This week brings the 2025 PGA Championship and Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. This beast of a golf course is as difficult as it is beautiful, with huge rolling hills, massive pine trees, and cavernous white-sand bunkers.
Designed by George Cobb in 1961, Quail Hollow is not the most creative or nuanced layout you'll ever see, as it was created at a time when the primary focus was on making courses as long and difficult as possible. In fairness, this track undoubtedly gets the job done in those departments.
Quail Hollow is a long, punishing brute with many grueling holes
Memorable Holes: 7.5
As I discuss on my podcast, Linksworms, there are a number of ordinary, cookie-cutter par-4s at Quail Hollow that are defined only by their length. However, there are also many exciting and beautiful holes.
For example, the par-5 seventh is a fun scoring opportunity where danger lurks. Water runs tight to the right side of this entire 546-yard hole; the lower-right section of this two-tiered green is guarded by this water hazard, making it a precarious area for a hole location.
To access holes cut on the right side, players can use the slope from the upper tier of the green to bring the ball down to the right side.
Interest: 6.5
As previously mentioned, many holes at Quail Hollow are long but mundane, though there are still plenty of gems. The par-5 15th is one of the best holes on the course.
At 577 yards, it is reachable in two, but with the second shot playing significantly uphill, players must find the fairway off the tee. Those who don't will have to negotiate the water that cuts into the fairway around 200 yards from the hole.
The green is elevated and has a severe false front that will propel shots off the front of the green and down the hill.
There is a slope to the right of the green that players can use to bank shots onto the putting surface, but any miss to the right will leave a delicate downhill bunker shot about 20 yards away from the green.
Par-3s: 7.5
The par 3s at Quail Hollow are long and hard. The shortest hole on the course is hole No. 4 at 184 yards. The green is wide and extremely difficult to putt with tons of movement; it is also guarded by three bunkers at the front.
The 249-yard sixth is the course's longest par-3, and it is absolutely spectacular, playing dramatically downhill from tee to green with one bunker short and one long.
The 205-yard 13th is an interesting par-3 because it plays uphill from tee to green, a relatively atypical trait for a one-shot hole.
Lastly, the infamous 17th measures 223 yards, and the green is surrounded by water on three sides. There is a bunker guarding the front-right portion of the green and a closely mown chipping area to the left. Aside from those exceptions, any miss will plunge to the bottom of the lake.
Difficulty: 9.0
Quail Hollow will play extremely difficult due to its length, tightness, and the hazards around the greens. The final three holes present one of the most difficult finishes in the United States (we'll get to that in the next section).
The course begins with a 505-yard par-4 that doglegs sharply to the right, followed by two more long, narrow, and difficult par-4s.
The ninth is a narrow 530-yard par-4, which will certainly be one of the most difficult holes this week.
The layout is relentlessly filled with long holes like this, and outside of the par-5s and two short par-4s, there aren't any real birdie opportunities.
Finish: 10.0
The Green Mile is the moniker for the final three holes at Quail Hollow, and it is the primary feature that makes this course famous. This brutally difficult stretch begins with the 529-yard par-4 16th, a dogleg right with water surrounding the left and back sides of the green and a large bunker on the right.
The aforementioned 17th is arguably the most intimidating shot on the course, where a double or triple bogey can easily be made.
The par-4 18th played as the hardest hole on the course during the 2017 PGA Championship. Measuring 494 yards, it has the most demanding tee shot on the course, playing downhill to a fairway that bends to the left.
Extreme precision is necessary to the narrow landing area as bunkers guard the right side and a creek protects the left. The same creek winds its way to the front and left sides of the green, which is two-tiered and significantly uphill from the fairway.
Overall: 8.10
For the criteria used to determine these ratings, please click here.