"I Hate This Hole"... 'Even Tour Pros Fear It'

There are holes that even the world’s top golfers fear.

One prime example is the TPC Sawgrass The Players Stadium Course (par 72, 7,352 yards) in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, the battleground for the fifth major of the PGA Tour, The Players Championship, with a total prize fund of 25 million dollars as of March 12 (local time).

The 17th hole of this course has a notorious reputation. On the first day this year, the hole played as a par 3 at just 141 yards. For PGA Tour players, a 9-iron or pitching wedge is enough to attack the hole. The real problem, however, is the wind. The constantly changing direction and intensity of the wind over the island green make it extremely difficult to approach the hole.

The 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass The Players Stadium Course is known as the "Nightmare Hole." Photo by AP Yonhap News

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The green itself is small, with a diameter of only 24 meters. Even PGA Tour players lose more than 50 balls in the water here every year. It is called the "Hole of Death" or the "Devil’s Hole." In 2007, a record 93 balls were lost in the water. In 2023, 58 balls disappeared into the water. From 2003 through last year, a total of 1,068 golf balls were lost. On average, 48.54 balls per year ended up in the water.

Major disasters also occur frequently. In 2005, Bob Tway (USA) shot a 12, which was 9 over par, on this hole-a record-setting disaster. An Byeonghun, who moved to LIV Golf this year, suffered an octuple bogey, losing 8 shots on the 17th hole of the first round in 2021. This year, Kim Sunghyun also experienced the curse of the 17th hole, hitting two tee shots into the water and finishing the hole in 7 strokes-a quadruple bogey, 4 shots over par.

Kim Sunghyun is moving to the next hole after collapsing with a quadruple bogey on the 17th hole of the first round at The Players Championship. Ponte Vedra Beach=AP Yonhap News

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On the LPGA Tour, major championship course setups are notoriously difficult. In particular, the US Women's Open is especially challenging. At Lancaster Country Club in Lancaster, Pennsylvania-the site of the 2024 US Women's Open-players could only sigh. The average score on the par-5 12th hole was 5.603 strokes.

The 11th hole (par 3) at Charleston Country Club in Charleston, South Carolina, where the 2019 US Women's Open was held, also played very tough. The average score was as high as 3.4481 strokes. Most players used a 6-iron, but still struggled to reach the green.

There are also holes in Korea that domestic male and female players dislike. KPGA Tour players tense up just approaching the 11th hole at Seowon Valley Country Club in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. They struggled during the Woori Financial Championship in April last year. The 11th hole on the Seowon Course at Seowon Valley is a long par 4, stretching 514 yards. KPGA Tour players recorded an average score of 4.72 on this hole, 0.72 strokes over par.

Hole 11 on the Seowon Course at Seowon Valley is a hole where approaching the green is challenging. Provided by KPGA

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The green-in-regulation rate on Seowon Valley Seowon Course’s 11th hole was only 17.46%. The average number of putts was 2.15. During the tournament, there were just 4 birdies on the 11th hole. On the other hand, there were 198 bogeys, 42 double bogeys, and 5 triple bogeys. This hole produced the fewest birdies and the most bogeys and double bogeys of any hole all season.

KPGA Tour players also struggled on the 16th hole (par 4, 535 yards) at Namseoul Country Club in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, during the 44th GS Caltex Maekyung Open. The average score here was 4.59. Next in line was the 9th hole at Raviebel Country Club Dunes Course in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, where the 67th Kolon Korea Open was held (par 4, 471 yards, average score 4.57), which also proved challenging for players.

KLPGA Tour players fear the 15th hole at Rainbow Hills the most. Photo by KLPGA

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At last year’s DB Group Korea Women’s Open, a KLPGA Tour major in June, the 15th hole at Rainbow Hills struck fear into female golfers. Yoo Hyeonjo made a costly double bogey here while contending for victory on the final day. The hole is a par 4, measuring 335 yards, and the average score soared to 4.44.

Over four days on the 15th hole at Rainbow Hills, there were only 36 birdies, compared to 122 bogeys, 32 double bogeys, and 5 scores of triple bogey or worse. Despite its short distance, the large elevation change between the teeing ground and the fairway means even a small mistake can lead to significant loss of strokes.

The second most difficult hole was the 7th hole (par 4) at Bears Best Cheongna during the Hana Financial Group Championship, with an average of 4.43 strokes. The 15th hole (par 4, 420 yards, average 4.39 strokes) at Blue Heron in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, during the 25th Hite Jinro Championship, and the 8th hole (par 3, 179 yards, average 3.37 strokes) at Kingsdale in Chungju, Chungbuk, during the Deoksin EPC Championship, were also notably tough to attack.

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