It’s no surprise when the world’s finest players go considerably under par, like Cam Smith did when he won the 2022 Tournament of Champions with a new low of 34.
However, there are occasions when courses, in a relative sense, get the best of PGA Tour players. According to statistics from the official PGA Tour media guide, which ranks players based on average score relative to par, below are a handful who did so during the 2020-21 season.
The Nine Hardest Courses on the PGA Tour
9. Waialae Country Club — .513 strokes over par
8. Pebble Beach Golf Links — .516 strokes over par
7. Torrey Pines GC (South) — .534 strokes over par
6. TPC Harding Park — .755 strokes over par
5. Spyglass Hill — .877 strokes over par
4. Olympia Fields (North) — 1.815 strokes over par
3. PGA National (Champion) — 1.904 strokes over par
2. Muirfield Village — 2.007 strokes over par
1. Bay Hill Club and Lodge — 2.106 strokes over par
Here are the hardest courses in table form:
| Rank | Course | Tournament | Average Score | Average over/under par | Par |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Bay Hill Club & Lodge | Arnold Palmer Invitational | 74.106 | 2.106 | 72 |
2 | Muirfield Village GC | The Memorial | 74.007 | 2.007 | 72 |
3 | PGA National (Champion) | The Honda Classic | 71.903 | 1.904 | 70 |
4 | Olympia Fields CC (North) | BMW Championship | 71.815 | 1.815 | 70 |
5 | Spyglass Hill GC | AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am | 70.755 | 0.755 | 70 |
6 | TPC Harding Park | PGA Championship | 70.755 | 0.755 | 70 |
7 | Torrey Pines GC (South) | Farmers Insurance Open | 72.533 | 0.534 | 72 |
8 | Pebble Beach Golf Links | AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am | 72.516 | 0.516 | 72 |
9 | Waialae CC | Sony Open | 70.513 | 0.513 | 70 |
The other courses that averaged over par in the 2020-21 season were No. 10 Riviera Country Club (.255) and the Golf Club of Houston (.011).
The easiest was La Quinta Country Club. The average round there was -2.824 strokes under par.
Read the original article on Sports Illustrated.