maps.golfThe hardest golf courses, by slope rating
We ranked 36 courses with a maps.golf guide using the numbers on their own scorecards. Bethpage Black is the hardest: a slope of 155 from the Championship tees (course rating 77.5).
Updated October 23, 2026
| # | Course | Location | Slope | Rating | Tees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bethpage Black | Farmingdale, NY | 155 | 77.5 | Championship |
| 2 | Kiawah Island – Ocean Course | Kiawah Island, SC | 153 | 77.4 | Black |
| 3 | Whistling Straits – Straits Course | Sheboygan, WI | 152 | 77.2 | Black |
| 4 | PGA West – Stadium Course | La Quinta, CA | 148 | 76.0 | Black |
| 5 | Arcadia Bluffs – Bluffs Course | Arcadia, MI | 146 | 75.7 | Championship |
| 6 | Bay Harbor Golf Club – Links/Quarry | Bay Harbor, MI | 146 | 73.9 | Brown |
| 7 | Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course | Stateline, NV | 145 | 75.5 | Gold |
| 8 | Shadow Creek | North Las Vegas, NV | 145 | 74.5 | Championship |
| 9 | Waldorf Astoria Golf Club | Orlando, FL | 145 | 74.5 | Black |
| 10 | Tobacco Road Golf Club | Sanford, NC | 145 | 72.5 | Ripper |
| 11 | Pebble Beach Golf Links | Pebble Beach, CA | 144 | 74.9 | Blue |
| 12 | Yale Golf Course | New Haven, CT | 144 | 74.7 | Championship |
| 13 | White Heron Golf Club | Davenport, FL | 143 | 76.5 | Black |
| 14 | Vidanta Vallarta (Norman Signature Course) | Other | 143 | 75.1 | Negras / Black |
| 15 | Bandon Dunes | Bandon, OR | 143 | 74.1 | Black |
| 16 | Disney - Magnolia | Lake Buena Vista, FL | 142 | 76.6 | Classic |
| 17 | Mission Inn - El Campeón | Howey-in-the-Hills, FL | 142 | 74.6 | Black |
| 18 | El Cardonal at Diamante | Other | 140 | 75.9 | I |
| 19 | Southern Dunes Golf & Country Club | Haines City, FL | 140 | 75.0 | Black |
| 20 | Bay Hill Golf Club | Orlando, FL | 136 | 73.9 | Green |
| 21 | Clermont National | Clermont, FL | 136 | 72.7 | Black |
| 22 | Big Cedar Lodge – Ozarks National | Hollister, MO | 135 | 74.1 | Ozarks |
| 23 | Big Cedar Lodge – Buffalo Ridge | Hollister, MO | 134 | 74.0 | Buffalo |
| 24 | Disney - Palm | Lake Buena Vista, FL | 134 | 73.3 | Blue |
| 25 | Forest Lake Golf Club | Apopka, FL | 133 | 74.6 | Green |
| 26 | Arcadia Bluffs – South Course | Arcadia, MI | 132 | 75.6 | Black |
| 27 | Big Cedar Lodge – Payne's Valley | Hollister, MO | 132 | 75.6 | Tiger |
| 28 | Eagle Creek Golf Club | Orlando, FL | 132 | 74.1 | Black |
| 29 | Legends Clermont | Clermont, FL | 132 | 72.9 | Gold |
| 30 | Old Macdonald | Bandon, OR | 131 | 74.4 | Black |
| 31 | Bandon Trails | Bandon, OR | 130 | 73.6 | Black |
| 32 | Disney's Oak Trail Golf Course | Lake Buena Vista, FL | 126 | 67.6 | White |
| 33 | Is Molas Golf Club | Other | 123 | 73.1 | Black |
| 34 | Highlands Reserve Golf Club | Davenport, FL | 123 | 71.9 | Black |
| 35 | Dubsdread Golf Course | Orlando, FL | 123 | 70.0 | Black |
| 36 | Arlington Ridge Golf Club | Leesburg, FL | 117 | 71.2 | Gold |
How we ranked them
Slope rating measures how much harder a course plays for a bogey golfer than for a scratch golfer; 113 is average and 155 is the maximum. Each course is ranked by the highest men's slope on its own scorecard, from whichever tees carry it. Ties go to the higher course rating.
The list covers courses with a free maps.golf guide whose scorecard we’ve published, and it updates on its own as new guides go live. Numbers are as printed on each course’s card; courses re-rate and re-tee, so check the course’s own scorecard before you play. Running one of these courses and see a wrong number? Tell us.
You’re welcome to cite or link this ranking; please credit maps.golf.