PGA and European Tour – Best Composite 18

Posy by Golf Journalist, Nick Bonfield

Professional golfers are lucky enough to ply their trade on some of the finest golf courses in the world. Below, I’ve taken holes from various courses on both circuits to create my ideal composite 18-hole layout.

1st - Wentworth West

Many courses start with relatively drab, nondescript holes, but the 1st on Wentworth’s West Course is anything but. Players need to hit a long drive on this 470-yard plus par 4 to be in a position to attack the flag on a tiered green that’s awkwardly shaped and hard to hold.

2nd – Augusta

The first of many selections from Augusta National is the 2nd. It’s a fantastic par 5, with a sweeping downhill fairway that requires a right-to-left ball flight, but the crescent-shaped green complex is the hole’s stand-out feature. When the pin is back right, over the bunker, it’s so hard to get it close, but eagles are on when it’s situated on the front portion. 

3rd – Firestone

I think Firestone is one of the least interesting golf courses on either circuit, but I’ve always enjoyed watching players negotiate the par-4 3rd. Drives must find the right half of the fairway, or an obscured approach remains to a green fronted by a sinister pond and a shaved run-off area.

4th - Harbour Town

Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island is one of the most beautiful, serene PGA Tour stops. The par-4 4th is a classic Pete Dye risk/reward design. Water wraps around the entire green except for a bail-out area to the right, but playing it safe will only result in a horrible chip back towards the drink.

5th - Crans-sur-Sierre

Short par-4s are a precious commodity in today’s game, but there are three back to back at Crans-sur-Sierre in Switzerland – host of the Omega European Masters and the most beautiful course on the roster. The 5th, 6th and 7th are all fine driveable par 4s with staggering mountain backdrops. 

6th – Bay Hill

Bay Hill isn’t one of the most popular courses on the PGA Tour as far as the players are concerned, but I love the 6th hole. A giant lake lines the left of a fairway that curves dramatically from right to left, with players forced to go across water on both drives and second shots. It’s completely unique and a hole that offers up birdies and bogeys in equal measure.

7th - Pebble Beach

The 7th at Pebble Beach is probably the most iconic par 3 in the world, although my next selection, the 8th at Troon, might have something to say about that. When conditions are placid, it’s a relatively straightforward hole, but the elevation change, the positioning of the putting surface and the often forceful waves that crash into the green-side rocks make it one of the most visually spectacular holes in world golf.

8th - Troon

It’s a shame the Postage Stamp only appears when Royal Troon hosts an Open Championship, because it’s a brilliant par-3. Willie Park Jnr wrote in the early 20th century that it had a ‘pitching surface skimmed down to the size of a postage stamp.’ It’s only 123 yards, but some of Britain’s deepest bunkers and Troon’s notorious run-off areas await if players are wayward from the tee.

9th – Gary Player Country Club

I get more than a pang of jealousy when I see the European Tour’s best teeing it up at the Nedbank Golf Challenge, and not because of the vast sums of money on offer. Gary Player Country Club is spectacular, and the 9th – a risk/reward par-5 with a semi-island green – is the stand-out hole.

10th - Riviera

In my mind, this is the finest short hole in world golf. Some players only require a 3-wood to reach the green, but it’s a fiendishly difficult sloped putting surface sandwiched between two bunkers. When the pin’s back right, as it is on Sunday, it often plays as the hardest hole on the course – quite something when it’s only 300 yards long.

11th – TPC Blue Monster, Doral

I’m not a huge fan of the Trump-redesigned Doral, but the 11th is a fantastic par 5. There’s a massive sandy area all down the right hand side of the driving area, with a water hazard dissecting the fairway short of the green on a left to right angle. The green sits to the right, so anyone coming out of their second will find a watery grave.

12th – Augusta

Well, what more can you say about this par-3? On paper, it’s just an 8- or 9-iron, but the wind is notoriously difficult to read, and sometimes directly contradicts what’s happening on the 11th green. At its thinnest part, the putting surface is only 15 feet deep, and if you find Rae’s Creek, you’ll be lucky to escape with a five.

13th – Augusta

The 13th at Augusta is my favourite par-5 in world golf. It’s a beautiful hole, and even though it’s only 525 yards long, players need to execute two perfect shots to reach the green in two. Drives must be moved significantly from right to left before approaches to a severely tiered green fronted by a pond. Players who come up short will find water, and some have been known to putt into the creek from the back of the green.

14th – Wentworth West

There are better par-3s than the 14th on Wentworth’s West, but I’ve spent so much time surrounding the green that I felt it warranted inclusion. There’s a special atmosphere here – boosted by the grandstand behind the putting surface – and it’s a great vantage point, particularly on Sunday, when the pin is tucked just over the front-right bunker.

15th – Le Golf National

The last four holes at Le Golf National – host of the Ryder Cup in 2018 – are as tough as they come on the European Tour. The 15th is only 399 yards long, but water runs all the way up the right before cutting into the fairway, creating a stand-alone green surrounded on three sides by crystal blue.

16th - TPC Scottsdale

The par-3 16th at TPC Scottsdale is the most raucous hole in the game. Every day during tournament play, tens of thousands of usually alcohol-addled fans gather to cheer, jeer and chant. It’s a completely inimitable hole and an atmosphere embraced by players and fans alike, 17 – St Andrews/Sawgrass

17th - The Road Hole, St Andrews.......or, maybe TPC Sawgrass, we can't decide!

There are two contenders here. As it’s host of the 2015 Open Championship, the Road Hole at St Andrews gets the nod. However, in any other year, it’d be the 17th at TPC Sawgrass – the most terrifying short hole in world golf, despite its meager length.

18th – TPC Deere Run

It’s a hole many won’t be familiar with, but I think the 18th at TPC Deere Run – host of the John Deere Classic – is an exceptional closing par-4. It seems as if water consumes the entire left of the hole, so a nerves-of-steel tee shot is required if you stand on this tee with a one-shot lead. Many will remember the epic play-off between Troy Matteson and Zach Johnson here in 2012, where the latter put his second from a fairway bunker to within inches of the hole. Other holes of note here include the 18th at Harbour Town, Colonial, Pebble Beach and this year’s PGA Championship host, Whistling Straits.

Do you agree with Nick's choices or has he made a glaring error? We would love to hear your thoughts and comments below.