%Hardest holes on championship golf%,

Hardest Holes in Championship Golf

In two weeks time we will have the marvellous spectacle that is the British Open championship from Carnoustie which is considered by many to be the hardest course on the Open Championship rota.

This raises the question which is the hardest course or what are the hardest holes on Major golf courses?

A study in the USA conducted over the last 25 years has concluded that using scoring averages in all Majors during that period and using par 70 as the template,the following would be the hardest ‘composite’ golf course:

Hole	Course	Par	Yardage	Average
1	Oakmont	4	482	4.51
2	Shinnecock Hills	3	252	3.43
3	Oak Hill	4	509	4.55
4	Augusta	3	240	3.41
5	Bethpage	4	459	4.59
6	Birkdale	4	499	4.76
7	Chamber Bay	4	508	4.47
8	Royal St Georges	4	453	4.57
9	Olympic Club	5	670	5.38
10	Oakland Hills	4	465	4.66
11	Royal Troon	4	482	4.64
12	Torrey Pines	4	504	4.58
13	Muirfield	3	213	3.39
14	Pebble Beach	5	580	5.43
15	Atlanta	3	260	3.37
16	Merion	4	521	4.69
17	St Andrews	4	495	4.71
18	Carnoustie	4	487	4.61

The scoring average on this composite golf course by the best players in the world would have been a staggering 78.65 or in simple terms playing to almost 9 handicap.

The hardest hole ,was any many of us would think, was indeed the famous 17^th hole at St Andrews.