The 10 Hardest Golf Courses in the United States

We’re all in agreement that golf is a difficult game—but on these courses, it’s way harder.

If you are a weekend hacker, you will want to bring plenty of golf balls (and patience) when you face off against the most challenging courses in the country. You know it’s going to be a long day when even the pros can struggle mightily.

Based on a mix of course rating, slope, history, reputation and what it would be like for the average golfer to play on each layout, here are the 10 hardest golf courses in the United States.

10. Whistling Straits

With a course rating of 77.2——meaning a scratch golfer is expected to shoot more than 5-over from the black tees—and a length of nearly 7,800 yards, the Straits course at Whistling Straits is a monster. The slope is 152, indicating an extreme difficulty. (155 is the maximum.)

Some will argue that the 2015 PGA Championship proved Whistling Straits isn’t all that hard. Jason Day won that major at 20-under, one stroke shy of the major record.

That’s fair but I think the typical golfer will have a hell of a time navigating the copious bunkers, water hazards and Dye-abolical green complexes (courtesy of the late Pete Dye). The ever-present wind coming off Lake Michigan, combined with the length of the course, creates prime conditions to get punched in the face.

9. Dye Course at French Lick

Coming in with a ludicrous length of 8,102 yards, a course rating of 80.5 (!) and a slope of 151, the Pete Dye course at French Lick in Indiana is traumatic for your golf ego.

From the tips, every par-3 is over 200 yards. One par-3 is over 300 yards. You better be a professional or a plus-handicap to even attempt a round from those tees.

The black tees are a far more reasonable 7,254 yards with a course rating of 76.6. Even with the shorter length, it’s still a difficult course with a lot of bunkers and elevation change.

8. Victoria National

One of the shorter courses on this list, Victoria National is “only” 7,242 yards. However, that comes with a rating of 77.7 and a slope of 152.

There is water absolutely everywhere at this Indiana course that has served as a Korn Ferry Tour host for many years. When the wind gets up, the fairways become incredibly hard to hit.

While a little more forgiving around the greens compared to the others ahead of it on this list, Victoria National can be a nightmare tee to green.

7. Ocean Course at Kiawah Island

This was the first course that came to mind when I was making this list.

The Ocean Course Kiawah is a brute, mainly because of the wind. The course rating is 79.1! Unsurprisingly, the slope is set at the maximum of 155.

The length (7,820 yards) is even tougher when you consider that each hole really only runs in two directions. You might get half of the holes directly into the wind and half downwind or every single shot has a sidewind.

Either way, it makes for a long day. The pros struggled here in 2021 when Phil Mickelson won the PGA Championship at 6-under. Rory McIlroy won the 2012 PGA at 13-under but was eight strokes clear of second place. And every player was happy the 1991 Ryder Cup wasn’t a stroke-play event.

6. Bethpage Black

Unlike many courses on this list, Bethpage Black is open to the public. Even non-residents can get on for $150 on the weekends.

The Black famously has a warning sign behind the first tee and it lives up to that reputation. With a course rating of 77.5, you can expect to get your teeth kicked in repeatedly.

The slope rating is at 155, the highest as possible number on the difficulty scale. Narrow fairways, thick rough, treacherous greens and plenty of elevation change make Bethpage a daunting venue, especially at nearly 7,500 yards.

There have been five big professional tournaments at Bethpage Black. Only one winner reached double digits under par. The average winning score has been around 7-under. Three of the five tournaments were majors and there were some soft conditions involved.

5. Merion

Host of the 2013 U.S. Open—Justin Rose won that event at 1-over—Merion’s East course is very short by modern standards. At 6,946 yards, the best players in the world are often hitting fairway woods and irons off the tee to ensure they are in the fairway.

What it lacks in length, Merion more than makes up for in clever design. The fairways bend at odd angles and are heavily guarded by more than just thick rough. The greens are heavily tilted, making it hard to hold approach shots. Missing on the wrong side is a quick way to make a bogey or worse.

4. Shinnecock Hills

When played in some of the most difficult conditions, Shinnecock Hills has a case for being the single hardest golf course in the country.

The numbers are lower than others on the list as the course rating is 74.7 with a slope of 145 but the evidence from the 2018 U.S. Open clearly supports Shinnecock being one of the toughest courses in the country. The game’s best—even with modern technology—couldn’t break par for the tournament.

We’ll see it again in a couple of years at the 2026 U.S. Open. Our guess is that Shinnecock—a windswept links that has been largely unaltered over the years—still stands up to the test of time.

3. Winged Foot

The West course at Winged Foot is a capital “G'” and capital “C” Golf Course of the most traditional variety.

Here you’ll find thick rough, fabulously contoured greens and deep bunkers. It used to be a claustrophobic tree-lined layout but now is a lot more open off the tee. But that doesn’t help much when it comes to mastering the green complexes that are some of the most punishing in the world.

While Bryson DeChambeau did finish the 2020 U.S. Open at 6-under, he was the only competitor in red figures. In 2006, Geoff Ogilvy won the U.S. Open at 5-over.

It’s not a place for the faint of heart.

2. Oakmont

Another course that cleared out the majority of its trees a few decades ago, Oakmont seems even harder now than it used to be.

Treacherous bunkers, ankle-deep rough and perhaps the fastest greens in the country lead to a lot of heartbreak on this course just outside of Pittsburgh. The 77.7 course rating and yardage of 7,427 yards don’t really do it justice—there are so many bad places to miss around Oakmont, especially if you end up in one of the “church pew” bunkers.

Competitors in the 2016 U.S. Open were fortunate that rain softened the greens, leading to 4-under as the winning score. We’ll see how well they fare for next year’s U.S. Open but don’t bet on it being much lower than that.

1. Pine Valley

Among the most exclusive courses in the country, Pine Valley just outside of Philadelphia is a sandy landscape with some of the most beautiful holes in the world.

I had the privilege to walk the course for a recent Crump Cup, an amateur event held each September. The maximum slope of 155 is appropriate given the terrain. On every hole, there is a double bogey or worse lurking if you make a mistake.

The par-3s are incredible and varied, highlighted by the 238-yard fifth hole that requires a heroic shot over a chasm. Pine Valley asks a little of everything from golfers, whether it’s the need to be thoughtful, powerful or brave.

We don’t get to see it for majors but rest assured that Pine Valley would take your lunch money and then some if you got the chance to tee it up there.

What is the toughest course you have ever played? Let us know in the comments.

Top Photo Caption: The 18th hole at Bethpage Black. (GETTY IMAGES/Gary Kellner)