There are plenty of hard holes on the PGA Tour, and plenty of pretty ones. But the turning of the calendar had us thinking: What are the most scenic holes on the PGA Tour?
Hawaii inspires that kind of thinking right out of the gate.
This list of some of the most scenic holes on the Tour schedule doesn’t focus on the holes themselves, even though they are a definitive part of their landscapes. Instead, this list asks this question: Would you want to spend a day at these spots even if golf had never been invented, just because the whole scene is so cool?
The answer for each is a definitive yes. Kapalua, Pebble Beach, Torrey Pines, Puntacana, Harbour Town, St. Andrews and Sea Island could draw a crowd even if there were no golf holes there. These are ideal meetings of surf, sand, sometimes sun and frequently selfies, making them among the most scenic sites in golf.
None of this is to say there aren’t beautiful holes elsewhere – even other beautiful holes in Hawaii, for example. But these might pack the most dramatic oomph on TV.
And it’s not to say there aren’t gorgeous golf holes away from the coasts. Augusta National’s blooms light up the Masters broadcast each year, and plenty of other Tour layouts thrill with great combinations of golf architecture and settings. But the holes listed below, simply put, blow our socks off each year when the cameras are turned on and the Tour pros take their shots. It’s Marketing 101: location, location, location.
No. 18 at Kapalua’s Plantation Course (Courtesy of Kapalua)
- Sentry Tournament of Champions, Jan. 6-9
- Par 5, 677 yards
- Maui, Hawaii
Whales. Pacific Ocean. Mountains. Islands in the distance. Views for miles. This closer at the Plantation Course is as scenic as golf gets, and people climb onto jetliners to soak in such Hawaiian seascapes. If Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw had never built a course on this site, it would still be beautiful. Throw in the dramatic, downhill par 5 where the first Tour event of each calendar year wraps up, and you’ve got magic. Don’t believe me? Mark Rolfing will surely tell us how beautiful the whole scene is during the live broadcast. And he will be right, because there’s possibly no camera shot in golf that can match Kapalua’s 18th when it comes to making snowbound golfers back in the contiguous 48 drool with jealousy.
No. 3 at Torrey Pines South (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)
- Farmers Insurance Open, Jan. 26-29
- Par 3, 200 yards
- San Diego
Torrey Pines, as a whole, is one of the most scenic spots in golf. Some folks love the layout, others point out that more could have been done with the golf itself, but that’s a discussion for another story because there’s no doubting the scenery with holes perched on cliffs high above the Pacific. And No. 3 knocks your socks off early – a downhill tee shot to an eternity green with nothing but waves and stunning sunsets beyond. If there was no golf course here, hikers would flock to these cliffs intertwined among giant crevasses, and the paragliders would still soar above the waves and beach below. The whole place seems to have been created with an easel and a paint brush in mind.
No. 7 at Pebble Beach Golf Links (Courtesy of Evan Schiller)
- AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Feb. 3-6
- Par 3, 106 yards
- Pebble Beach, California
Pebble Beach has several options for this list. No. 18 stands out for its scenery – who wouldn’t want to lean on that little fence at the tee box and gaze out at the ocean – and No. 8, with its second-shot crossing over cliffs and beach, is a personal favorite. But the tiny downhill seventh wins the award for most scenic hole on property and perhaps packs the most scenic punch per yard in golf. Dangling from the cliffs of Arrowhead Point above Carmel Bay, this hole is a thrill-ride of ocean, wind, tide, rocks and birds. It’s raw, exposed and stunning, and beachcombers would flock to the spot even if golf had never been invented.
No. 18 at Puntacana’s Corales Courses in the Dominican Republic (Courtesy of Puntacana)
- Corales Puntacana Championship, March 24-27
- Par 4, 501 yards
- Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Tom Fazio had a lot to work with at Corales, built on stunning rocks above the emerald Caribbean Sea near the eastern point of the Dominican Republic. Six holes play alongside the sea, which blows foam between the cliff faces and into the air when winds and tide align. But the 18th … wow, the 18th. Mansions left, water right, and it’s hard to know whether to hit a golf shot or take a selfie. The tee shot crosses a small bay before the hole curves hard right and uphill to a point between the bay and a rocky beachhead. For the average player it’s an extremely tough hole, but the incredible scene surely salves any scorecard injuries.
No. 18 at Harbour Town Golf Links at Sea Pines Resort in South Carolina (Courtesy of Sea Pines Resort)
- RBC Heritage, April 14-17
- Par 4, 472 yards
- Hilton Head, South Carolina
You’ve seen the lighthouse a few hundred yards behind the green, the boats coming in from Calibogue Sound, the Intracoastal Waterway, the marsh grass. All of it combines to make this hole a television star and the epitome of Lowcountry golf. Most of this Pete Dye creation plays inland through narrow corridors with overhanging trees and homesites, but the scene begins to open up as No. 16 doglegs left and the water comes into view. And the waterfront par-3 17th is gorgeous. Then, boom, No. 18 hits you in the face like a warm and welcome blast of salty water. The only thing missing is a shrimp barbecue and a red Solo cup full of whatever you like, and thankfully, neither is far away.
The 17th green and 18th fairway of the Old Course in St. Andrews. (Steve Flynn-USA TODAY Sports)
- British Open, July 14-17
- Par 4, 361 yards
- St. Andrews, Scotland
Forget the golf-specific history for a bit, and never mind the list of past winners who’ve trundled up the closing hole at the Home of Golf. Just consider the scene, as this is a story about scenic holes. Here is an ancient par 4 playing into a historic town, with a road in play and the R&A’s clubhouse behind the green. The North Sea sits just a few hundred yards off to the left, including West Sands beach where the opening scene of “Chariots of Fire” was shot. It’s a public spot, and an original. Surfers might wander down paths past the fairway, which is open for general meandering on most Sundays as the course is closed. The centuries-old Swilcan Bridge crosses a burn of the same name, begging for photos. The Old Course is famous for its golf, but it’s so much more. And while the 18th of the Old might not blow your socks off with the same kind of visuals found on some of the other courses on this list, anybody could enjoy a day here, sans golf. It’s an incredible scene.
No. 14 of the the Seaside Course at Sea Island in Georgia (Courtesy of Evan Schiller)
- RSM Classic, Nov. 18-21
- Par 4, 407 yards
- St. Simons Island, Georgia
There’s a reason dozens of wealthy PGA Tour pros live at Sea Island: The place is amazingly pretty. And best of all might be the 14th tucked tight to the Mackay River and St. Simons Sound. There are a handful of waterfront stunners on this course, but this medium-length par 3 is a perfect blend of salt water, marsh and unobstructed views. Sunbathers and boaters would gather here even if the course had never been built.
English
French
German
Italian
Japanese
Spanish