The DP World Tour plays fictional golf and we like the proposal. The European Circuit has drawn up a list of the 18 most dramatic holes for the players who competed in the 22-23 season. A total of 864 flags in 48 different designs were faced by the golfers last season and, judging by the highest scores in each one, the most severe virtual course would be a par 70 (34 on the first nine and 36 on the second) with 7,304 meters in length, with a total of 16 par 4s and two par 3s, therefore, without any par 5 in the layout. The average number of strokes per round would be no less than 78: eight over par…
There is a tournament that prevails over the rest by having five of the 18 most difficult flags on the Tour (and six of the 30 most stormy): the ISPS Handa World Invitational in Northern Ireland. It is true that this event is held at two different venues, the Galgorm Castle GC and the Castlerock GC. The former has two holes in this ranking and the latter boasts three flags that pose headaches for the members of the DP World Tour. Below we list the 18 most stormy holes for the players during the past course:
1- West Course at Wentworth. The most challenging hole 1 of all those played in the previous campaign was the West Course at Wentworth, a 432-meter par 4, at the BMW PGA Championship. In a high-flying event that included the 12 competitors from the European Ryder Cup team, there were only 20 birdies throughout the week, compared to 118 bogeys and 14 double bogeys or worse. The winner, Ryan Fox, averaged par on this flag over the four days. The tournament average on this hole was +0.30 strokes.
2- Mont Choisy Le Golf. This 397-meter par 4 at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open is a tough nut to crack. On the third hardest hole of the course that week, 38 birdies were recorded, but there were also heavy scores with 20 double bogeys or worse. Antoine Rozner made one over par in his four rounds. The tournament average was +0.33.
3- Galgorm Castle. The third flag (par 4 of 426 meters) of one of the two courses where the ISPS Handa World Invitational was played barely produced 18 birdies. The tournament winner, Daniel Brown, tied on that hole, making birdie in the second round and bogey on the last day. The average was +0.39.
4- Castlerock. This 182-meter par 3 on the other course of the Northern Irish ISPS Handa World Invitational proved to be another headache for the players. Despite being only the sixth hardest hole of the week, no par 3 was more traumatic on the DP World Tour. It was only played once and six birdies were recorded. The average was +0.37.
5- Castlerock. Hole 5 of this same course (par 4 of 436 meters) gave a lot of trouble and was the most difficult of the tour throughout the campaign. Only one birdie was signed, with the seal of Gary Stal, although the Frenchman could not make the cut. The average was +0.79.
6- Oak Hill. The Rochester course was the venue for the PGA Championship and its sixth flag has a crumb. Over the four days, on this 378-meter par 4, 52 double bogeys were recorded, 31 more than the next hole with higher scores. Brooks Koepka made a birdie and a bogey on his way to his third Wanamaker Trophy. Justin Rose was the only one in the top 10 who played the hole under par. The average was +0.52.
7- Leopard Creek. The seventh stop on this beautiful layout was the most difficult of the Alfred Dunhill Championship. There were 40 birdies in the four rounds for 46 double bogeys or worse on this 178-meter par 3. Deon Germishuys signed a sextuple bogey in the third round. The average was +0.41.
8- Marco Simone. For the second consecutive year, this flag appears on our hardest virtual course of the course. On the eighth hole of Marco Simone, which hosted the Italian Open and later the Ryder Cup, only 25 birdies were achieved throughout the week, four less than in 2022. Jorge Campillo and Sebastian Söderberg were the only ones in the top ten who went under par on this long par 4 of 480 meters. The average was +0.58.
9- Oak Hill. We return to the last venue of the PGA Championship to analyze this difficult par 4 of 382 meters. Statistically, it was the third hardest hole of that week and only 32 birdies were made. Only Rory McIlroy and Rose defeated that flag on the four days. The average was +0.34.
10- Castlerock. The challenge of this Northern Irish course of the ISPS Handa World Invitational was not for the faint-hearted. We return for the third time to this links. There were only six birdies on this 443-meter par 4 and it ended the week as the third hardest hole of the event. The average was +0.44.
11- St. Francis Links. This 417-meter par 4 was one of the nine holes that were played over par at the SDC Championship. Only 30 birdies were signed throughout the week. Despite achieving a victory by seven strokes, Matthew Baldwin scored two bogeys on this flag and only two players in the top ten played under par. It’s no wonder it was the hardest hole of that week. The average was +0.43.
12- Al Hamra GC. This 444-meter par 4 is our first stop in Asia (Ras Al Khaimah Championship). There were 36 double bogeys, double the second hardest hole of that week. Nicolai Højgaard scored the only eagle of the event on this flag. The average was +0.47.
13- Galgorm Castle. Fifth and last mention to the ISPS Handa World Invitational. It was the most severe flag of Galgorm Castle, with 20 birdies and 30 double bogeys or worse on this 393-meter par 4; Eddie Pepperell, third, finished on this hole with two under par. The average was +0.44.
14- DLF Golf and Country Club. Very long par 4 of 489 meters, this hole of the Hero Indian Open totaled 122 bogeys during the week. The winner, Marcel Siem, made a mistake in each of the first three rounds. Kazuki Higa was the only one in the top 5 who finished under par. The average was +0.41.
15- Houghton GC. Another flag to take up arms this one from the Joburg Open with an extension of no less than 490 meters (remember, par 4). It was the eighth hardest hole of the entire season, with 140 bogeys and 53 double bogeys, the maximum of the week. Dan Bradbury, the final winner, made a double bogey and a bogey in his first two rounds, while the runner-up, Sami Välimäki, played the hole in three under par. The average was +0.47.
16- Kingston Heath GC. Along with the Victoria GC, Kingston Heath hosted the Australian Open, a men’s and women’s tournament. In the round that all the boys played on this 436-meter par 4 of this course, 62 bogeys or worse were committed. Despite the palpable difficulty, it was not the hardest hole of that week. The average was +0.44.
17- Victoria GC. On this 460-meter par 4 of the other venue of the Australian Open, only 11 birdies were made and only three of them came from players who finished in the top ten; in addition, there were 73 bogeys. The average was +0.54.
18- Le Golf National. The worst hole to close a tournament was the one at the French Open, a 430-meter par 4, witness to a good dose of drama over the years, with six matches of the 2018 Ryder Cup decided on its green. On his debut at this event, Ryo Hisatsune showed that experience is not everything, as he played the exciting final flag with a balance of -1, making birdie in the second round. No other player among the top five could match that feat. There were also 106 bogeys and 53 double bogeys or worse. The average was +0.47.
