10 greatest golf holes for PGA Tour 2025 season, ranked

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 hardly ever yields any birdies, making par a strong rating. Discovering the green is crucial, with water down the left aspect and deep bunkers on the fitting. Then, the inexperienced sits perched above the 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.

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 broad. It options 12 separate grassy knolls, which supplies the lure its well-known title.

On this third gap, the Church Pews are to the left of the green, whereas 5 extra traps are embedded right into a hill to the fitting 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 bother lies past the inexperienced, as a set space sits beneath the floor. The inexperienced begins to slope away from you in its again third, leaving many flushed photographs lengthy.

It’s an excellent golf gap and probably the most underrated on this planet.

Photograph by Fred Vuich/Getty Pictures

8. sixteenth Gap — Royal Portrush (Dunluce)

Par 3 — 246 Yards

This beast of a par-3 will play as one of many hardest all yr, however it’s also one of many most interesting. It allowed solely 24 birdies in the course of the 2019 Open Championship, a testomony to how troublesome this gap can play, particularly in difficult circumstances. 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. Unimaginable vistas of the whole course will be seen from right here, too, making this the most effective par-3s in all of golf.

Photograph by David Cannon/R&A by way of Getty Pictures

7. sixteenth Gap — TPC Scottsdale (Stadium)

Par 3 — 163 Yards

The opening itself is nothing particular, however the environment surrounding it definitely is. The WM Phoenix Open has turn out to be fairly the celebration whereas being the most-visited occasion yr in and yr out.

Why?

It’s the stadium that surrounds the sixteenth gap. Followers get there on the morning time, hoping to safe a seat to cheer on — or heckle — the gamers as they make their manner by way of. The sixteenth has produced loads of unimaginable moments as nicely, with none extra particular than what occurred in 2019, when Gary Woodland and Amy Bockerstette went viral with Bockerstette’s “I Acquired This” putt.

Photograph by Ben Jared/PGA Tour by way of Getty

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 among the greatest in golf.

The uphill tee shot is blind, making the participant uncomfortable off the tee. However discovering the 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 also be the favourite course of many high PGA Tour execs, so quite a few gamers would agree that the 18th needs to be included on this record. However even when that weren’t the case, we might be silly to not embrace this unimaginable gap.

Photograph by Harry How/Getty Pictures

5. Remaining 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. Nonetheless, as evidenced by final yr’s Gamers Championship end, the seventeenth is barely a bit 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 infrequently 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 additionally embrace the sixteenth and 18th holes, which in the end makes TPC Sawgrass and The Gamers so particular yr in and yr out.

Photograph by Keyur Khamar/PGA Tour by way of Getty Pictures

4. seventh Gap — Pebble Seashore

Par 3 — 106 Yards

What’s the greatest par-3 on this planet? The brief seventh at Pebble Seashore definitely 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, could 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 mentioned than accomplished, nonetheless, because the wind can wreak havoc on a spherical somewhat shortly right here.

Photograph by Douglas Stringer/Getty Pictures

3. 18th Gap — Oakmont

Par 4 — 505 Yards

This monstrous par-4 is a real problem that doesn’t typically enable 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.

You must discover the green right here, or else a bogey or worse shortly comes into play. That’s not a straightforward accomplishment, both, as bunkers sit on both aspect of the brief grass. The inexperienced is somewhat difficult, too, however so is each inexperienced at Oakmont, which is thought to have a number of the quickest placing surfaces on this planet.

Photograph by Fred Vuich/Getty Pictures

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 have to say something about essentially the most revered place at Augusta Nationwide, not to mention the whole sport? I couldn’t decide one among 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 typical similarity: they reside in probably the most lovely locations on this planet.

Photograph by Andrew Redington/Getty Pictures

1. fifth Gap — Royal Portrush (Dunluce)

Par 4 — 374 Yards

After the picturesque ninth gap at Royal County Down, I’d argue that the fifth gap on the Dunluce Course at Royal Portrush is the best par-4 on this planet. This downhill, dogleg proper not solely affords unimaginable 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 among three holes to play underneath 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 growth or bust.

However the pure magnificence surrounding this unimaginable gap makes it so iconic. Oh, and the view of the Dunluce Fort, 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.

Photograph by David Cannon/R&A by way of Getty Pictures

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 workers author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By way of. Observe him on X @jack_milko.