Pinehurst No. 2

Q: Which hole is hardest at Pinehurst No. 2?

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

Pinehurst, United States

Par

Holes

Yards

7,543

Par 3 / 4 / 5

4 · 12 · 2

Image: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)

Course Layout

169 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 · 5 layup holes.

#	Par	Yards	Plays Like	Shape	Call
1 - #2	4	401	403 +2y · +7ft	Slight dogleg left (14.2°)	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
2 - #2	4	478	478 +0y · +0ft	Straight	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
3 - #2	4	386	385 -1y · -3ft	Moderate dogleg right (26.4°)	Favor the left side off the tee — opens the angle for your approach.
4 - #2	4	506	508 +2y · +7ft	Slight dogleg left (20.3°)	LAYUP 506y par 4 with a slight dogleg. Treat as a three-shot hole unless you carry 280+ off the tee.
5 - #2	5	581	584 +3y · +10ft	Sharp dogleg left (43.9°)	LAYUP Par 5 at 581y — two-shot reach is elite only. Layup to your wedge distance wins scorecards.
6 - #2	3	226	231 +5y · +16ft	Straight	Par 3 — pick the club that fits the full yardage, not one short.
7 - #2	4	393	393 +0y · +0ft	Sharp dogleg right (57.0°)	LAYUP Sharp right-hand dogleg (57.0°). Driver runs through the corner — 3-wood or long iron off the tee.
8 - #2	5	485	476 -9y · -30ft	Straight	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
9 - #2	3	163	163 +0y · +0ft	Straight	Par 3 — pick the club that fits the full yardage, not one short.
10 - #2	5	615	612 -3y · -10ft	Straight	LAYUP Par 5 at 615y — two-shot reach is elite only. Layup to your wedge distance wins scorecards.
11 - #2	4	379	370 -9y · -30ft	Slight dogleg right (14.0°)	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
12 - #2	4	453	452 -1y · -3ft	Slight dogleg right (19.8°)	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
13 - #2	4	379	388 +9y · +30ft	Slight dogleg right (16.8°)	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
14 - #2	4	472	473 +1y · +3ft	Straight	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
15 - #2	3	210	207 -3y · -10ft	Straight	Par 3 — pick the club that fits the full yardage, not one short.
16 - #2	5	535	539 +4y · +13ft	Moderate dogleg left (25.8°)	LAYUP Par 5 at 535y — two-shot reach is elite only. Layup to your wedge distance wins scorecards.
17 - #2	3	208	211 +3y · +10ft	Slight dogleg right (20.4°)	Par 3 — pick the club that fits the full yardage, not one short.
18 - #2	4	444	452 +8y · +26ft	Straight	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
Total	72	7,314	Distances from OSM centerlines; elevation from SRTM (Open-Meteo).

Course by the Numbers

Calculated from 169 mapped features. Areas are measured directly from the polygon geometry.

126 bunkers

25,750 sq yd of sand — 7.0 bunkers per hole on average.

774 sq yd

Largest bunker on the course — bigger than most tees.

688 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.

0.73 ha of fairway

Total groomed playing surface across 15 fairway zones.

10 doglegs

2 sharp, 8 moderate. Plotting a line off the tee matters more here than pure distance.

5 layup holes

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

Hole 10 - #2: 615y

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

126 bunkers · 24 greens · 15 fairway zones · 3 tee boxes · 1 water hazards.

About Pinehurst No. 2

Pinehurst Resort is a golf resort in Pinehurst, North Carolina, United States. It has hosted a number of prestigious golf tournaments including four U.S. Open Championships, one U.S. Women's Open, three U.S. Amateurs, one PGA Championship, and the Ryder Cup.

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 76.5 · Slope 145 · Par 70 · 7,543 yards

Your Handicap	Course HCP	Expected Score	Over Par
5	13	89	+19
10	19	96	+26
15	26	102	+32
20	32	109	+39
25	39	115	+45
30	45	121	+51

Back

Rating 74.0 · Slope 140 · Par 70 · 7,000 yards

Your Handicap	Course HCP	Expected Score	Over Par
5	10	84	+14
10	16	90	+20
15	23	97	+27
20	29	103	+33
25	35	109	+39
30	41	115	+45

Middle

Rating 71.5 · Slope 133 · Par 70 · 6,500 yards

Your Handicap	Course HCP	Expected Score	Over Par
5	7	79	+9
10	13	85	+15
15	19	91	+21
20	25	97	+27
25	31	102	+32
30	37	108	+38

Forward

Rating 73.0 · Slope 130 · Par 70 · 5,600 yards

Your Handicap	Course HCP	Expected Score	Over Par
5	9	82	+12
10	15	88	+18
15	20	93	+23
20	26	99	+29
25	32	105	+35
30	38	111	+41

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	4	5	3	4	4	3	35	5	4	4	4	4	3	4	3	4	35	70
Yards	398	500	387	528	588	216	426	492	184	3,719	617	478	486	381	472	199	536	207	448	3,824	7,543
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 · 216 yards

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

Longest Hole

Hole 10

Par 5 · 617 yards

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

Scoring Opportunity

Hole 9

Par 3 · 184 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 · 536 yards

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

Pre-Round Checklist for Pinehurst No. 2

Know your average distance off the tee — budget for 12 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 10 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 Pinehurst No. 2

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:: 7,543
Par:: 70
Course Rating:: 76.5
Slope:: 145

Back

Yards:: 7,000
Par:: 70
Course Rating:: 74.0
Slope:: 140

Middle

Yards:: 6,500
Par:: 70
Course Rating:: 71.5
Slope:: 133

Forward

Yards:: 5,600
Par:: 70
Course Rating:: 73.0
Slope:: 130

Other Notable Courses near Pinehurst

Pinehurst No. 4

Pinehurst, United States

Par 71 ·18 holes ·7,045 yd

Mapped Strategy

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the par at Pinehurst No. 2?

Pinehurst No. 2 is a par 70 course with 18 holes measuring 7,543 total yards. Front nine par 35 (3,719 yards), back nine par 35 (3,824 yards).

What is the longest hole at Pinehurst No. 2?

The longest hole is hole 10, a par 5 playing 617 yards.

Which hole is hardest at Pinehurst No. 2?

Hole 6 has the lowest stroke index (1). It's a par 3 playing 216 yards.

What should I shoot at Pinehurst No. 2?

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.