Golf’s best will have to navigate Quail Hollow’s famed Green Mile safely if they want to win the 2025 PGA Championship.
The second major of the year is heading to Charlotte, North Carolina, with a brutal test in store.
The PGA Championship is heading to Quail Hollow this yearThe course is a par 71 and a whopping 7,626 yards long and boasts arguably the most difficult finishing stretch in the sport.
Keegan Bradley, the 2011 PGA Championship winner, said of Quail Hollow: “From a fan’s perspective, it’s a really entertaining finish to see the players take on The Green Mile.
“A lot of things can happen at the end of the tournament there. There’s a lot of water to navigate and just a bunch of tough shots facing the contenders.”
And 9-time PGA Tour winner Brandt Snedeker put it even more bluntly: “It’s got to be one of the toughest stretches in golf. There’s no way to miss them. There’s no bailout on any of the holes really. You just have to suck it up and get through it.”
So, as the 156-strong field prepares to tackle Quail Hollow in pursuit of the Wanamaker Trophy, here’s a hole-by-hole guide to the famous course.
1st, 505 yards, par 4
Opened in 1959 and designed by George Cobb, this year’s opening hole has essentially a combination of the former first and second holes into a sharp dogleg from left to right.
A tee shot to the elevated landing zone leaves a downhill approach to a small green protected by three bunkers.
A par to start will be a great score on this demanding opener.
2nd, 452 yards, par 4
A drive of around 280 yards is required to reach the corner of a more gentle dogleg left on the second, leaving 170 yards to an elevated green guarded by a solitary bunker, but which slopes from back to front.
The first hole at Quail Hollow is a tough opening testGetty3rd, 483 yards, par 4
A narrow hole made straighter by moving the tee 50 yards to the left in 2012.
The elevated third green is surrounded by three bunkers and also divided by a small ridge separating the front from the back.
4th, 184 yards, par 3
Made out of land formerly used for the fifth ahead of the 2017 PGA Championship, the par-three fourth will present a new challenge for the players.
The undulating green is guarded by three bunkers, and a tee shot coming up short will leave a tricky up-and-down.
5th, 449 yards, par 4
Another new hole after the 2016 changes, the slight dogleg right requires an accurate tee shot to find a fairway protected by huge bunkers on either side.
Another bunker guards the narrow green, but this represents the first real birdie chance.
6th, 249 yards, par 3
The longest par three on the course at least plays downhill, but will still require a hybrid or long iron to a green which slopes from back to front.
PGA Championships and US Opens have a well-documented history with long par 3s, and this one will provide another tough test.
Plenty of holes at Quail Hollow will play very difficultlyGetty7th, 546 yards, par 5
From the longest par three to the shortest par five, and a good chance to make a birdie or eagle.
The tee shot must avoid bunkers on the left and a creek which runs down the right side of the hole and guards the front of the green.
McMullen Creek will feature again later in the round…
8th, 346 yards, par 4
Players will have the option of trying to drive the green or laying up and leaving a short-iron approach into a green complex which was rebuilt to soften the contours and give more pin positions.
After a tricky opening run, players will hope to go low on seven and eight before facing another monster.
9th, 530 yards, par 4
The ninth promises to be one of the toughest holes on the course and has been considerably lengthened since 2017.
After a demanding tee shot, an uphill second needs to avoid two bunkers at the front of the green.
10th, 592 yards, par 5
Big hitters may attempt to carry the fairway bunker around 300 yards from the tee and try to reach the green in two.
The putting surface slopes from back to front and right to left, while internal out-of-bounds lurks for any wayward second shots.
11th, 462 yards, par 4
Lengthened by nearly 40 yards during the previous course changes and an oak tree at the corner of the dogleg has been replaced by two large bunkers.
The new green is elevated and guarded by more treacherous sand on the left.
McIlroy has always loved playing at Quail HollowGetty12th, 456 yards, par 4
Accuracy will be at a premium on this tough par four, which features a narrow fairway hemmed in by trees on both sides and a severely sloping green.
13th, 205 yards, par 3
The tee shot looks relatively straightforward, but the two-tier green slopes from back to front and has a sizeable collection area on the right, which will gather any mishits.
McMullen Creek provides a visual intimidation, but won’t be in play for the pros.
14th, 344 yards, par 4
The 14th begins a run of holes that surround the Quail Hollow Country Club Lake.
Big hitters may attempt to drive the green or find the right-hand bunker, but that will bring the water into play.
Other players who lay up off the tee will need to avoid the fairway bunkers in the landing zone.
15th, 577 yards, par 5
Water on the left is only in play for badly hooked tee shots, with players aiming for the right half of the fairway for a clear view of the green.
This is the last true chance to make a birdie ahead of the daunting trio to finish.
Quail Hollow is an iconic course in the USAGetty16th, 529 yards, par 4
The start of the famous ‘Green Mile’, the 16th was modified in 2013 with the green moved 80 yards to the left to the edge of the lake.
As Aussie Adam Scott said: “Those are three really brutal finishing holes. If you can survive those holes and win, you’ve certainly proved that to yourself because they’re so demanding. There is no breather.”
17th, 223 yards, par 3
The tees on Quail Hollow’s signature hole were moved to the old site of the 16th green, forcing a carry of almost 200 yards over water.
Short, left or long, and you’re dead, so bailing out to the right will be a popular option.
18th, 494 yards, par 4
The finishing hole sees the creek run along the entire left side of the narrow fairway while a brutal bunker awaits on the right.
Players will face a tough uphill second shot to a deep green surrounded by danger.
The creek wraps around the left, and two more bunkers protect the right, meaning a par to finish will be well earned.
The Open 2025 Hospitality
Enjoy a 3-night weekend getaway with hospitality for both Saturday and Sunday of The Open 2025.
Stay in comfort at the Hilton Templepatrick, with transfers included and exclusive access to the Your Golf Travel Clubhouse.
All this from just £2,495 per person – don’t miss your chance to be part of golf’s biggest event in ultimate style.
Plan your dream golf trip HERE.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( PGA Championship stars must ‘suck it up’ at ‘brutal’ Green Mile – hole-by-hole guide to Quail Hollow )
Also on site :