The Toughest Courses on the PGA Tour in the Past 10 Years
Of the 52 courses played on the PGA Tour last year (including both setups at Chambers Bay), only 18 of them saw a four-day over-par field average.
In other words, most of the time, courses are set up to be played under par, and the best golfers in the world are happy to accommodate.
Obviously, the majority of the most difficult courses are U.S. Open tracks, thanks to the diabolical work of Mike Davis. And in the couple of years when non-U.S. Open tracks were the toughest, such as 2011 when Rory McIlroy assaulted a rain-softened Congressional, the tour's toughest venues are still major courses.
And to clarify further: These aren't the 10 toughest courses overall, but rather the most difficult course each year for the last 10 years.
And of the host venues in the last 10 years, the most difficult course to host a PGA Tour event played to a field average of 5.705 strikes over par. To see the par-70 course that saw a field average of nearly 76, as well as the other nine, read on.
2015: Chambers Bay
1 of 10
Tournament: U.S. Open
Par: 70
Yardage: 7,593
Average score: 73.45 (+3.45)
Jordan Spieth won the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay at five-under par, besting Dustin Johnson and Louis Oosthuizen by a stroke. The testy Washington course surrendered just 421 birdies for the week against 689 bogeys and 124 double-bogeys or worse. Only eight players were under par for the week.
2014: Pinehurst No. 2
2 of 10
Tournament: U.S. Open
Par: 70
Yardage: 7,546
Average score: 73.07 (+3.07)
Pinehurst No. 2 yielded nearly twice as many bogeys (1,833) as birdies (959). Martin Kaymer ran away from the field at nine-under par for the week. No other golfer finished better than one-under. Kaymer's 271 total was the second-lowest in U.S. Open history.
2013: Merion
3 of 10
Tournament: U.S. Open
Par: 70
Yardage: 6,996
Average score: 74.54 (+4.54)
No surprise here: Another U.S. Open venue was the tour's sternest test in 2013. Playing under 7,000 yards, Merion still managed to bedevil players to the tune of a scoring average more than 4.5 strokes over par. No player in the field was under par for the week, with winner Justin Rose finishing at one over after firing a final-round 70.
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2012: Olympic Club
4 of 10
Tournament: U.S. Open
Par: 70
Yardage: 7,170
Average score: 73.84 (+3.84)
Webb Simpson took the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic Club at a score of one-over par. Olympic yielded 932 birdies against 2,099 bogeys, 267 double-bogeys and 34 others.
2011: Royal St. George's
5 of 10
Tournament: The Open Championship
Par: 70
Yardage: 7,211
Average score: 73.01 (+3.01)
Finally, a non-U.S. Open venue. This is more due to the ease of Congressional in 2011, rather than the difficulty of Royal St. George's. The Open Championship host course played more than three strokes over par with just 994 birdies recorded by competitors. At five-under par, Darren Clarke edged out Dustin Johnson by a stroke.
2010: Pebble Beach
6 of 10
Tournament: U.S. Open
Par: 71
Yardage: 7,040
Average score: 74.98 (+3.98)
Pebble Beach, the normally gracious host for the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, toughened up for the U.S. Open. The California course averaged nearly four strokes over par, conceding just 1,094 birdies against 2,177 bogeys. Graeme McDowell took the tile at even par.
2009: Bethpage Black
7 of 10
Tournament: U.S. Open
Par: 70
Yardage: 7,426
Average score: 72.92 (+2.92)
The U.S. Open returned to Bethpage State Park's Black Course following Tiger Woods' 2002 triumph at the Farmingdale, New York, course. Bethpage saw 991 birdies rolled in against 1,744 bogeys, 226 double-bogeys and 24 others. Lucas Glover, at four-under par, beat a trio of players by two strokes.
2008: Royal Birkdale
8 of 10
Tournament: Open Championship
Par: 70
Yardage: 7,173
Average score: 74.86 (+4.86)
Amid blustery conditions at Royal Birkdale, Padraig Harrington defended his Open Championship title, closing with a final-round 69 to finish at three-over par. Greg Norman had led the tournament at two-over par entering the final round. Birkdale conceded just 823 birdies for the week.
2007: Oakmont CC
9 of 10
Tournament: U.S. Open
Par: 70
Yardage: 7,257
Average score: 75.70 (+5.70)
Angel "I only win majors" Cabrera, took the 2007 U.S. Open at treacherous Oakmont, edging out Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk by a stroke. The Argentinian carded an impressive final-round 69 for the second major of his career at a venue that conceded the fewest birdies of any course on this list (and saw the highest scoring average).
2006: Winged Foot
10 of 10
Tournament: U.S. Open
Par: 70
Yardage: 7,264
Average score: 74.99 (+4.99)
Geoff Ogilvy (who looks darn young in the photo above, doesn't he?) won the 2006 U.S. Open at five-under par, beating Phil Mickelson by a stroke when the left-hander faltered down the stretch. Winged Foot harassed golfers, surrendering just 766 birdies for the week.
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