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Where Royal Troon’s ‘The Railway’ ranks among 50 toughest Open holes of 21st century


As far as Open Championship venues go, Royal Troon isn’t particularly stout, ranking as the third easiest on the rota.

It’d be much easier if not for “The Railway.”

The par-4 11th hole has historically been the toughest hole on property, including in 2016, the last time the Open visited Troon, when its 4.561 scoring average ranked it as the most difficult hole on the PGA Tour that season.

What makes this hole so punishing? Let’s start with the tee shot; at 490 yards and usually playing directly into a northwest wind, it’s hard to leave the lumber in the bag. Railroad tracks run down the entirety of the right side of the hole, and at about 300 yards from the tee, the boundary wall sits just 20 yards from the right edge of the fairway. Of course, there is no bailout left, either; thick gorse litters the left side of the fairway, which is only about 30 yards wide in the landing area for most of these players.

The tracks are in play on the second shot, too, with the wall just steps from the right edge of the green. There is also a deep, greenside pot bunker just off the front-left portion of the putting surface.

“11 is a great example, just get that one on the fairway,” Bryson DeChambeau said. “It’s a very difficult, difficult hole. If the wind picks up, it may be driver. There are times where it has to be driver. You can’t hit 3-wood or 5-wood; it’s just too short. I could hit a 3-wood, and if it’s 15, 20 miles an hour into the wind, it could go 250 yards, 240 yards depending on the height. If it’s raining too, that plays a big factor, as well.

“So, there are times where you may be forced to hit driver, and you’ve just got to suck it up and hit a good drive.”

“The Railway” has produced its fair share of disasters, including in 1962 when Jack Nicklaus carded a ’10’ on the hole. More recently, Thomas Pieters delivered one of the more memorable moments of frustration, snapping his club over his knee and chucking both pieces of iron into some gorse.

But where does Troon’s intimidating No. 11 rank among all holes in this championship since 2001? Here is a list of the 50 toughest of the 21st century so far; 2016’s version of “The Railway” cracks the top 10, though just barely:

YEAR

COURSE

HOLE

PAR

YARDS

AVG OVER PAR

2008

Royal Birkdale

6

4

499

0.764

2010

St. Andrews

17

4

495

0.665

2015

St. Andrews

17

4

495

0.655

2005

St. Andrews

17

4

455

0.626

2007

Carnoustie

18

4

487

0.611

2003

Royal St. George’s

8

4

455

0.575

2016

Royal Troon

11

4

482

0.561

2011

Royal St. George’s

4

4

495

0.521

2008

Royal Birkdale

1

4

450

0.513

2003

Royal St. George’s

17

4

428

0.489

2012

Royal Lytham

6

4

492

0.478

2003

Royal St. George’s

18

4

460

0.478

2012

Royal Lytham

3

4

478

0.472

2022

St. Andrews

17

4

495

0.456

2009

Turnberry

5

4

474

0.453

2003

Royal St. George’s

1

4

442

0.443

2008

Royal Birkdale

11

4

436

0.437

2001

Royal Lytham

15

4

465

0.433

2017

Royal Birkdale

6

4

499

0.427

2018

Carnoustie

12

4

503

0.426

2008

Royal Birkdale

10

4

408

0.42

2012

Royal Lytham

15

4

462

0.415

2004

Royal Troon

11

4

490

0.413

2013

Muirfield

8

4

443

0.406

2001

Royal Lytham

3

4

458

0.404

2016

Royal Troon

15

4

499

0.403

2013

Muirfield

4

3

213

0.398

2013

Muirfield

6

4

469

0.398

2008

Royal Birkdale

16

4

439

0.395

2007

Carnoustie

12

4

479

0.389

2005

St. Andrews

13

4

465

0.389

2003

Royal St. George’s

15

4

475

0.388

2013

Muirfield

18

4

448

0.387

2013

Muirfield

14

4

449

0.383

2013

Muirfield

10

4

475

0.373

2013

Muirfield

15

4

415

0.373

2002

Muirfield

1

4

447

0.37

2016

Royal Troon

10

4

451

0.369

2011

Royal St. George’s

8

4

453

0.369

2014

Royal Liverpool

7

4

480

0.367

2001

Royal Lytham

17

4

467

0.362

2008

Royal Birkdale

2

4

421

0.361

2013

Muirfield

16

3

186

0.36

2018

Carnoustie

16

3

248

0.358

2002

Muirfield

10

4

475

0.355

2006

Royal Liverpool

12

4

448

0.353

2019

Royal Portrush

11

4

474

0.352

2019

Royal Portrush

14

4

473

0.349

2023

Royal Liverpool

14

4

454

0.347



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