10 best golf holes on the PGA Tour during 2025 season, ranked
With the 2025 season now upon us, it’s time to rank the 10 best golf holes that the PGA Tour will face this year.
With the 2025 PGA Tour season kicking off at The Sentry in Maui this week, it’s time to check out the 10 best holes PGA Tour pros will play. This list includes holes at Oakmont Country Club and Royal Portrush, which will host the U.S. Open and The Open, respectively.
Without further ado, here is our list:
10. 18th Hole — Muirfield Village
Par 4 — 484 Yards
One of the best closing holes in all of golf, the 18th at Muirfield Village rarely yields any birdies, making par a solid score. Finding the fairway is imperative, with water down the left side and deep bunkers on the right. Then, the green sits perched above the fairway, with a natural amphitheater surrounding the putting surface. But best of all, a handshake with the Golden Bear awaits after finishing your round at The Memorial.
9. 3rd Hole — Oakmont Country Club
Par 4 — 467 Yards
When the name “Oakmont Country Club” comes to mind, what is the first thought that comes to your head? For me — along with many other golfers — the “Church Pews” bunker is what I think of first.
This bunker, which sits between the 3rd and 4th fairways, is 100 yards long and nearly 40 yards wide. It features 12 separate grassy knolls, which gives the trap its famous name.
On this 3rd hole, the Church Pews are to the left of the fairway, while five more traps are embedded into a hill to the right of the short grass, putting a premium on driving accuracy. The green sits on a knoll, as a false front will repel any shot short. More trouble lies beyond the green, as a collection area sits below the surface. The green begins to slope away from you in its back third, leaving many flushed shots long.
It’s a brilliant golf hole and one of the most underrated in the world.
8. 16th Hole — Royal Portrush (Dunluce)
Par 3 — 246 Yards
This beast of a par-3 will play as one of the toughest all year, but it is also one of the finest. It allowed only 24 birdies during the 2019 Open Championship, a testament to how difficult this hole can play, especially in challenging conditions. No wonder it was the third hardest hole that week.
As for the scenery, a massive ravine sits between the tee box and the green, extending down the hole’s right side. Incredible vistas of the entire course can be seen from here, too, making this one of the best par-3s in all of golf.
7. 16th Hole — TPC Scottsdale (Stadium)
Par 3 — 163 Yards
The hole itself is nothing special, but the atmosphere surrounding it certainly is. The WM Phoenix Open has become quite the party while being the most-visited event year in and year out.
Why?
It’s the stadium that surrounds the 16th hole. Fans get there at the crack of dawn, hoping to secure a seat to cheer on — or heckle — the players as they make their way through. The 16th has produced plenty of incredible moments as well, with none more special than what happened in 2019, when Gary Woodland and Amy Bockerstette went viral with Bockerstette’s “I Got This” putt.
6. 18th Hole — Riviera Country Club
Par 4 — 475 Yards
Like the 18th hole at Muirfield Village, the closing hole at Riviera Country Club is one of the best in golf.
The uphill tee shot is blind, making the player uncomfortable off the tee. But finding the fairway is imperative for this challenging finisher. The green then features an extraordinary natural amphitheater, a perfect place to watch golf, as the famous clubhouse sits above.
Riviera is also the favorite course of many top PGA Tour pros, so numerous players would agree that the 18th should be included in this list. But even if that weren’t the case, we would be foolish not to include this incredible hole.
5. Final 3 Holes — TPC Sawgrass (Stadium)
16th Hole — Par 5 — 523 Yards
17th Hole — Par 3 — 137 Yards
18th Hole — Par 4 — 462 Yards
The island green at the 17th is perhaps the most famous golf hole on the planet. However, as evidenced by last year’s Players Championship finish, the 17th is only a piece of the final puzzle.
The 16th provides plenty of entertainment and is a brilliant, short par-5 with water surrounding the green.
The 18th is a terrific finishing hole and rarely produces birdies. It’s a stern challenge that often leaves many players swearing at architect Pete Dye as they conclude their round.
So, as great as the 17th hole is, I could not help but also include the 16th and 18th holes, which ultimately makes TPC Sawgrass and The Players so special year in and year out.
4. 7th Hole — Pebble Beach
Par 3 — 106 Yards
What is the best par-3 in the world? The short 7th at Pebble Beach certainly has a case to be made for that distinction. This little hole, which sits at the tip of the peninsula and extends into Stillwater Cove, might be the most beautiful spot in golf. The Pacific Ocean lies all around, with only a flip-wedge needed between you and the hole. Easier said than done, however, as the wind can wreak havoc on a round rather quickly here.
3. 18th Hole — Oakmont
Par 4 — 505 Yards
This monstrous par-4 is a true challenge that does not often allow sub-par scores. Yet, Dustin Johnson did just that at the 2016 U.S. Open, as he capped off his first major victory in grand fashion by birdieing this hole.
You have to find the fairway here, or else a bogey or worse quickly comes into play. That’s not an easy accomplishment, either, as bunkers sit on either side of the short grass. The green is rather tricky, too, but so is every green at Oakmont, which is known to have some of the fastest putting surfaces in the world.
2. Amen Corner — Augusta National
11th Hole — Par 4 — 520 Yards
12th Hole — Par 3 — 155 Yards
13th Hole — Par 5 — 545 Yards
Do I need to say anything about the most revered place at Augusta National, let alone the entire sport? I could not pick one of these three holes over the other, so I had no choice but to include them all. Each of these holes is magnificent for many reasons, but they all share a common similarity: they reside in one of the most beautiful places in the world.
1. 5th Hole — Royal Portrush (Dunluce)
Par 4 — 374 Yards
After the picturesque 9th hole at Royal County Down, I would argue that the 5th hole on the Dunluce Course at Royal Portrush is the greatest par-4 in the world. This downhill, dogleg right not only offers incredible aesthetics of the North Atlantic, but it also presents plenty of opportunity.
It’s not a challenging hole per se, as it yielded 111 birdies during The 2019 Open Championship. The 5th was just one of three holes to play under par during all four rounds that week too. Yet, it does provide plenty of entertainment. This undulating green sits right before a steep drop-off that descends onto White Rocks Beach, which played as Out-of-Bounds six years ago. It’s a real boom or bust.
But the natural beauty surrounding this incredible hole makes it so iconic. Oh, and the view of the Dunluce Castle, of which the course is named, only adds to the luster and reminds you that, yes, you are on the Emerald Isle, which is synonymous with a slice of heaven.
Honorable Mentions:
18th Hole — Pebble Beach
18th Hole — Augusta National
16th Hole — Augusta National
10th Hole — Riviera
18th Hole — Kapalua (Plantation)
16th Hole — Waialae Country Club
17th Hole — TPC Scottsdale
18th Hole — Bay Hill
8th Hole — East Lake
12th Hole — Muirfield Village
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.