In the realm of golf in 2025, the PGA Tour has witnessed an uncommonly high number of courses succumbing to the prowess of the world’s top golfers. Players have been delivering birdies and eagles with an ease that has stripped many a course of its competitive edge.
The year got off to a rocky start when Hideki Matsuyama’s record-shattering victory at The Sentry faced a barrage of criticism. The world’s elite golfers made a veritable playground of the Plantation Course at Kapalua, leading to a considerable dip in viewer interest. Audiences, it seems, were not keen on seeing the likes of Matsuyama, Scottie Scheffler, and Rory McIlroy make the game look effortless. Even the notoriously challenging Pebble Beach couldn’t hold its own against these golf titans, with McIlroy sailing to an easy victory at the AT&T Pro-Am.
Yet, amidst these effortless victories, one course emerged as a formidable challenge during the early part of the season: Torrey Pines. Hosting two events so far, the Farmers Insurance Open and the Genesis Invitational, it proved a litmus test for the players. The Farmers Insurance Open, in particular, witnessed the players grapple with powerful winds and sloped greens leading to the suspension of play during the second round.
The Genesis Invitational, won by Ludvig Aberg, presented a similarly taxing setup. The South Course at Torrey Pines, with its thick, unforgiving rough, had the aura of a major tournament, punishing every off-target shot.
However, the toughest challenge was served up by the North Course during the Farmers Insurance Open. The 495-yard, par-four second hole recorded a scoring average of +.469 over par. Only two golfers managed to make birdie, while a staggering 53 bogeys and seven double bogeys were recorded over two rounds. This hole, thus, earned the dubious distinction of being the hardest on the PGA Tour this season. The 10th hole at the Mexico Open and the 13th at Torrey Pines North Course followed closely in difficulty.
In stark contrast to these challenging holes, the par-five fifth at Kapalua proved to be the easiest on the Tour this season. Players scored an average of -.877 under par, and the hole saw 21 eagles over four rounds, along with a whopping 171 birdies. Other easy holes included the par-five sixth at La Quinta Country Club and the 11th at the Nicklaus Tournament Course.
Interestingly, nine out of the ten easiest holes on the Tour this season are par-fives. This raises a pertinent question: Could transforming some of these generous par-fives into more demanding par-fours be the solution to making the course setups more challenging for the world’s best players? Only time will tell.
