Each week DP World Tour players overcome threats on the course. Whether it be the rough, sand or water, danger lurks but imagine if the degree of difficulty was upped to its maximum.
With a new route for the 2024 Race to Dubai, the world's best navigated on-course challenges across five continents and 44 events, encompassing some famed layouts.
Here, for the third year running, we have compiled a composite course of the most difficult holes, by number, from the 2023-24 DP World Tour season.
Only one hole from last year's routing remained the same. Any thoughts? Well, as a clue, it's on a Major venue.
As with the two previous composite course layouts, no single par five is featured, with just one par three providing a point of difference in the par-71 layout.
With a scoring average of approaching seven shots over par, you'd be hard finding anyone wishing to take it on.
Course snapshot
- Par: 35-36-71
- Length: 3,998-4,550-8,548 yards
- Scoring average: 37.88-39.91-77.79 (+6.79)
Hole 1 – The Australian Golf Club
- Par: 4
- Length: 488 yards
- Scoring average: 4.31
It seems an eternity ago, but it was in the second week of the season that saw the hardest opening hole of any layout. Birdies were tough to come by at the co-host venue of the ISPS HANDA Australian Open. Just 18 were made while players combined for 10 double bogeys at a course where the field alternated with The Lakes Golf Club over the opening two rounds. Of the top six at the end of the week, only Scotland's Grant Forrest played the hole under par as he made birdie in both the third and fourth rounds.
Next toughest: Crans-sur-Sierre GC, Par 4, 530 yards, 4.29
Hole 2 – Pinehurst Resort & CC
- Par: 4
- Length: 500 yards
- Scoring average: 4.40
Ahead of the 124th staging of the U.S. Open in June, only four players had finished under par in the three previous editions of golf's second-oldest Major at the venue. In the lead up, players spoke of expecting a "war of attrition" with the par-four second yielding a week-low 16 birdies. With a bunker protecting the front of the green and drop offs on all sides of an elevated putting surface, a huge 146 bogeys were made, 19 double bogeys and five triples.
Next toughest: Royal GC, Par 3, 213 yards, 4.33
Hole 3 – Leopard Creek CC
- Par: 4
- Length: 445 yards
- Scoring average: 4.26
A favourite venue among many a DP World Tour member, this Gary-Player designed course boasts brilliant scenery and views of the Kruger National Park. While the toughest third hole last season, it was only the fourth toughest among the 18 holes at Leopard Creek. However, it did produce the most bogeys (118).
Next toughest: Royal County Down GC, Par 4, 475 yards, 4.24
Hole 4 – Pinehurst Resort & CC
- Par: 4
- Length: 528 yards
- Scoring average: 4.38
We return to North Carolina for the second time on the front nine, with the par-four fourth at Pinehurst Number Two seeing 12 double bogeys this year while totaling 161 bogeys, 28 more than any other fourth hole on the 2024 Race to Dubai schedule.
Next toughest: Royal County Down GC, Par 3, 229 yards, 3.32
Hole 5 – Vasatorps Golfklubb
- Par: 4
- Length: 408 yards
- Scoring average: 4.38
Royal County Down is denied having a presence on this composite course scorecard for the third hole running, this time by this year's host of the Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed. Despite not being a long par four, 57 double bogeys or worse were recorded by players from both the DP World Tour and the Ladies European Tour in Sweden. Home favourite Linn Grant played the hole in level par, birdieing it in the final round on her way to winning the title for a second time.
Next toughest: Royal County Down GC, Par 4, 440 yards, 4.34
Hole 6 – The Belfry
- Par: 4
- Length: 448 yards
- Scoring average: 4.40
No sixth hole across the season resulted in more double bogeys as 34 were made at the Betfred British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo. On top of that, there were a further 12 worse scores at the opening event of the Back 9. Among those was a quadruple-bogey by Tyrrell Hatton in the final round after the Englishman found water twice. There were no such issues for Niklas Nørgaard as the Dane parred it every day to help claim his maiden DP World Tour title.
Next toughest: Green Eagle Golf Courses, Par 4, 475 yards, 4.36
Hole 7 – Leopard Creek CC
- Par: 3
- Length: 194 yards
- Scoring average: 3.35
We come to the one and only par three that features in our composite course. No par three produced more triple bogeys than the seventh at the home of the Alfred Dunhill Championship all year round. Over the four rounds, it also saw 114 bogeys - tying the par-four eighth for the second highest number.
Next toughest: The International, Par 3, 229 yards, 3.26
Hole 8 – Pinehurst Resort & CC
- Par: 4
- Length: 492 yards
- Scoring average: 4.40
Pinehurst Number Two is the most represented course in this fiendish layout, featuring three holes. Playing four tenths of a shot over par, it matched the second for difficulty. While it did offer up 29 birdies, it did result in the most bogeys (33) of any hole at the revered Donald Ross-designed layout. Both the winner Bryson DeChambeau and runner-up Rory McIlroy parred it on all four days.
Next toughest: Dubai Creek Resort, Par 3, 223 yards, 3.37
Hole 9 – Heritage La Réserve GC
- Par: 4
- Length: 495 yards
- Scoring average: 4.38
Co-designed by Major champion Louis Oosthuizen and Peter Matkovich, La Réserve Golf Links made its international championship debut at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open at the tail end of last year. There were seven scores of worse than double bogey across the four rounds, as it played just shy of four tenths over par. Only the par-three 11th saw fewer birdies made than the 26 at the front-nine finisher.
Next toughest: Laguna National Golf Resort Club, Par 4, 488 yards, 4.38
Hole 10 – Green Eagle Golf Courses
- Par: 4
- Length: 492 yards
- Scoring average: 4.37
It's no surprise that a hole from a layout dubbed the Green Monster should feature, having done so in the last two editons of this toughest composite feature. The back-nine opener was one of 11 holes to play under par across the four days with a tournament high 34 double bogeys or worse. Antoine Rozner had the misfortune of carding a quadruple bogey during the second round as he missed the cut. Despite making a double bogey and a bogey at the hole over the weekend, Laurie Canter's title challenge was not derailed.
Next toughest: Royal Queensland GC, Par 4, 484 yards, 4.30
Hole 11 – Royal Troon
- Par: 4
- Length: 498 yards
- Scoring average: 4.43
The links courses on The Open boast of some of the best and toughest holes in the game, and their often unforgiving nature was evident in Ayrshire as all but one hole - the par-five 16th played above its par. But it was the near 500-yard 11th that played the most challenging scoring wise, with this the first of back-to-back holes over the back nine to feature in this composite layout. With almost 50 double bogeys or worse, and a mere 27 bidies across all four days at this hole, the numbers tell the story of just how challenging it played amid the elements of the week. Xander Schauffele showed his pedigree to play the it in one under par, with his birdie on the final day the first of four on the back nine on his way to a three-shot victory and his second Major success of the year.
Next toughest: Augusta National GC, Par 4, 520 yards, 4.39
Hole 12 – Royal Troon
- Par: 4
- Length: 451 yards
- Scoring average: 4.36
Only the 242-yard par-three 17th and the 11th saw fewer birdies than the 29 made across the four tournament days. In addition, there were a week-high 139 bogeys as the hole - named The Fox - often outwitted the best. With the second shot played to a slightly raised two-tiered green falling off down a bank to the left and guarded by a bunker on the right, it was the second hardest hole during the week of The 152nd Open. Russell Henley and English pair Daniel Brown and Matthew Jordan were the only players in the top ten and ties to play it under par.
Next toughest: The International, Par 4, 459 yards, 4.33
Hole 13 – Green Eagle Golf Courses
- Par: 4
- Length: 486 yards
- Scoring average: 4.26
While both the par-four sixth and par-four tenth over the North course at Green Eagle saw more double bogeys or worse made than the 13th, there were still a mighty 109 bogeys. Event winner Canter avoided any issues as he parred it all four days.
Next toughest: Vasatorps Golfklubb, Par 4, 458 yards, 4.25
Hole 14 – DLF G&CC
- Par: 4
- Length: 535 yards
- Scoring average: 4.51
For the second season in a row, the notorious 14th at DLF G&CC features in our composite course. It played more than five tenths above its par, with a week-high 135 bogeys over the four days. That was 42 more than the next highest. Only the 256-yard par-three 16th saw fewer birdies than the 29 made at this dogleg-left hole, where second shots are played to a green which has several run off areas.
Next toughest: St. Francis Links, Par 3, 175 yards, 3.30
Hole 15 – Houghton GC
- Par: 4
- Length: 536 yards
- Scoring average: 4.50
This is another hole that makes its return to our annual toughest composite course. Host of the Joburg Open on the opening weekend of the season, a week-high 142 bogeys and 54 double bogeys were made by the field across the four tournament days. Dean Burmester made a birdie during the final round on his way to a three-shot victory to play it one under, defying the scoring average of almost half a shot over par.
Next toughest: Royal County Down GC, Par 4, 468 yards, 4.44
Hole 16 - Blair Atholl Golf & Equestrian Estate
- Par: 4
- Length: 560 yards
- Scoring average: 4.46
We remain in South Africa for what is comfortably one of the longest par fours in the game, at a course that at 8,233 yards played 72 yards longer than last year when it became the longest course ever played on Tour. There were 27 double bogeys or worse across the week, with 13 of those coming in the second round alone. Even while at altitude, a mere 15 birdies across four days of golf tells the story of just how much of a challenge it was. One of those was made by Burmester as he made it six consecutive different South Africans to win their national open.
Next toughest: Heritage La Réserve GC, Par 4, 474 yards, 4.40
Hole 17 – Old Course St. Andrews
- Par: 4
- Length: 495 yards
- Scoring average: 4.57
Arguably one of the toughest holes in golf, worldwide, the 'Road Hole' on the Old Course at St Andrews is renowned for it's famous tee shot. While it may have its detractors, it produces plenty of intrigue and demands excellent execution under pressure. Despite it being a hole most of the field at the annual Alfred Dunhill Links Championship know so well, it played almost six tenths above its par. A mere seven birdies were made all week.
Next toughest: Lübker Golf Resort, Par 4, 466 yards, 4.36
Hole 18 – The Belfry
- Par: 4
- Length: 497 yards
- Scoring average: 4.45
Over the years it has earned a reputation for being among the most exacting closing holes in world golf. With a sweeping left hand dog leg, an accurate tee shot is required with water down the left side of the fairway always in the mind. No hole over the Brabazon saw more double bogeys or worse (49) coughed up across the week, with no fewer than four players making a triple-bogey seven in the third round.
Next toughest: Augusta National GC, Par 4, 465 yards, 4.37
