Toughest/Most Demanding Course to Walk on the PGA Tour

[AzSuperHack76]

Just curious to hear everyone’s thoughts on the toughest/most demanding courses to walk on the PGA tour? 
 

I’m really interested to see what the biggest challenge would be for Tiger this upcoming season. 
 

 

Edited November 30, 2023 by AzSuperHack76

[buckI]

I always heard Kapalua is the hardest walk but Tiger not in the field.   With the hills it could be Augusta for him.

[OnTheBag]

Augusta is one of the toughest on the caddies.  I never worked an event at Kapalua, so I can't speak to that one, but any of the courses with constant rolling terrain or at high altitude are tough.  

 

The killer at Augusta is that the entire course has slope, so your feet are never flat the entire round.  

 

There used to be an event at TPC Summerlin near Vegas that was tough due to elevation.  I believe it was 1988 or 89 where we went from Houston to the Panasonic in Vegas in back to back weeks.  The elevation change was hell on us carrying the bags.  The other was an old tour stop called Castle Pines near Denver where we used to play the International.  6,000 foot of elevation was devastating without acclimatizing.  I worked it once and then skipped that week in subsequent years.  

[OnTheBag]

39 minutes ago, AzSuperHack76 said:

I’m really interested to see what the biggest challenge would be for Tiger this upcoming season. 

Sorry, I missed this part of your post.  

 

Current worst tour stop would be Augusta.

[DoughBack18]

Have also heard Kapalua and Augusta are brutes. Played Spyglass earlier this year and i’d have to imagine that wouldn’t be lots of fun to walk either. 

[Rob G 89]

To answer your question since Augusta isn’t a pga tour stop I’d say by just viewing it would have to be Wyndham championship due to heat and humidity. 

[st1800e]

1 hour ago, DoughBack18 said:

Played Spyglass earlier this year and i’d have to imagine that wouldn’t be lots of fun to walk either. 

At least it’s at sea level.  

[Dutch1008]

6 hours ago, OnTheBag said:

Augusta is one of the toughest on the caddies.  I never worked an event at Kapalua, so I can't speak to that one, but any of the courses with constant rolling terrain or at high altitude are tough.  

 

The killer at Augusta is that the entire course has slope, so your feet are never flat the entire round.  

 

There used to be an event at TPC Summerlin near Vegas that was tough due to elevation.  I believe it was 1988 or 89 where we went from Houston to the Panasonic in Vegas in back to back weeks.  The elevation change was hell on us carrying the bags.  The other was an old tour stop called Castle Pines near Denver where we used to play the International.  6,000 foot of elevation was devastating without acclimatizing.  I worked it once and then skipped that week in subsequent years.  

 

Pretty sure they’re going back to Castle Pines this year. Might be the BMW. 

[Creedo77]

Kapalua is the worst walk but they get shuttled in vans like 3/4 different times during tournament rounds 

 

John Deere is a tough walk, Hamilton CC where the Canadian Open is at this year is a tough walk too.

[aenemated]

7 hours ago, DoughBack18 said:

Played Spyglass earlier this year

 

I've walked Spyglass twice. I enjoyed how my caddy explained it to another guy in the group ...

 

"It's not called Spyglass Flats."

 

7 hours ago, OnTheBag said:

 

There used to be an event at TPC Summerlin near Vegas that was tough due to elevation. 

 

Surprised to read this one. I've walked Summerlin many, many times and I always found it to be a pretty easy stroll. Of course, my bag's far lighter than what you were carrying. 🙂

 

[OnTheBag]

1 hour ago, aenemated said:

Surprised to read this one. I've walked Summerlin many, many times and I always found it to be a pretty easy stroll. Of course, my bag's far lighter than what you were carrying. 🙂

It was likely due to the elevation change.  We always seemed to play Summerlin after 2-3 weeks on the Gulf Coast at sea level.  

[OnTheBag]

5 hours ago, Creedo77 said:

Kapalua is the worst walk but they get shuttled in vans like 3/4 different times during tournament rounds 

 

John Deere is a tough walk, Hamilton CC where the Canadian Open is at this year is a tough walk too.

Some friends still working the Senior Circuit complained about Fields Ranch East this year.  Said it was a ROUGH walk on a big property.  The 2026??? 2027??? PGA Championship will be held there.  

 

[Pepperturbo]

It depends on who you ask and their conditioning.  Walking golf courses is like hiking in the foothills...no biggie for those in condition.  Best ask the caddies, though; they carry the 50lb bag.  Best guess, either Augusta or Kapalua. 

 

I've walked Kapalua a few times in years past; it's like a day hike in the foothills, alongside a caddie carrying the bag.

[OnTheBag]

2 hours ago, Pepperturbo said:

It depends on who you ask and their conditioning.  Walking golf courses is like hiking in the foothills...no biggie for those in condition.  Best ask the caddies, though; they carry the 50lb bag.  Best guess, either Augusta or Kapalua. 

 

I've walked Kapalua a few times in years past; it's like a day hike in the foothills, alongside a caddie carrying the bag.

I see your point.  The only difference is doing that hike 4-6 days in a row (including practice rounds).  

[Pepperturbo]

2 minutes ago, OnTheBag said:

I see your point.  The only difference is doing that hike 4-6 days in a row (including practice rounds).  

Once conditioned, daily 18 holes plus, is a day's work. 

 

Back in 20s & 30s, we used to train in the Sierra mountains during winter.  Each of us carried a 70lb ruck, 12-15lb rifle, snow shoes and Nordic skies, herringbone up the mountain, ski down, cover 8–10 miles, snow camp and get up to do it over again, for two-three weeks.  Walking 18 for 3–4 days during a regional event was easy. 

[OnTheBag]

2 minutes ago, Pepperturbo said:

Once conditioned, daily 18 holes plus, is a day's work. 

 

Back in 20s & 30s, we used to train in the Sierra mountains during winter.  Each of us carried a 70lb ruck, 12-15lb rifle, snow shoes and Nordic skies, herringbone up the mountain, ski down, cover 8–10 miles, snow camp and get up to do it over again, for two-three weeks.  Walking 18 for 3–4 days during a regional event was easy. 

I get it.  I spent 3+ decades as a caddy on the various tours.  You become immune to most of it, but changing conditions week over week and adding in changing elevation made it tough, especially after I got into my 50's.  That daily grind for 35-40 weeks a year wears on the body after 30 years.  

[TiScape]

9 hours ago, aenemated said:

 

I've walked Spyglass twice. I enjoyed how my caddy explained it to another guy in the group ...

 

“It’s not called Spyglass Flats.”

 

 

Surprised to read this one. I've walked Summerlin many, many times and I always found it to be a pretty easy stroll. Of course, my bag's far lighter than what you were carrying. 🙂

 

By any chance was your caddy DMM?

[Pepperturbo]

16 minutes ago, OnTheBag said:

I get it.  I spent 3+ decades as a caddy on the various tours.  You become immune to most of it, but changing conditions week over week and adding in changing elevation made it tough, especially after I got into my 50's.  That daily grind for 35-40 weeks a year wears on the body after 30 years.  

I hear you.  You're right, immune is a good word.   I hope your body is holding better these days... 🙂

 

[aenemated]

12 minutes ago, TiScape said:

By any chance was your caddy DMM?

 

Oh, he's not that clever 😂

[TiScape]

20 minutes ago, aenemated said:

 

Oh, he's not that clever 😂

* I ♥️ U DMM 😊

[pga43]

Muifield Village for the Memorial is not a easy walk.

 

 

Greg

[3whacker]

the toughest one to walk when that staff bag gets real heavy, is when you stand on the 10th tee and you know you have no chance at the cut, then its the Green Mile

[OnTheBag]

11 hours ago, 3whacker said:

the toughest one to walk when that staff bag gets real heavy, is when you stand on the 10th tee and you know you have no chance at the cut, then its the Green Mile

Back in the 80's, that's when the Marlboro's started burning more rapidly.  

 

Sorry for the story, but I'm an old man and this is what we do.............Must have been '80 or '81, I was working for this guy.  He's a decent golfer but a total head case, so we hadn't made a cut in close to 2 months.  At some point mid-round on Friday, I decided I was quitting to find another gig.  We are on a Par 3 with an angular carry over a lake.  Maybe 160+/- to the landing spot.  We're something like 9 strokes beyond the cutline, so it doesn't matter at all.  He asked me the yardage, I gave it to him, he argues over a 2 or 3 yard difference between my calculations and his, and then I snapped.  I told him the way he was playing he'd be lucky to hit the green at all so don't worry about being that exact, then I handed him a club and said swing hard.  I kid you not.....that crazy rascal birdied 5 out of the next 6 and we ended up scaring the cut line.  I quit anyway, but was proud of him for waking up.

 

Sorry again.  When we get old, all we have left are memories and even those start to get fuzzy.  

Edited December 1, 2023 by OnTheBag

[Ferguson]

When considering the chance of being sandblasted, Doha GC is no cakewalk. 

 

[DoubleJay]

13 hours ago, 3whacker said:

the toughest one to walk when that staff bag gets real heavy, is when you stand on the 10th tee and you know you have no chance at the cut, then its the Green Mile

or when you're in the clubhouse three sheets to the wind during a t-storm delay, instead of suspending play they announce play will resume in 30 minutes....and you know you ain't finishing the 6 holes you have left before it gets dark

[phizzy30]

I've played Kapalua and Spyglass and those are long and tough tracks to walk.  Lots of elevation change and slopes. 

[Fairways_and_Greens]

On 11/30/2023 at 1:20 PM, Pepperturbo said:

Once conditioned, daily 18 holes plus, is a day's work. 

 

Back in 20s & 30s, we used to train in the Sierra mountains during winter.  Each of us carried a 70lb ruck, 12-15lb rifle, snow shoes and Nordic skies, herringbone up the mountain, ski down, cover 8–10 miles, snow camp and get up to do it over again, for two-three weeks.  Walking 18 for 3–4 days during a regional event was easy. 

Hopefully that's your 20s, and not the 1920s.

[bazzle18]

I'll second the comment regarding temperature and humidity in the scheduling.  For me, walking on a really hot and humid day on a flat course can be more exhausting than on a temperate day on a more hilly course. 

[me05501]

On 12/21/2023 at 9:23 AM, bazzle18 said:

I'll second the comment regarding temperature and humidity in the scheduling.  For me, walking on a really hot and humid day on a flat course can be more exhausting than on a temperate day on a more hilly course. 

 

I was going to throw out East Lake for that reason. Of course anyone who is there is on a great bag that season which probably makes it seem easier, but Atlanta in August with those hills can't be easy. 

[manku]

Riviera is really easy, but the hill on 18 and walk to clubhouse can be tough after a long day...I know it was when I was a standard bearer at the US Am a few years back.   I was praying they didn't go to overtime!