Teeing off on the toughest

V Krishnaswamy on the most difficult golf courses around the world today

The majors, they say, are the most difficult to win. And the courses they are played on, the toughest to handle. So it was proven again at the end of the 2004 season.

When the dust had settled down and everybody had come to terms with Tiger Woods having been tamed by Vijay Singh, the statistics revealed that the three toughest courses during 2004 were the ones on which the majors were played.

Among the four majors, Shinnecock Hills, which hosted the US Open, proved to be the monster, while the Royal Troon, which staged the British Open, was the next toughest.

Third in the list was the Augusta National, the permanent home of the US Masters. The venue of the fourth and final major, the PGA Championships, was Whistl-ing Straits, and it turned out to be the friendliest in comparison ranking as low as eighth in the list of toughest of the tough during 2004.

Three of the 18 holes at Shinnecock also figured in the 10 toughest holes of the year. The tenth, the seventh and sixth proved to be the third, sixth and seventh toughest holes during the season.

The toughest hole turned out to be the 18th at the Doral Resort and Spa, which hosted the Ford Championships. Interestingly, the course itself was only the 35th on the tough list, and had a four-round average of 71.57 on the par-72 course.

Retief Goosen, who showed no signs of nerves in the closing stages at the Shinnecock Hills, was the deserving winner of the US Open, while Vijay Singh was the winner at Whistling Straits, for the PGA Championships.

Todd Hamilton grabbed the British Open at the Troon, while Phil Mickelson won his first career major at the Masters at the Augusta National.

Whistling Straits, a former artillery range converted into a lakeside links by a well-to-do businessman, rated only 8th amongst the season's most demanding courses in 2004. Glen Abbey (the Bell Canadian Open), Torrey Pines (the Buick Invitational), Cog Hill (Cialis Western Open) and Spyglass Hill (AT & T Pebble Beach Pro Am) followed the three tough majors and they were followed by Whistling Straits.

The Shinnecock had come in for some very strong criticism, as the greens were extremely dry and fast.

In fact, at one stage in the third round, some of the greens were almost unplayable with even putts from as little as two feet becoming a nightmare. Overall, Shinnecock had the players hopping mad, as only two players, winner Goosen (four-under) and runner-up Mickelson (two-under), broke par for four rounds.

The average score per round at the course was 74.068 on the par-70 course, which had the pros wringing their hands in fury.

In comparison, the Royal Troon averaged 73.212 per round on the par-71 course, while Augusta's figures were 73.974 per round on the par-72 course and Whistling Straits came out at as the easiest at just 1.163 above the par of 72.

Vijay may have won his major on the easiest of the four courses at which the majors were played, but three of his nine titles during the year came on courses, which figured in the top eight of the toughest list. None of the others won more than one in the top 10 list. The AT&T Pebble Beach which was played over three courses, had one course in the tough 10 list, while the other two came pretty much down and the title went to Vijay.

One of the most interesting courses was the venue of the Buick Invitaional, which was played on the two courses at Torrey Pines. The South Course was adjudged the fifth toughest, while its North Course was much more forgiving and was as low as the 50th on the tough list.

On the other end of the spectrum, the easiest of all courses in the top 50 list were the three used during the five-round Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.

The par 71 Palmer course at PGA West averaged 69.252 per round and the par 72 courses at Bermuda Dunes and Indian Wells 68.591 and 68.07 respectively, the last being nearly four shots under par, surely a birdie-man's dream course. The winner was the ever-smiling Mickelson, who totalled a whopping 30-under for the 90 holes.

But Mickelson had other reasons to smile later, when he won the Masters, his first-ever major. Tough or easy, a title is what counts. And if it is a major, it is all the more sweet.

MEAN GREENS
The A-list of the toughest courses in the world:

1. Shinnecock Hills
2. Royal Troon
3. Augusta National
4. Glen Abbey
5. Torrey Pines