Erin Hills

Q: Which hole is hardest at Erin Hills?

Hole 6 has stroke index 1 — the hardest hole on the scorecard.

Erin, United States

Par

Holes

Yards

6,933

Par 3 / 4 / 5

4 · 11 · 3

Course Layout

298 features mapped — fairways, greens, bunkers, tees, water. Data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Fairway Green Bunker Tee Water

Hole-by-Hole Strategy

Dogleg and layup calls derived from hole centerline geometry. 10 doglegs · 10 layup holes.

#	Par	Yards	Plays Like	Shape	Call
1	5	539	538 -1y · -3ft	Sharp dogleg left (41.4°)	LAYUP Par 5 at 539y — two-shot reach is elite only. Layup to your wedge distance wins scorecards.
2	4	363	368 +5y · +16ft	Slight dogleg right (16.2°)	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
3	4	517	520 +3y · +10ft	Slight dogleg left (21.7°)	LAYUP 517y par 4 with a slight dogleg. Treat as a three-shot hole unless you carry 280+ off the tee.
4	4	444	438 -6y · -20ft	Straight	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
5	4	499	502 +3y · +10ft	Slight dogleg left (12.2°)	LAYUP 499y par 4 with a slight dogleg. Treat as a three-shot hole unless you carry 280+ off the tee.
6	3	240	245 +5y · +16ft	Straight	Par 3 — pick the club that fits the full yardage, not one short.
7	5	612	604 -8y · -26ft	Slight dogleg left (19.0°)	LAYUP Par 5 at 612y — two-shot reach is elite only. Layup to your wedge distance wins scorecards.
8	4	503	502 -1y · -3ft	Moderate dogleg left (39.2°)	LAYUP 503y par 4 with a moderate dogleg. Treat as a three-shot hole unless you carry 280+ off the tee.
9	3	166	161 -5y · -16ft	Straight	Par 3 — pick the club that fits the full yardage, not one short.
10	4	522	530 +8y · +26ft	Straight	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
11	4	470	463 -7y · -23ft	Slight dogleg left (24.7°)	LAYUP 470y par 4 with a slight dogleg. Treat as a three-shot hole unless you carry 280+ off the tee.
12	4	498	494 -4y · -13ft	Moderate dogleg right (36.1°)	LAYUP 498y par 4 with a moderate dogleg. Treat as a three-shot hole unless you carry 280+ off the tee.
13	3	225	223 -2y · -7ft	Straight	Par 3 — pick the club that fits the full yardage, not one short.
14	5	621	623 +2y · +7ft	Straight	LAYUP Par 5 at 621y — two-shot reach is elite only. Layup to your wedge distance wins scorecards.
15	4	379	374 -5y · -16ft	Moderate dogleg left (31.6°)	Favor the right side off the tee — opens the angle for your approach.
16	3	190	194 +4y · +13ft	Straight	Par 3 — pick the club that fits the full yardage, not one short.
17	4	515	514 -1y · -3ft	Slight dogleg left (14.4°)	LAYUP 515y par 4 with a slight dogleg. Treat as a three-shot hole unless you carry 280+ off the tee.
18	5	641	643 +2y · +7ft	Straight	LAYUP Par 5 at 641y — two-shot reach is elite only. Layup to your wedge distance wins scorecards.
Total	72	7,944	Distances from OSM centerlines; elevation from SRTM (Open-Meteo).

Course by the Numbers

Calculated from 298 mapped features. Areas are measured directly from the polygon geometry.

136 bunkers

11,220 sq yd of sand — 7.6 bunkers per hole on average.

307 sq yd

Largest bunker on the course — bigger than most tees.

757 sq yd avg green

Classification: Large greens (~6,500 sq ft avg) — tough 3-putt territory. Huge surfaces — a 40-ft putt is a common outcome even from a good shot.

1593 sq yd

Largest green on the course — a three-club difference front-to-back is possible.

3.39 ha of fairway

Total groomed playing surface across 38 fairway zones.

10 doglegs

1 sharp, 9 moderate. Plotting a line off the tee matters more here than pure distance.

10 layup holes

Best played as three-shot holes for anyone outside single figures — chasing them turns pars into doubles.

Hole 18: 641y

The longest hole on the card — par 5. Know your layup number before you tee off.

136 bunkers · 19 greens · 38 fairway zones · 64 tee boxes · 0 water hazards.

About Erin Hills

Erin Hills is a golf course in the north central United States, located in Erin, Wisconsin, in Washington County, 35 miles (55 km) northwest of Milwaukee. The course officially opened in 2006. It hosted the 117th U.S. Open in 2017. The announcement was made in 2010. It was the first USGA regular men's event ever awarded to a course owned by an individual. The 2011 U.S. Amateur, won by Kelly Kraft, was also held at Erin Hills.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

What Should You Expect to Shoot?

These expected scores use the World Handicap System formula: your handicap index × slope ÷ 113, plus course rating. Use them to set a realistic target before you tee off.

Championship

Rating 74.5 · Slope 145 · Par 72 · 7,200 yards

Your Handicap	Course HCP	Expected Score	Over Par
5	9	83	+11
10	15	90	+18
15	22	96	+24
20	28	103	+31
25	35	109	+37
30	41	115	+43

Back

Rating 72.5 · Slope 138 · Par 72 · 6,700 yards

Your Handicap	Course HCP	Expected Score	Over Par
5	7	79	+7
10	13	85	+13
15	19	91	+19
20	25	97	+25
25	31	104	+32
30	37	110	+38

Middle

Rating 70.5 · Slope 130 · Par 72 · 6,200 yards

Your Handicap	Course HCP	Expected Score	Over Par
5	4	75	+3
10	10	81	+9
15	16	86	+14
20	22	92	+20
25	27	98	+26
30	33	104	+32

Forward

Rating 72.0 · Slope 128 · Par 72 · 5,400 yards

Your Handicap	Course HCP	Expected Score	Over Par
5	6	78	+6
10	11	83	+11
15	17	89	+17
20	23	95	+23
25	28	100	+28
30	34	106	+34

Scorecard

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Out	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	In	Total
Par	4	5	4	4	3	4	4	3	4	35	4	4	3	5	4	4	3	4	5	36	71
Yards	396	526	452	412	195	383	385	163	407	3,319	393	431	214	523	454	421	210	423	545	3,614	6,933
Stroke Index	7	3	13	11	17	1	9	15	5		8	4	16	2	10	6	18	12	14

Holes That Decide Your Round

Hardest Hole · SI 1

Hole 6

Par 4 · 383 yards

Play for the fat of the green and take bogey off the table. Build your pre-round plan →

Longest Hole

Hole 18

Par 5 · 545 yards

Three good shots beats two heroic ones. Bogey here is a solid result for anyone above 10 handicap.

Scoring Opportunity

Hole 8

Par 3 · 163 yards

Attack the pin — if your wedge game is on, this is where strokes get gained back.

Easiest Hole · SI 18

Hole 16

Par 3 · 210 yards

Expected par or better. If you drop a stroke here, it's usually a mental mistake — which is trackable.

Pre-Round Checklist for Erin Hills

Know your average distance off the tee — budget for 11 par-4 tee shots. Check 4 par-3 yardages — pick your go-to clubs now, not on the tee. Plan hole 6 (hardest) for bogey — don't chase birdie there. Hole 18 is long — know your layup number. Arrive 45 min early — 15 range, 10 short game, 10 putting, 10 to the tee.

Your Game Plan for Erin Hills

The scorecard tells you the course. The Grand Plan assessment tells you you — which part of your game is actually bleeding strokes. Pair both, and you have a pre-round strategy tailored to this course AND your weaknesses.

Take the 2-min Assessment Try the App Free for 30 Days

Tee Sets

Championship

Yards:: 7,200
Par:: 72
Course Rating:: 74.5
Slope:: 145

Back

Yards:: 6,700
Par:: 72
Course Rating:: 72.5
Slope:: 138

Middle

Yards:: 6,200
Par:: 72
Course Rating:: 70.5
Slope:: 130

Forward

Yards:: 5,400
Par:: 72
Course Rating:: 72.0
Slope:: 128

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the par at Erin Hills?

Erin Hills is a par 71 course with 18 holes measuring 6,933 total yards. Front nine par 35 (3,319 yards), back nine par 36 (3,614 yards).

What is the longest hole at Erin Hills?

The longest hole is hole 18, a par 5 playing 545 yards.

Which hole is hardest at Erin Hills?

Hole 6 has the lowest stroke index (1). It's a par 4 playing 383 yards.

What should I shoot at Erin Hills?

Use the expected-score table above — it's calculated from your handicap and this course's official WHS rating and slope. A 15 handicap typically shoots mid-80s to low-90s depending on the tee set; a 25 handicap mid-90s to low-100s. Track your actual scores against these targets to see how your game travels.