With the 2025 PGA Tour season kicking off at The Sentry in Maui this week, it’s time to take a look at the ten greatest holes PGA Tour execs will play. This record consists of holes at Oakmont Nation Membership and Royal Portrush, which can host the U.S. Open and The Open, respectively.
With out additional ado, right here is our record:
10. 18th Gap — Muirfield Village
Par 4 — 484 Yards
Probably the greatest closing holes in all of golf, the 18th at Muirfield Village not often yields any birdies, making par a strong rating. Discovering the golf green is crucial, with water down the left aspect and deep bunkers on the appropriate. Then, the inexperienced sits perched above the golf green, with a pure amphitheater surrounding the placing floor. However better of all, a handshake with the Golden Bear awaits after ending your spherical at The Memorial.
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9. third Gap — Oakmont Nation Membership
Par 4 — 467 Yards
When the title “Oakmont Nation Membership” involves thoughts, what’s the first thought that involves your head? For me — together with many different golfers — the “Church Pews” bunker is what I consider first.
This bunker, which sits between the third and 4th fairways, is 100 yards lengthy and almost 40 yards large. It options 12 separate grassy knolls, which provides the lure its well-known title.
On this third gap, the Church Pews are to the left of the golf green, whereas 5 extra traps are embedded right into a hill to the appropriate of the brief grass, placing a premium on driving accuracy. The inexperienced sits on a knoll, as a false entrance will repel any shot brief. Extra hassle lies past the inexperienced, as a set space sits under the floor. The inexperienced begins to slope away from you in its again third, leaving many flushed photographs lengthy.
It’s a superb golf gap and some of the underrated on the earth.
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8. sixteenth Gap — Royal Portrush (Dunluce)
Par 3 — 246 Yards
This beast of a par-3 will play as one of many hardest all 12 months, however it is usually one of many best. It allowed solely 24 birdies throughout the 2019 Open Championship, a testomony to how troublesome this gap can play, particularly in difficult situations. No surprise it was the third hardest gap that week.
As for the surroundings, an enormous ravine sits between the tee field and the inexperienced, extending down the outlet’s proper aspect. Unbelievable vistas of the whole course may be seen from right here, too, making this top-of-the-line par-3s in all of golf.
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7. sixteenth Gap — TPC Scottsdale (Stadium)
Par 3 — 163 Yards
The opening itself is nothing particular, however the environment surrounding it actually is. The WM Phoenix Open has turn into fairly the get together whereas being the most-visited occasion 12 months in and 12 months out.
Why?
It’s the stadium that surrounds the sixteenth gap. Followers get there on the break of day, hoping to safe a seat to cheer on — or heckle — the gamers as they make their approach by means of. The sixteenth has produced loads of unbelievable moments as effectively, with none extra particular than what occurred in 2019, when Gary Woodland and Amy Bockerstette went viral with Bockerstette’s “I Bought This” putt.
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6. 18th Gap — Riviera Nation Membership
Par 4 — 475 Yards
Just like the 18th gap at Muirfield Village, the closing gap at Riviera Nation Membership is likely one of the greatest in golf.
The uphill tee shot is blind, making the participant uncomfortable off the tee. However discovering the golf green is crucial for this difficult finisher. The inexperienced then options a rare pure amphitheater, an ideal place to look at golf, because the well-known clubhouse sits above.
Riviera can be the favourite course of many prime PGA Tour execs, so quite a few gamers would agree that the 18th ought to be included on this record. However even when that weren’t the case, we might be silly to not embrace this unbelievable gap.
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5. Ultimate 3 Holes — TPC Sawgrass (Stadium)
sixteenth Gap — Par 5 — 523 Yards
seventeenth Gap — Par 3 — 137 Yards
18th Gap — Par 4 — 462 Yards
The island inexperienced on the seventeenth is maybe essentially the most well-known golf gap on the planet. Nevertheless, as evidenced by final 12 months’s Gamers Championship end, the seventeenth is barely a chunk of the ultimate puzzle.
The sixteenth gives loads of leisure and is an excellent, brief par-5 with water surrounding the inexperienced.
The 18th is a terrific ending gap and barely produces birdies. It’s a stern problem that usually leaves many gamers swearing at architect Pete Dye as they conclude their spherical.
So, as nice because the seventeenth gap is, I couldn’t assist but in addition embrace the sixteenth and 18th holes, which in the end makes TPC Sawgrass and The Gamers so particular 12 months in and 12 months out.
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4. seventh Gap — Pebble Seashore
Par 3 — 106 Yards
What’s the greatest par-3 on the earth? The brief seventh at Pebble Seashore actually has a case to be made for that distinction. This little gap, which sits on the tip of the peninsula and extends into Stillwater Cove, may be essentially the most lovely spot in golf. The Pacific Ocean lies throughout, with solely a flip-wedge wanted between you and the outlet. Simpler stated than completed, nevertheless, because the wind can wreak havoc on a spherical fairly rapidly right here.
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3. 18th Gap — Oakmont
Par 4 — 505 Yards
This monstrous par-4 is a real problem that doesn’t typically permit sub-par scores. But, Dustin Johnson did simply that on the 2016 U.S. Open, as he capped off his first main victory in grand vogue by birdieing this gap.
It’s important to discover the golf green right here, or else a bogey or worse rapidly comes into play. That’s not a straightforward accomplishment, both, as bunkers sit on both aspect of the brief grass. The inexperienced is fairly difficult, too, however so is each inexperienced at Oakmont, which is thought to have a number of the quickest placing surfaces on the earth.
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2. Amen Nook — Augusta Nationwide
eleventh Gap — Par 4 — 520 Yards
twelfth Gap — Par 3 — 155 Yards
thirteenth Gap — Par 5 — 545 Yards
Do I must say something about essentially the most revered place at Augusta Nationwide, not to mention the whole sport? I couldn’t choose one in all these three holes over the opposite, so I had no selection however to incorporate all of them. Every of those holes is magnificent for a lot of causes, however all of them share a standard similarity: they reside in some of the lovely locations on the earth.
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1. fifth Gap — Royal Portrush (Dunluce)
Par 4 — 374 Yards
After the picturesque ninth gap at Royal County Down, I might argue that the fifth gap on the Dunluce Course at Royal Portrush is the best par-4 on the earth. This downhill, dogleg proper not solely provides unbelievable aesthetics of the North Atlantic, but it surely additionally presents loads of alternative.
It’s not a difficult gap per se, because it yielded 111 birdies throughout The 2019 Open Championship. The fifth was simply one in all three holes to play beneath par throughout all 4 rounds that week too. But, it does present loads of leisure. This undulating inexperienced sits proper earlier than a steep drop-off that descends onto White Rocks Seashore, which performed as Out-of-Bounds six years in the past. It’s an actual increase or bust.
However the pure magnificence surrounding this unbelievable gap makes it so iconic. Oh, and the view of the Dunluce Fortress, of which the course is called, solely provides to the luster and reminds you that, sure, you’re on the Emerald Isle, which is synonymous with a slice of heaven.
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Honorable Mentions:
18th Gap — Pebble Seashore
18th Gap — Augusta Nationwide
sixteenth Gap — Augusta Nationwide
tenth Gap — Riviera
18th Gap — Kapalua (Plantation)
sixteenth Gap — Waialae Nation Membership
seventeenth Gap — TPC Scottsdale
18th Gap — Bay Hill
eighth Gap — East Lake
twelfth Gap — Muirfield Village
Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By means of. Comply with him on X @jack_milko.