Ahead of this week’s U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, legendary instructor Dave Pelz break down the holes that make this historic venue such a formidable test.
The best golfers in the world will converge on Long Island’s east end this week for what many consider the toughest test in golf. Among all the prestigious courses the USGA has hosted national championships, few venues instill as much dread as Shinnecock Hills.
In the four previous U.S. Opens contested at this William Flynn design, only three players combined have finished under par for the week. Few courses better embody the U.S. Open’s demands than Shinnecock Hills.
So what transforms this classic Links course into such a steely challenge? Ahead of the 2018 championship, Pelz partnered with GOLF Magazine to examine the toughest holes at this remarkable venue.
The unique challenge of Shinnecock
When I think of Shinnecock Hills, two words come to mind: “national treasure.” As both a researcher and avid golfer who has spent nearly four decades developing swing and course-management strategies, Shinnecock remains the ultimate test. If you can outthink this place, you can outthink any course. I recently walked its fairways with my son, Eddie, experiencing the vexing challenges that await the world’s best players.
Among golf’s major venues, Shinnecock uniquely combines beauty with brutality. The course’s layout, greensheet contours, and ever-present wind demand peak shotmaking precision and mental fortitude. When these elements align—and they will—prepare for drama.
While many of Shinnecock’s greens feature rising edges that funnel putts toward the center, most slope sharply away from the flag. Every green presents serious undulations. Several are so severely pitched that the ball rarely stops putzing on its own.
Adding to the challenge is Shinnecock’s lightning-fast greens. Originally designed by Flynn in 1931, the greens initially rolled at 4-5 feet on the StimPM scale. By championship week, they’ll play at 12 feet—requiring the most deft green-reading skills on tour.
Good luck, gentlemen. Here’s a breakdown of the hardest holes.
No. 2, Par-3
Shinnecock opens with a relatively benign 399-yard par 4 (it played as the fourth-easiest hole during the 2004 U.S. Open). Then it slaps you in the face—hard. This 250-plus-yard par 3 features sand hazards on both sides and serious rough left of the green. The oval-shaped green drops four feet from back to front with mild undulations that can funnel shots toward the center.
Depending on wind direction, players might surprisingly open their shoulders and swing driver. It’s an absolute beast.
I walked to where PGA Tour ShotLink data indicates average miss patterns from 260 yards—the yardage players typically face. That miss location puts the ball in deep rough bordering the left bunker. During a major, that’s precisely where you don’t want to be.
I personally left three of six shots in that punishing rough during my recent visit, dribbled one into the bunker, and never found the sixth ball buried somewhere in the severe fescue. At Shinnecock, players regularly consider the unthinkable: taking an unplayable-lie penalty and dropping within two club-lengths when facing such nasty rough. My experience proves it’s often the smartest strategy.
No. 7, Par-3
Getty Images
Warning: The seventh hole boasts one of golf’s most wicked green complexes. Playing 175-205 yards to the course’s largest green, it’s a classic Redan design—the putting surface slopes away from tee level, dropping seven feet from front-right to back-left. Bunkers flank both sides of the green.
If you find the right-side bunker, prepare for a treacherous shot. You’ll face a dramatic elevation change to a green that runs steeply downhill from your line of flight. The flag, hovering above that hillcrest, seems impossibly distant even for someone as tall as 6’5″. This is Shinnecock—simultaneously beautiful and brutal.
No. 10, Par-4
This seemingly harmless 415-yard downhill par 4—the shortest hole but historically the most-over-par hole in U.S. Open history—looks innocuous without water carries or obvious penalties. Simply lay up 220 yards, then tackle a 190-yard seven-iron or 75-yard wedge to a large green positioned 20 feet higher than your starting point.
Two-putt for par seems simple enough. But in 2004, wind dried the green to lightning-fast speeds, transforming this hole into a menace.
If you try to advance the ball near the green, most approach shots launch from 20 feet below the putting surface. A normal-trajectory wedge peaking at 35 feet descends like a 15-footer. On firm greens, these low-trajectory shots bounce hard, roll across the green, and cascade down the eight-foot back slope.
Worse, shots played from behind the green face maximum undulation. Stopping a pitch near the hole becomes nearly impossible. Many attempts roll off the front crown, down the fairway, and all the way to the bottom—75 yards short of where the player began. This hole encapsulates Shinnecock’s mysteries: elevation, slope, contour, wind, and rock-hard greens.
No. 13, Par-4
This apparent wedge hole plays deceptively vicious in wind. While the green appears accessible from the fairway, players face a severe false front, substantial runoffs (into bunkers), and a steep back fall-off. The subtle center crown narrows the effective landing zone for approaching shots.
In 2004, the shortest par-4 on the course yielded just 54 birdies in 442 attempts. Missing the green demands a delicate chip shot—normal short-game techniques won’t hold this challenging surface.
Wind proves decisive: it’s easy to overshoot or skull shots short without warning when gusts affect trajectory.
No. 16, Par-5
The 16th green—the third-smallest at Shinnecock—drops nearly five feet as it slopes continuously from back to front. While big hitters can reach this green in two for birdie opportunities, the real danger lies in going past the hole.
From back-left to front-right pin placements, putts become roller-coaster journeys. Using my TrueRoller device, it took six attempts to properly aim this treacherous putt. One attempt missed 12 feet left and ran 15 feet too far.
Imagine three-putting from here during the U.S. Open. Even with advanced equipment, such putts challenge the world’s best players.
No. 18, Par-4
Getty Images
Standing on the 18th tee, with the fairway stretching beautifully toward the distant clubhouse, ranks among golf’s greatest moments. Players arriving at this final hole with chances to win face a sobering reality: at 484 yards with an elevated green, accuracy trumps power.
Corey Pavin required a 4-wood to reach the 18th green in two during his 1995 U.S. Open victory. Modern bombers face even longer carry requirements despite increased driving distance.
The approach shot remains brutal. Miss the optimal location—either short or high—and you’ll confront nearly impossible pitch shots or putts running away from the hole.
During my visit, I perfectly executed a delicate 64-degree wedge shot, landing three feet from the hole. Yet watching the ball creep away down the green and over the front edge—traveling 10 yards back down the fairway—proved that even perfect execution meets Shinnecock’s indifferent slopes.
This is the U.S. Open. This is Shinnecock.
