Toughest Golf Courses in the World

Challenging Golf Courses

There are a few golf courses around the world that even the most professional golfers will find challenging.

Bethpage Black, New York

Bethpage in New York has five different courses, but it is only the Black course that is considered to be a challenge and is recommended for very skilled golfers only.  For golfers who are brave enough to try out this course, it is advisable to stay away from the rough.  This course has narrow fairways, huge bunkers, high level plateaus and the rough is really rough.  Golfers are also unable to use a golf cart.  The back tees are only for very skilled players and playing from these will equal 7426 yards.  This course was a creation of AW Tillinghast and was built in 1936.

Le Touessrok, Mauritius

Le Touessrok is found on the beautiful island of Mauritius in Ile Aux Cerfs.  This course was designed by Bernard Lange and is a challenging course and covers 38 hectares.  It offers stunning views of the Indian Ocean and is a tranquil setting for playing golf.  The design of the course includes sand bunkers, uneven topography, volcanic outcrops, gullies and lakes and there are three holes where players will need to get their balls across inlets to get onto the fairways.  Because of the tropical climate there is much foliage that includes mangrove swamps and Salam Seashore Paspalum grass which makes it easy to lose balls.

The Ocean Course, South Carolina

The Ocean Course is situated on Kiawah Island in South Carolina.  This course is very well maintained and offers excellent service and caddies.  The wind gusts on this course and the fairways are unlike others and are not firm and bouncy.  The course has softer fairways with grass that is soft and clingy when it gets wet and the greens have bunkers in front of them.  The greens are also scalloped to allow for better drainage.  The course is quite long from the back tees, 7610 yards.  Golfers can become quite frustrated due to the loss of many golf balls.  Golf carts are not able to go off the paths, which can be a bit frustrating.

Carnoustie, Scotland

Carnoustie Golf Links in Angus, Scotland can make a grown man cry.  It is situated on the shores of Scotland and is a popular tourist attraction for visitors to Scotland.  There are three courses, The Championship, Burnside and Buddon.  The Championship Course has hosted a Ladies British Open, two Seniors and seven Open Championships.  The Burnside is not as well known as the Championship Course, but is considered one of the best courses.  The Buddon Links Course was opened in 1979 and it has undergone many changes and improvements since then.  The Championship is known as being the most difficult course mainly because players will need to constantly revaluate their strategies because of the bunkers that twist and turn.

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Club, China

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Golf Club is situated in Lijiang, China.  It is the second highest club in the world and is located in a valley in the Himalayan Mountains.  The course offers beautiful mountain views with lots to see in Lijiang.  Because the air is thinner the balls fly further along the 8548 yards course and is considered the longest 72 par in the world.  This course has a par 3 that measures over 260 yards and a par 5 that measures over 800 yards.  There are 18 holes, divided into two sections.  Some players struggle to play due to the lack of oxygen so high above sea level.