The most diabolically difficult golf courses in the world, ranked

Most golfers appreciate a good challenge, but when it comes to course design, there’s a fine line between difficult and sadistic.

We’ve ranked these courses in terms of their difficulty, using the USGA’s ratings from the farthest tees offered to non-professionals as a baseline.

Medium Brush Stroke

East Lake Golf Club — Atlanta

The titular body of water comes into play often, including on hole No. 8, which starts with a forced carry tee shot and then forces the player to court the lake along the entire left side of a tight fairway.

Harbour Town Golf Links — Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

The course does not favor long drives off the tee because of its tight fairways, which are lined with trees.

The Stadium Course At PGA West — La Quinta, California

It’s a Scottish links-style affair loaded with moguls and deep bunkers, which landed the Stadium Course among Golf Pass’s 10 most difficult public courses in the United States.

Old American Golf Club — The Colony, Texas

Old American Golf Club, located just north of Dallas, has a bogey rating of 102.1, partly because the course is stacked with hazards on virtually every hole and high winds frequently wreck a player’s accuracy.

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