It is widely said that women are physically not as strong as men are. But this has definitely not deterred women from participating in one of the most demanding sports i.e. golf. Although the number of women golf players is in minority as compared to male golfers, the bright side is that this minority group has been rising in strength.
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Golf is a game of prestige, status, and skill.  It is one of the only truly fluid games where the venue makes all of the difference.  One can be a champion at one course and a loser at another.

One of the most interesting aspects of the game is that there is a certain level of challenge when it comes to the course itself.  Some courses favor power drivers, with long par fives, tall trees, and greens that are just out of reach for all but a few.  Other courses favor those with a strong short game with terrain that can take a ball in 3 different directions on its way to the cup.

Then, there are some courses that are just plain hard.  To highlight what many consider to be the most difficult golf course in the world, regardless of a golfer’s skill level, below you will find information of the 4 runner ups, Pine Valley, Meland Golfklubb, Mollymook, and Widow’s Walk.  After those, we have declared a winner.  Visit them with caution — they can break a golfer’s spirits as quickly as a double bogie.

Pine Valley Golf Club, Pine Valley, New Jersey

Regularly ranked the number one course in Golf Digest’s list of America’s 100 greatest courses, Pine Valley is praised for the consistent level of challenge and conditioning on each hole, requiring thoughtful placement of the ball from tee to green. Among its many accolades, Pine Valley has arguably the best collection of par fives and par threes in the world. The course prides itself in being one of the toughest challenges in all of golf, with a slope of 155 from the championship tees.

Meland Golfklubb, Bergen, Norway

With a stroke rating of 151 from its back tees, no other European course can compete with this (the highest possible rating is 155) and thus Melands par-73 course has been crowned Europes hardest test.  The playing area is fairly generous but nearly every hole runs through a corridor of trees and creates problems in the mind.  In addition to its distractingly beautiful setting, with both mountains and sea as neighbors, Meland Golf Club has a very aesthetic design. You won’t be the first to slow your pace and let others pass you on holes 8 through 13; the view toward the city of Bergen and its seven mountains, perhaps capped with snow even in May, is exceptional, and well worth missing your turn at the tee.

Mollymook Golf Club, Mollymook, Australia

The Championship Hilltop course is 18 holes of bushland beauty, situated so that you can still hear the waves rolling in on the pristine Mollymook Beach. The course is affectionately known as “The Ultimate Challenge” - a name earned from the players, not the designers.  With meandering tree-lined fairways and undulating greens, Hilltop provides a stern test for any golfer.

Widow’s Walk Golf Course, Scituate, Massachusetts

When Widow’s Walk Golf Course opened in 1997, to much fanfare from the likes of Golf Digest, the story goes that a foursome of local golf club professionals came by one day to play a round.

Widow’s Walk had its way with them: When the group finished they had lost around 10 golf balls, declared the course too difficult and vowed never to return. Everyday duffers complained as well. Members of Scituate’s board of selectmen, which oversees the golf course, had to admit that it wasn’t very player friendly.

Playing golf at Widow’s Walk is much like driving a 600-horsepower car on a twisty road. Both reward finesse over power. To golfers, this requires hitting the ball straight off of the tee.

The World’s Most Challenging Golf Course: Ko’olau Golf Club, Oahu, Hawaii

When the USGA declared Ko’olau as the toughest course in the country, it was only because their jurisdiction did not extend to the entire world.  Carved out of a magnificent tropical rain forest, Ko`olau Golf Club is one of the most inspiring golf experiences you will ever play.  Nestled below Oahu’s popular Pali lookout, Ko`olau features dramatic vistas of the windward side of the island and the Pacific Ocean, extreme elevation changes, winding ravines and an abundance of lush native vegetation.

The rugged landscape of this tropical jungle course uses ravines as the target for holes and boasts lush vegetation and huge sand bunkers. With a slope rating of 152, Ko’olau’s spectacular setting will inspire from beginning to end.  With hills, valleys, and traps that make finding the ball difficult if you lose track, it can frustrate any golfer into calling it a day before finishing the front nine.

Watch this shot — not a true representation of the amazing difficulty level, but it seems to be the best “teaser” on YouTube right now:

Are you good at Golf?  One visit to Ko’olau and you might not think so by the time you leave.