Pinehurst No. 4

Q: Which hole is hardest at Pinehurst No. 4?

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

Pinehurst, United States

Par

Holes

Yards

7,045

Par 3 / 4 / 5

4 · 11 · 3

Image: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)

Course Layout

131 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. 13 doglegs · 3 layup holes.

#	Par	Yards	Plays Like	Shape	Call
1 - #4	4	454	450 -4y · -13ft	Sharp dogleg right (74.9°)	LAYUP Sharp right-hand dogleg (74.9°). Driver runs through the corner — 3-wood or long iron off the tee.
2 - #4	4	468	466 -2y · -7ft	Slight dogleg right (20.2°)	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
3 - #4	4	425	420 -5y · -16ft	Slight dogleg left (15.9°)	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
4 - #4	3	157	165 +8y · +26ft	Straight	Par 3 — pick the club that fits the full yardage, not one short.
5 - #4	5	421	429 +8y · +26ft	Moderate dogleg right (25.8°)	Favor the left side off the tee — opens the angle for your approach.
6 - #4	3	218	212 -6y · -20ft	Straight	Par 3 — pick the club that fits the full yardage, not one short.
7 - #4	4	335	339 +4y · +13ft	Slight dogleg right (23.1°)	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
8 - #4	4	401	404 +3y · +10ft	Straight	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
9 - #4	5	532	526 -6y · -20ft	Straight	LAYUP Par 5 at 532y — two-shot reach is elite only. Layup to your wedge distance wins scorecards.
10 - #4	4	436	437 +1y · +3ft	Sharp dogleg right (40.3°)	LAYUP Sharp right-hand dogleg (40.3°). Driver runs through the corner — 3-wood or long iron off the tee.
11 - #4	5	498	502 +4y · +13ft	Moderate dogleg right (35.5°)	Favor the left side off the tee — opens the angle for your approach.
12 - #4	3	211	203 -8y · -26ft	Slight dogleg left (14.1°)	Par 3 — pick the club that fits the full yardage, not one short.
13 - #4	5	493	496 +3y · +10ft	Slight dogleg left (22.9°)	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
14 - #4	3	208	189 -19y · -62ft	Moderate dogleg left (33.0°)	Favor the right side off the tee — opens the angle for your approach.
15 - #4	4	339	346 +7y · +23ft	Moderate dogleg right (30.3°)	Favor the left side off the tee — opens the angle for your approach.
16 - #4	4	302	306 +4y · +13ft	Slight dogleg left (12.2°)	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
17 - #4	4	591	598 +7y · +23ft	Straight	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
18 - #4	5	481	487 +6y · +20ft	Slight dogleg left (24.4°)	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
Total	73	6,970	Distances from OSM centerlines; elevation from SRTM (Open-Meteo).

Course by the Numbers

Calculated from 131 mapped features. Areas are measured directly from the polygon geometry.

94 bunkers

78,001 sq yd of sand — 5.2 bunkers per hole on average.

42523 sq yd

Largest bunker on the course — bigger than most tees.

730 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.

1103 sq yd

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

2.12 ha of fairway

Total groomed playing surface across 6 fairway zones.

13 doglegs

2 sharp, 11 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 17 - #4: 591y

The longest hole on the card — par 4. Know your layup number before you tee off.

94 bunkers · 17 greens · 6 fairway zones · 12 tee boxes · 1 water hazards.

About Pinehurst No. 4

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 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	455	583	446	386	172	404	438	170	409	3,463	453	468	160	541	415	400	164	397	584	3,582	7,045
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 · 404 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 · 584 yards

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

Scoring Opportunity

Hole 12

Par 3 · 160 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 · 164 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. 4

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 Pinehurst No. 4

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

Other Notable Courses near Pinehurst

Pinehurst No. 2

Pinehurst, United States

Par 70 ·18 holes ·7,543 yd

Mapped Strategy

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the par at Pinehurst No. 4?

Pinehurst No. 4 is a par 71 course with 18 holes measuring 7,045 total yards. Front nine par 35 (3,463 yards), back nine par 36 (3,582 yards).

What is the longest hole at Pinehurst No. 4?

The longest hole is hole 18, a par 5 playing 584 yards.

Which hole is hardest at Pinehurst No. 4?

Hole 6 has the lowest stroke index (1). It's a par 4 playing 404 yards.

What should I shoot at Pinehurst No. 4?

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.