There are plenty of hard holes on the PGA Tour, and plenty of pretty ones. But the turning of the calendar had us thinking: What are the most scenic holes on the PGA Tour?
Hawaii inspires that kind of thinking right out of the gate.
This list of some of the most scenic holes on the Tour schedule doesn’t focus on the holes themselves, even though they are a definitive part of their landscapes. Instead, this list asks this question: Would you want to spend a day at these spots even if golf had never been invented, just because the whole scene is so cool?
The answer for each is a definitive yes. Kapalua, Pebble Beach, Torrey Pines, Puntacana, Harbour Town, St. Andrews and Sea Island could draw a crowd even if there were no golf holes there. These are ideal meetings of surf, sand, sometimes sun and frequently selfies, making them among the most scenic sites in golf.
None of this is to say there aren’t beautiful holes elsewhere – even other beautiful holes in Hawaii, for example. But these might pack the most dramatic oomph on TV.
And it’s not to say there aren’t gorgeous golf holes away from the coasts. Augusta National’s blooms light up the Masters broadcast each year, and plenty of other Tour layouts thrill with great combinations of golf architecture and settings. But the holes listed below, simply put, blow our socks off each year when the cameras are turned on and the Tour pros take their shots. It’s Marketing 101: location, location, location.