Top 3 Most Challenging Golf Courses Across the US

Golf is a great choice of activity to have a good time, especially with the current pandemic situation, being considered one of the safest means of entertainment. There are around 15000 golf courses across the US so golfers of all levels are not short of choices. If you are among the more experienced ones, you will surely enjoy playing on the following courses as they pose a greater challenge:

1. Spyglass Hill Golf Course, Pebble Beach, California

Address: 3206 Stevenson Dr, Pebble Beach, CA.

Price Range: Starting from $415.

Spyglass Hill golf course ranks as the toughest course in Northern California and is among the most difficult courses in the world. Playing on this course is a true test of golf skills and presents you with the perfect opportunity to test every club in your bag.

The course was designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr., and opened its fairways to the public in 1966. It can best be described as a combination of Pine Valley and Augusta National. The first 5 holes, designed in Pine Valley-like sand dunes, are played along the coast with significant open vistas of the Pacific. The breezy coastline makes it hard to find the narrow greens of these opening holes. The rest of the holes are a challenging hike through hills covered with majestic Monterey pines. Add some water hazards that make you think of the 16th at Augusta and you have what some panelists consider to be Trent's finest work.

One important thing to keep in mind if you plan on playing on Spyglass Hill any time soon is that to book a tee-time more than one month in advance, you have to lodge at one of Pebble Beach's hotels.

2. The Ocean Course, Kiawah Island, South Carolina

Address: 1000 Ocean Course Dr, Kiawah Island, SC.

Price Range: Starting from $410.

The course was designed by Pete & Alice Dye for the 1991 Ryder Cup. It is perhaps the most difficult yet enjoyable course in the country. Every hole is edged by sawgrass, every green presents challenging slopes, every bunker merges with sand dunes. Stretching along nearly three miles of ocean coast, with perched fairways and greens so golfers can actually view the Atlantic surf, it offers some of the most magnificent views but also exposes shots to the ever-present and at times fierce coastal winds.
The 17th hole might be the toughest par 3 in the world. Be careful if the wind blows, watch out, the course is really, really challenging in these conditions, for all levels of players. When the wind is blowing strong, par on many of the holes is considered an excellent score.

3. Pebble Beach Golf Links, California

Address: 1700 17 Mile Dr, Pebble Beach, CA

Price range: Starting from $575.

The golf course was designed by Jack Neville and Douglas Grant and opened in 1919 and, in 1928, it was extensively revised by H. Chandler Egan. Other architects that have left their mark on the course over the years include Alistair MacKenzie, Robert Hunter, and Jack Nicklaus.

Pebble Beach Golf Links is rated the No. 1 Public Course in the US, being the first public golf course to be selected, as the No. 1 Golf Course in America by Golf Digest, in 2001. This course is most definitely on the bucket list of any golf enthusiast. It surely is one of the toughest but also stunningly beautiful golf courses in the country. Six U.S, Opens were held on this course, more than on any other course in the last 50 years.

It is the greatest meeting of land and sea in golf architecture and the most extensive one as well. Nine of its holes are located right above the crashing Pacific surf; the fourth through 10th plus the 17th and 18th. The breathtaking views from these holes may make it harder to concentrate on the game, especially the first time playing on this course.

They may be more expensive and harder to book than other golf courses but playing on any of these three courses will undoubtedly provide you with an unforgettable experience. You will have the chance to put your golfing skills to the test while taking in magnificent views and admiring the work of some of the best architects in golf design history. In my opinion, that is worth every extra penny.