Oakmont, Pennsylvania tops the list as the toughest tested course, posting a 2025 U.S. Open opening-round scoring average of 74.64, with a USGA-stamped rating of 78.1 and a slope of 150, and iconic features like lightning-fast greens, brute length, and the Church Pews bunkers.

Pine Valley, New Jersey remains a fearsome design by George Crump, loaded with deep pot bunkers and expansive sandy wastes, a layout that has challenged players for generations despite modern equipment advances.

Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York is a public-access mega-test by A.W. Tillinghast, with a deceptive opening and a sequence of long, punishing holes demanding long irons and hybrids, anchored by the famous warning at the first tee.

Carnoustie in Scotland is renowned for brutal length, dense rough, wind-swept conditions off the North Sea, and a string of notorious bunkers, with the Barry Burn and past Opens reinforcing its stern reputation.

GOLF’s World Top 100 Courses ranking spotlights five especially challenging layouts for experienced players when played from the tips.

Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland is a demanding test intensified by weather, opening stretch pressure, and the infamous Calamity Hole, even as occasional benign rounds like Scottie Scheffler’s 2025 Open score show its variability.