Famous Golf Holes
The most famous golf holes include the 17th (Road Hole) and 18th on the Old Course at St Andrews, the 12th at Augusta National, the island-green 17th at TPC Sawgrass and the 18th at Pebble Beach. They earned their fame the same way: a striking setting, a clear risk, and a long list of big moments in front of the cameras.
The famous holes at a glance
| Hole | Course | Par | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17th, the Road Hole | Old Course, St Andrews | 4 | Blind tee shot, the Road Hole Bunker, the road behind the green |
| 18th | Old Course, St Andrews | 4 | Swilcan Bridge and the Valley of Sin |
| 12th | Augusta National | 3 | Rae's Creek and swirling wind at Amen Corner |
| 17th | TPC Sawgrass (Stadium Course) | 3 | The island green |
| 18th | Pebble Beach | 5 | The sea running all down the left |
| 18th | Carnoustie | 4 | The Barry Burn and the 1999 Open |
The Road Hole, St Andrews
The 17th on the Old Course may be the most famous par 4 in golf. From the tee you drive over the corner of the Old Course Hotel grounds, aiming over replica railway sheds, with no clear view of where the ball will land.
The approach is just as hard. The green is long and narrow, guarded at the front left by the deep Road Hole Bunker, with a road and a stone wall just behind it. Both the bunker and the road are in play, and many Open Championship chances have ended here.
The 18th, St Andrews
The Old Course's short, wide closing hole is one of the most photographed in golf. Players cross the little stone Swilcan Bridge on the way down the fairway.
In front of the green sits a deep hollow called the Valley of Sin. Come up short and your ball rolls back down into it, leaving an awkward putt up the slope.
The 12th at Augusta National
The 12th, nicknamed Golden Bell, is a short par 3, but it sits in the middle of Amen Corner (the 11th, 12th and 13th holes). The name was coined by the writer Herbert Warren Wind in 1958.
The green is shallow and wide, with Rae's Creek in front and bunkers front and back. Wind swirls through the trees. In the final round of the 2016 Masters, defending champion Jordan Spieth hit two balls into the creek and made a 7, losing a lead he had held for most of the week.
The 17th at TPC Sawgrass
The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass in Florida, home of the Players Championship, was designed by Pete Dye. Its 17th is a short par 3 to a green surrounded by water, joined to land only by a narrow path.
It's a wedge or short iron for professionals, but with no bail-out area, a miss means a drop and a penalty stroke.
The 18th at Pebble Beach
Pebble Beach's closing par 5 curves along the edge of Carmel Bay, with the rocks and the Pacific on the left the whole way. Long hitters can try to reach in two, but any hook ends up in the sea. It has closed many US Opens.
The 18th at Carnoustie
Carnoustie's final hole is a long par 4 crossed by the Barry Burn, a stream that winds across the fairway and in front of the green. In the 1999 Open, Jean van de Velde stood on the 18th tee with a three-shot lead. After a run of trouble, including a ball in the burn, he made a triple-bogey 7, then lost the playoff to Paul Lawrie.
Many of the best-known holes are par 3s. We cover them in more detail in famous par 3 holes.
Try it in Mashy
You won't find St Andrews in Mashy, but the same ideas are there in pixel form: Salty Links has pot bunkers, dunes and big wind, Dogleg Downs bends round copses and ponds, and Puffin Point asks you to carry inlets and a chasm. Pick a course and see which hole becomes your own Road Hole.
More reading: what is a links golf course? and what is a dogleg in golf?
Frequently asked questions
What is the most famous golf hole in the world?
Most lists put the 17th at TPC Sawgrass, the 12th at Augusta National or the 17th and 18th on the Old Course at St Andrews at the top. There's no official answer, but the Road Hole at St Andrews is often called the most famous par 4, and the Sawgrass island green the most famous par 3.
Why is it called the Road Hole?
The 17th on the Old Course at St Andrews has a road running right behind the green, with a stone wall beyond it. The road is in play, so a long approach can finish on the tarmac or against the wall, leaving a very awkward shot back to a narrow green.
What is Amen Corner at Augusta?
Amen Corner is the name for the 11th, 12th and 13th holes at Augusta National, home of the Masters. The writer Herbert Warren Wind used the phrase in 1958. Rae's Creek runs through this stretch, and many Masters have been won or lost there on the final day.
Can you play famous golf holes online?
Some golf video games licence real courses, while others, like Mashy, use original holes. Mashy's five free courses take inspiration from classic golf settings, including a seaside links with pot bunkers and dunes and clifftop holes over inlets, and you can play them in your browser with no download.
Is the island green at Sawgrass a par 3?
Yes. The 17th on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass is a short par 3, usually a wedge or short iron for professionals. The green is surrounded by water apart from a narrow path, so any miss usually means a penalty stroke and a drop.