour (106 yards on the scorecard) and maybe the most beautiful. One of the world's most picturesque golf holes is also one of the most difficult because of the unpredictable winds coming in off the bay. Golfers have used anywhere from a 3-iron to a putter, according to legend, to reach a green that's surrounded by bunkers and cliffs on three sides.

A Scottish classic, Troon is one of the great tracks in all of competitive golf. The 123-yard eighth hole, also known as "Postage Stamp," is the gem of the lot. Accuracy is key because of the small but deep bunkers that guard the sloping green. There's no room to miss off the tee, but if that happens, it's usually not going to be pretty.

The 558-yard, par 5 is mostly about placement golf at Kingbarns, which is not far from St Andrews. There is ample fairway room less than 300 off the box, so positioning is important. The green features a severe slope that goes front to back. A plaque 218 yards from the green denotes the spot where Lee Westwood holed out for a rare albatross (2 on a par 5) at the 2003 Dunhill Links Championship on the European Tour.

Part of the Brabazon Course at the popular English resort, The Belfry has played host to the Ryder Cup on four occasions. The 10th is the course's signature hole, mostly because it's one of the most difficult short par 4s (about 311 yards) in the United Kingdom. There's water on the right of the turning fairway that leads to one of the longest, most narrow greens in all of competitive golf. 

The opener of the back nine on the famed Los Angeles course plays at just 315 yards for the pros during the Genesis Open, but it is very much a risk-reward hole. The big hitters will go for the green, which is surrounded by large bunkers. Did we mention that the green is extremely firm and severely slopes, thus putting a premium on the short game? 

A major part of "Amen Corner," it's arguably the toughest hole in the major lineup. At 155 yards, the par 3 is less about accuracy than it is about intelligence. Judging the wind is usually a chore in itself, and Rae's Creek, which runs in front of the green, only adds to the fun. Then there's that narrow green, which is not very big but certainly difficult. At least the walk over Hogan Bridge is pleasant.

This par 4 that plays around 500 yards is arguably the hardest among the 36 holes at Torrey Pines. The fairway, though, is wide enough for pros to bomb off the tee. The green, meanwhile, is relatively deep. Overall, the hole does not look intimidating, but it will take two near perfect shots and some good work with the putter to walk away with a birdie.

Another portion of "Amen Corner," the 510-yard, par 5 can be quite deceptive. It's a dogleg left, so obviously accuracy is key. Rae's Creek has a significant presence and so does an elevated green that can turn eagles into bogeys if not well-placed. The 12th and 13th at the Masters are perhaps the greatest one-two punch in all of tournament golf.

Many believe this is the most important hole on Jack Nicklaus' Ohio course and the key to playing well at the Memorial. At 363 yards, the par 4 is certainly not long in tournament play, but trees are an immediate issue off the tee to the left. About 250 yards out is a creek running through the fairway that then winds along the right side of the green, while bunkers guard the left side. 

It's long considered one of the toughest holes on any American golf course, and that played true at the 2018 U.S. Open. The longest it played over those four rounds was 536 (opening round) yards, each time as a par 4. When the tournament finished and Brooks Koepka was crowned champion, the 14th played as the most difficult in relation to par. 

It might not be the toughest hole on the Stadium Course track that hosts the Phoenix Open, but it could be the most popular and certainly the most fun. It's the Cameron Indoor Stadium of golf with the packed bleachers, double-tiered fan boxes and the over-the-top excitement. Golfers can shed their all-business approach for a few minutes on the 140-yard, bunker-filled par 3; they'll play to the crowd and do a little dabbing. Don't forget the caddie races or Tiger's ace in 1997. 

This week's PGA Tour stop for the Honda Classic features one of the more challenging holes on any course over the schedule, and it's been that way for years. Playing at 190 yards, golfers must fly the water off the tee while aiming for a small-sized green. There's a bunker to the back left, so that only adds to the difficulty and intrigue of the par 3.

Affectionately known as "The Road Hole," some believe it's the toughest hole in all of competitive golf. The 455-yard, par 4 features blind tee shots, the treacherous "Road Bunker," and, of course, the infamous tarmac road and stone wall that hovers by the green. It's given many golfers nightmares, like Costantino Rocca, who needed three shots to get out of the "Road Bunker" during his playoff with John Daly at the 1995 Open Championship. 

Perhaps the most recognizable golf hole on the planet, at 137 yards the famed par 3 on the Stadium Course is not long, but obviously there is little room for error. Home to The Players Championship, longtime PGA Tour staple Bob Tway holds the record for the highest score on the hole in a tournament round — 12 in 2005 — according to thoughtco.com. 

Jean van de Velde probably still has nightmares of perhaps the toughest finishing hole in all of major championship golf. His collapse on the 72nd hole of the 1999 Open Championship is one of the most famous moments in golf history. There's the famous creek that snakes across and around the 499-yard, par 4, and the Berry Burn in front of the green can't be overlooked. It's a hole that can literally shatter dreams. 

The famous candy-cane lighthouse lurking behind the 18th green is the hole's most recognizable feature and a scenic close to the RBC Heritage on Hilton Head Island. However, the focus for the pros is maneuvering this tricky par 4 that's about 472 yards. The fairway is relatively wide, but the green resides in the marsh and is guarded by some well-placed bunkers.   

At the moment, the home of the PGA Tour's Tournament of Champions on Maui is undergoing a face-lift. Hopefully, the formidable finishing hole won't lose any of its luster — or length. The par-5 18th is a beast, playing just over 660 yards. If the wind is howling harder than usual, it can be even more of a challenge, yet always scenic.

With the historic R&A Clubhouse at the end of the 357-yard, par-4 finisher, many of golf's greats have come to tears walking up the 18th fairway toward the green — regardless of where they are in the standings at the Open Championship. Complete with the road crossing the fairway, the "Valley of Sin" and the Swilcan Bridge, nothing exudes the history of the game more than this hole.

This is one of the most famous holes on perhaps the United States' most famous golf course. With the bay to left off the tee, the tree in the middle of the fairway and the lengthy, narrow bunker running along the left side toward the green, the 543-yard, par-5 finisher is as dangerous as it is scenic. There's also the wind. Championship golf at its finest.

Home to the PGA Tour's Wells Fargo Championship in May, the Charlotte, N.C. course features one of the toughest finishing holes on the PGA Tour. The 480-yard par 4 is as narrow as they come. The deep bunkers down the right side and a creek running along the left make it all about accuracy and precision, especially when the tournament's on the line.