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The most iconic holes in golf…according to ChatGPT
What are the most iconic holes in golf? An iconic golf hole is typically one that is visually striking and strategically challenging, with a unique and memorable design — and the truly iconic holes in the game are the subject to endless 19th hole discussion and golf nerd internet debate.
What makes a golf hole iconic, anyway? There are plenty of possibilities, but most golfers consider the following to be important.
- A distinctive design: The hole should have a unique and memorable layout that makes it stand out from other holes on the course.
- Strategic challenges: The hole should require careful consideration of the golfer’s shot placement, taking into account hazards such as bunkers, water features, and elevation changes.
- Visual appeal: The hole should be visually stunning, with features such as scenic views, dramatic terrain, and memorable landmarks.
- Historical significance: The hole may have a special place in golf history, such as being the site of a famous shot or tournament.
- Difficulty: The hole should be challenging enough to test the skills of even the most experienced golfers, while still allowing for the possibility of a successful shot.
With this in mind, we asked the A.I. oracle ChatGPT for the most iconic holes in golf. Here is the response.
What are the most iconic holes in golf?
There are many iconic holes in golf, and different golf courses have their own signature holes that are beloved by fans and players alike. Here are a few of the most famous and iconic holes in golf:
Augusta National Golf Club, Hole 12: Known as “Golden Bell,” this is one of the most famous holes in golf and a centerpiece of the Masters Tournament. It’s a short par-3 over Rae’s Creek, with a narrow green surrounded by bunkers and swirling winds that make it a challenging and treacherous hole.
St. Andrews, Hole 18: Known as the “Road Hole,” this is one of the most famous finishing holes in golf. It’s a par-4 that requires a tee shot over the corner of the Old Course Hotel and a blind second shot to a green protected by a stone wall and a deep bunker.
Pebble Beach Golf Links, Hole 7: This iconic par-3 overlooks the Pacific Ocean and is one of the most photographed holes in golf. It requires a precise tee shot over the ocean to a small green that’s protected by a bunker and slopes steeply toward the water.
TPC Sawgrass, Hole 17: This par-3 island green is one of the most famous holes in golf and a signature of the Players Championship. It requires a precise tee shot over water to a green that’s entirely surrounded by a bunker and has been the site of many dramatic moments in golf history.
Cypress Point Club, Hole 16: This par-3 on the Monterey Peninsula is widely considered one of the most beautiful and scenic holes in golf. It’s a downhill tee shot over the Pacific Ocean to a green surrounded by rocks, trees, and sand dunes, with breathtaking views of the ocean and coastline in the background.
These are just a few of the most iconic holes in golf, but there are many more that could be added to the list. Each golf course has its own unique and memorable holes that capture the imagination and challenge golfers to test their skills and nerve.
As a follow-up, we inquired as to what makes a golf hole design good or bad.
There are several factors that can make a golf hole design good or bad. Here are some key considerations:
- Playability: A good golf hole design should be playable for golfers of all skill levels. It should offer enough challenge to keep the game interesting, but not be so difficult that it frustrates players.
- Strategy: A well-designed golf hole should require players to think strategically about their shots. It should offer multiple options for play, with risks and rewards for each.
- Aesthetics: A good golf hole should be visually appealing and fit in well with the overall course design. It should be designed with the natural features of the landscape in mind, and not look forced or contrived.
- Safety: A well-designed golf hole should be safe for players and spectators. Hazards such as water hazards, bunkers, and trees should be strategically placed and marked clearly to prevent accidents.
- Maintenance: A good golf hole should be designed with maintenance in mind. It should be easy to mow, maintain, and repair.
- Length: The length of a golf hole should be appropriate for its difficulty level. A hole that is too long can make it difficult for many players to score well, while a hole that is too short can make it too easy.
Overall, a good golf hole design should be enjoyable for players of all skill levels, provide a fair and challenging test of golf, and fit in well with the overall course design.
What do you think about the replies, GolfWRXers?
GolfWRX is on site this week at the Memorial Tournament, with both Alistair Cameron and Tour Photographer Greg Moore on the ground in Dublin, Ohio, where a strong field is assembled to pay homage to the Golden Bear.
In addition to WITB galleries, we’ve already been treated to an in-hand look at Tommy Fleetwood’s new TaylorMade Spider putters.
Check out links to all our photos below.
General Albums
WITB Albums
- Jason Day – WITB – 2026 The Memorial
- Chris Gotterup – WITB – 2026 The Memorial
- SungJae Im – WITB – 2026 The Memorial
Pullout Albums
- Jason Day’s 1off Payntr golf shoes – 2026 The Memorial
- JT Poston’s TaylorMade Spider – 2026 The Memorial
- Cameron putter – 2026 The Memorial
- Tommy Fleetwood’s TM Spider putters – 2026 The Memorial
- New Mitsubishi Chemical 1K Pro Orange shaft – 2026 The Memorial
Around the world, the golf wheel spun this final week in May of 2026. From New Jersey to Austria, with stops in Korea, Texas, and North Carolina (don’t let me route your next trip) the world’s finest put their golf games on display. There were three playoffs, some known commodities and some new talent. It was the sort of week that we hope to have at this point in the seasons. June and July afford double-digit major events, and perhaps, one of this week’s champions will use this success as a springboard to new heights. Time to run it all down, tech style, in this week’s Tour Tech Rundown.
Thanks to WITBHub, Today’s Golfer, GolfWRX, and Inside Tour Golf for initial research into equipment.
PGA Tour @ Charles Schwab Challenge: Heroic Henley denies Cole
Eric Cole did nearly everything that a fellow can do, to secure a first PGA Tour title. He stayed one shot clear of Ryder Cup player Ben Griffin. He kept US Open champion Gary Woodland and wunderkind Michael Brennan two shots distant. He posted 70 on day four to reach twelve under par. And then, Russell Henley revealed his Dr. Strange cloak. Henley made 47 feet of birdie putts on holes 16, 17, and 18, to jump from minus-nine to twelve-deep, and secured a spot in a playoff with Cole. The duo returned to the final tee, and put on a stripe show.
Both golfers found the fairway off the tee, and Henley improved on his regulation play with an approach to four feet. Cole did himself proud, tucking an iron to a dozen feet, but he was unable to convert the putt for three. Henley is one of the best putters on tour, and he proved it once more by draining a putt for a fourth consecutive birdie, and a sixth PGA Tour title. For Eric Cole, that first victory should come, and soon. He has done everything necessary to earn the chalice lift.
Henley’s Suitcase
- Driver: Titleist TSi3 at 10 degrees. Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 70g 6.5 TX
- Metal: Titleist TS3 at 16.5 degrees. Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 80 TX
- Hybrid: Titleist TSi2 at 21 degrees. Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT hybrid 100 TX
- Iron: Titleist T250 4-iron. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf AMT Tour White X100
- Irons: Titleist T100 5-6 irons. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf AMT Tour White X100
- Irons: Titleist T100 7-9 irons. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
- Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 at 48 and 50 degrees. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue X100
- Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 at 54 and 60 degrees. Shaft: rue Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue S400
- Putter: Titleist Scotty Cameron T5 Tour Prototype
LPGA @ Shoprite LPGA: Welcome back, Celine!
Soo Bin Joo had her eyes on a maiden LPGA title. She held the lead after two rounds, then hit a red light at the intersection of can-I and how-To. Joo posted plus-two on day three in New Jersey, and dropped to a T4 finish, which was still a career-best for the young Korean golfer. Instead of a new face, a familiar face returned to the top of the podium.
Celine Boutier was the It Girl in 2023. She collected four victories, including a major title at Evian. Boutier reached world number one status, then simply faded into the background. No wins came her way over the next 30 months. On Sunday, she collected LPGA victory number seven, at the same trace as LPGA victory number two.
Day three saw Boutier manage the windswept Seaview Bay course with six birdies and a bogey. She was challenged in the end by Thailand’s Arpichaya Yubol, who signed for a 66 of her own. Yubol came up one shot shy of the top ladder rung. Finishing in third place at -7, two back of the winner, was Ireland’s Lauren Walsh.
Celine’s Suitcase
- Driver: PXG 0311 Black Ops Tour-1 at 9 degrees. Shaft: Graphite Design AD IZ-5
- Hybrid: PXG 0311 Black Ops at 19 and 22 degrees. Shaft: KBS Hybrid Prototype
- Hybrid: PXG 0311 Gen5.
- Iron: PXG 0311 P Gen 4 5-9 irons
- Wedge: PXG 0311 T Gen 4 PW
- Wedges: PXG 0311 Sugar Daddy II at 50, 54, 58 degrees
- Putter: Bettinardi Studio Stock 3 DASS
DP World Tour @ Austrian Alpine: KK? KK!
Kota Kaneko has a rhythmic name. It has strong vowels and a run of voiceless stops in its crunchy K sounds. On Sunday in Austria, Kaneko put a stop to a challenge from Portugal’s Ricardo Gouveia and everyone else, and claimed a first-ever title on the DP World Tour. Gouveia did well to reach 16-under par over four days, but Kaneko held firm, two shots in the clear.
Davis Bryant of the USA also forged a strong challenge for the win. He ended in a tie with Gouveia for second place. Kaneko began and finished his final round in a bit of a malaise, but he caught fire midway through. Birdies at 10, 12, and 13 provided the necessary cushion to cruise to the finish line without breaking a serious sweat.
Kaneko’s Suitcase
- Driver: Ping Max G440
- Metals: TaylorMade Qi4D at 15, 16.5, 21, and 24 degrees
- Irons: TaylorMade P760 5 and 6 irons
- Irons: TaylorMade P7TW 7-9 irons
- Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design at 46, 52, 56, and 60 degrees
- Putter: Odyssey Ai-One Cruiser Arm Lock #7
Korn Ferry Tour @ UNC Health Championship: Improbably Alvaro
Alvaro Ortiz may have had a bit of scare on the outward nine on Sunday, but he came through in clutch fashion in the end. Ortiz began the day bogey-double, and added another double bogey at the 11th hole. He was mired in a downward trend, spiraling away from the top of the leader’s board. Ortiz found hope at the 14th, where his first birdie of the day tumbled home. Inspired, he closed with birdies and 17 and 18 to catch Ross Steelman at 10-under par, and the duo returned to the 18th deck for overtime.
The extra session concluded in brief time. Ortiz, buoyed by his newly-retrieved confidence, hit the fairway with driver, then approached to six feet and drained the putt. Gobsmacked, Steelman could do little more than smile and applaud, as his run at the top came to a close. The victory was the first for Ortiz on the KFT, and will implant him squarely in the chase for a PGA Tour promotion.
Alvaro’s Suitcase
- Driver: Ping G430 MAX driver at 9 degrees loft
- Metal: Ping G430 MAX 3W
- Iron: Ping iDi Driving Iron
- Irons: Ping Blueprint S irons
- Wedges
- Putter: Scottsdale TR Piper C
A party on the green!
Alvaro’s time comes in Raleigh with his first win @UNCHealthChamp ? pic.twitter.com/2dmtZdbSzk
— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) May 31, 2026
LIV @ Korea: Me llamo Joaquin
Chile’s Joaquin Niemann had been away from the LIV winner’s circle throughout all of 2026. This week in Korea, he reminded us that he is still a force to consider. Niemann chased down Taylor Gooch over the closing holes at Asiad Country Club, then claimed victory with a hole-one birdie in extra time. Bryson DeChambeau claimed solo third, one shot in arrears at minus-eleven. Dustin Johnson finished on fourth, one putt farther back.
Niemann’s Suitcase
- Driver: Ping 440 LST
- Metal: Ping G440 Max at 15 degrees
- Metal: Ping G425 Max at 21 degrees
- Hybrid: Ping G430 at 25 degrees
- Irons: Ping Blueprint S 5 through PW
- Wedges: Ping S159 at 52, 56, and 60 degrees
- Putter: Ping PLD Anser
Driver: Titleist TSi3 (10 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 70 6.5 TX
3-wood: Titleist TS3 (16.5 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 80 TX
7-wood: Titleist GTS3 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Project X Denali Black 80 TX
Irons: Titleist T250 (4), Titleist T100 (5-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold AMT (4-6), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (7-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 (48-10F @47, 50-08F @51, 54-10S @55, 60-04T)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (48), S400 (47)
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom X5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Aaron Rai’s winning WITB: 2026 PGA Championship
Russell Henley’s winning WITB: 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
Photos from the 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
CJ Cup Byron Nelson Tour Report: Koepka and Kim’s newest putters finally get hot
Charles Schwab Challenge Tour Report: MacIntyre, Åberg and Spaun all switch putters, TaylorMade launches new Spider
Details on J.J. Spaun’s surprise putter switch
GolfWRX Launch Report: 2026 Titleist GTS drivers
Photos from the 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
PGA Championship Tour Report: Fitzpatrick, Koepka among big-name putter switches for Aronimink
Photos from the ShopRite LPGA
Maria Torres WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4 3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4 5-wood: Ping G440...
Eric Cole WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: PXG Lightning Tour Max (9 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 70 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (15 degrees) Shaft:...
Si Woo Kim WITB 2026 (May)
Driver: Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond (8.5 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X Mini driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Mini...
Wyndham Clark’s winning WITB: 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D (10.5 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 60 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D Tour (15 degrees) Shaft: Project...
Glen
Apr 24, 2023 at 8:43 am
Well if you ever wondered if the staff read the comments, wonder no more – they still haven’t fixed the “St. Andrews, Hole 18” mistake.
Chuck
Apr 6, 2023 at 2:16 pm
The Road Hole is 17 (the YouTube video got it right).
This is a cute list of some nice Par 3’s. And the Text of the article — suggesting that strategic choice is one of the essential elements of a great hole — is correct. But what is the strategy involved in the ChatGPT list of (admittedly) dramatic Par 3’s? ChatGPT; hereafter, “It.”
It didn’t mention the Redan at North Berwick (West). Shameful.
It didn’t mention the short 10th at Riviera. Quite possibly the single most interesting hole on the PGA Tour.
It mentioned the 12th at Augusta but left off the hole that best fulfills the article’s stated criteria, “strategic choice”; the famous Par-4.5, the 13th.
It made no mention of any of the other great “Template” holes in golf; Biarritz, Alps, Cape, Eden, etc. It lucked into the “Road” template seemingly by accident. All of the templates are great precisely because of risk/reward choices.
Euan Hardman
Mar 20, 2023 at 12:11 pm
Well apart from getting the commentary on the 17th at St Andrews wrong, I can’t disagree with the article. Other iconic holes?
8th at Troon – I’ve used a SW and a 5 iron on consecutive rounds and it’s only 125 yards.
3rd at Old Prestwick – You tee off heading South and play your 3rd heading North amazing par 5.
15th at Goswick Links – look it up.