National Golf Links of America

Q: Which hole is hardest at National Golf Links of America?

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

Southampton, United States

Par

Holes

Yards

6,935

Par 3 / 4 / 5

3 · 12 · 3

Course Layout

405 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. 7 doglegs · 3 layup holes.

#	Par	Yards	Plays Like	Shape	Call
1	4	326	327 +1y · +3ft	Straight	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
2	4	319	327 +8y · +26ft	Sharp dogleg left (48.6°)	LAYUP Sharp left-hand dogleg (48.6°). Driver runs through the corner — 3-wood or long iron off the tee.
3	4	426	423 -3y · -10ft	Slight dogleg left (21.2°)	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
4	3	197	190 -7y · -23ft	Straight	Par 3 — pick the club that fits the full yardage, not one short.
5	4	474	475 +1y · +3ft	Straight	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
6	3	131	125 -6y · -20ft	Straight	Par 3 — pick the club that fits the full yardage, not one short.
7	5	487	493 +6y · +20ft	Slight dogleg right (22.3°)	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
8	4	404	404 +0y · +0ft	Straight	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
9	5	537	539 +2y · +7ft	Straight	LAYUP Par 5 at 537y — two-shot reach is elite only. Layup to your wedge distance wins scorecards.
10	4	452	448 -4y · -13ft	Slight dogleg left (24.7°)	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
11	4	434	432 -2y · -7ft	Slight dogleg left (14.7°)	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
12	4	461	455 -6y · -20ft	Straight	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
13	3	168	169 +1y · +3ft	Straight	Par 3 — pick the club that fits the full yardage, not one short.
14	4	399	393 -6y · -20ft	Sharp dogleg right (51.1°)	LAYUP Sharp right-hand dogleg (51.1°). Driver runs through the corner — 3-wood or long iron off the tee.
15	4	411	410 -1y · -3ft	Straight	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
16	4	475	482 +7y · +23ft	Straight	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
17	4	379	368 -11y · -36ft	Moderate dogleg left (28.4°)	Favor the right side off the tee — opens the angle for your approach.
18	5	491	490 -1y · -3ft	Straight	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
Total	72	6,971	Distances from OSM centerlines; elevation from SRTM (Open-Meteo).

Course by the Numbers

Calculated from 405 mapped features. Areas are measured directly from the polygon geometry.

278 bunkers

35,035 sq yd of sand — 15.4 bunkers per hole on average.

2990 sq yd

Largest bunker on the course — bigger than most tees.

963 sq yd avg green

Classification: Massive greens (>8,000 sq ft avg) — links/championship scale. Enormous — expect many first putts from 50+ feet.

4.1 ha of fairway

Total groomed playing surface across 17 fairway zones.

7 doglegs

2 sharp, 5 moderate. Plotting a line off the tee matters more here than pure distance.

3 layup holes

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

Hole 9: 537y

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

278 bunkers · 21 greens · 17 fairway zones · 46 tee boxes · 10 water hazards.

About National Golf Links of America

National Golf Links of America is a prestigious links-style golf course in Southampton, New York, located on Long Island between Shinnecock Hills Golf Club and Peconic Bay. Though the course is noted for hosting the initial Walker Cup in 1922, which the United States won 8 and 4, it has never hosted a major men's championship. The Walker Cup was again held at the National in 2013.

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 74.3 · Slope 139 · Par 72 · 6,935 yards

Your Handicap	Course HCP	Expected Score	Over Par
5	8	83	+11
10	15	89	+17
15	21	95	+23
20	27	101	+29
25	33	107	+35
30	39	114	+42

Back

Rating 72.3 · Slope 133 · Par 72 · 6,505 yards

Your Handicap	Course HCP	Expected Score	Over Par
5	6	78	+6
10	12	84	+12
15	18	90	+18
20	24	96	+24
25	30	102	+30
30	36	108	+36

Middle

Rating 68.8 · Slope 127 · Par 72 · 5,811 yards

Your Handicap	Course HCP	Expected Score	Over Par
5	2	71	+-1
10	8	77	+5
15	14	82	+10
20	19	88	+16
25	25	94	+22
30	31	99	+27

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	4	4	3	4	3	5	4	5	36	4	4	4	3	4	4	4	4	5	36	72
Yards	330	330	426	195	478	141	478	400	540	3,318	450	432	459	174	393	417	415	375	502	3,617	6,935
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 3 · 141 yards

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

Longest Hole

Hole 9

Par 5 · 540 yards

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

Scoring Opportunity

Hole 6

Par 3 · 141 yards

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

Easiest Hole · SI 18

Hole 16

Par 4 · 415 yards

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

Pre-Round Checklist for National Golf Links of America

Know your average distance off the tee — budget for 12 par-4 tee shots. Check 3 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 9 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 National Golf Links of America

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:: 6,935
Par:: 72
Course Rating:: 74.3
Slope:: 139

Back

Yards:: 6,505
Par:: 72
Course Rating:: 72.3
Slope:: 133

Middle

Yards:: 5,811
Par:: 72
Course Rating:: 68.8
Slope:: 127

Forward

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

Other Notable Courses near Southampton

Shinnecock Hills Golf Club

Champ

Southampton, United States

Par 71 ·18 holes ·7,063 yd

Mapped Strategy

Maidstone Club

East Hampton, United States

Par 71 ·18 holes ·7,155 yd

Mapped Strategy

Fishers Island Club

Fishers Island, United States

Par 72 ·18 holes ·6,566 yd

Mapped Strategy

Friar's Head

Baiting Hollow, United States

Par 71 ·18 holes ·7,104 yd

Mapped Strategy

Friar's Head Golf Club

Baiting Hollow, NY, United States

Par 71 ·18 holes ·7,033 yd

Mapped Strategy

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the par at National Golf Links of America?

National Golf Links of America is a par 72 course with 18 holes measuring 6,935 total yards. Front nine par 36 (3,318 yards), back nine par 36 (3,617 yards).

What is the longest hole at National Golf Links of America?

The longest hole is hole 9, a par 5 playing 540 yards.

Which hole is hardest at National Golf Links of America?

Hole 6 has the lowest stroke index (1). It's a par 3 playing 141 yards.

What should I shoot at National Golf Links of America?

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.