The Longest Golf Hole in the USA
The Longest Golf Hole in the USA (And Yes, Par 6 Holes Are Real)
The longest golf hole in the USA depends on how you count. The 12th hole at Meadows Farms Golf Course in Locust Grove, Virginia, an 841-yard par 6, holds the Guinness World Records title as the longest hole in the United States. By measured yardage, the 9th at The Links Golf Club in Post Falls, Idaho, now plays longer: 842 yards on its current scorecard, and a touted 888 yards from its newest back tees.
Both are par 6 golf holes, a hole type many golfers never get to play. Here is how the longest holes in America compare, what makes a hole a par 6, and how to play one without losing your round.
Longest Golf Hole in the USA at a Glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Longest hole in the US (Guinness record) | Meadows Farms No. 12, Locust Grove, VA: 841 yards, par 6 |
| Longest hole in the US (by yardage) | The Links Golf Club No. 9, Post Falls, ID: 842 yards on the scorecard, touted at 888 yards, par 6 |
| Longest hole in the world | Gunsan Country Club No. 3 (Jeongeup course), South Korea: 1,004 meters (about 1,100 yards), par 7 |
| Par 6 yardage guideline | 670 yards and up for men, 570 yards and up for women (USGA) |
| Longest hole in pro golf (US) | TPC Colorado No. 13: 773 yards, par 5 (Korn Ferry Tour) |
What Is the Longest Golf Hole in the USA?
There are two fair answers to this question, and the difference matters if you plan to play one.
Meadows Farms No. 12: The Guinness Record Holder (841 Yards)
Meadows Farms Golf Course sits about an hour south of Washington, D.C., on land that was once Bill "Farmer" Meadows' cattle farm. Architect Bill Ward Jr. suggested building a long hole, and Meadows insisted it be the longest in the country. The course opened in 1993, and its par 6 is recognized by Guinness as the longest golf hole in America.
From the championship tee, the hole measures 841 yards. It doglegs right down a hill, crosses two lakes and features a bunker shaped like a three-leaf clover. Meadows Farms now runs as 27 holes across three nines, so you may see the hole listed as No. 12 or as the 3rd hole on the "Longest" nine.
It has been conquered in style at least once: one golfer made a double eagle on it, holing out in just three shots.
The course Meadows Farms course page is also available in the Blue Tees GAME app Download the app and see for yourself.
The Links Golf Club No. 9: The Longest by Yardage (842 to 888 Yards)
The Links Golf Club in Post Falls, Idaho, opened new black tees in 2024, stretching its signature par 6 well beyond its old length of under 800 yards. The current scorecard lists the hole at 842 yards, one yard longer than Meadows Farms, while the club promotes it at 888 yards. Official yardage will be set once the course is formally measured.
The hole is a dogleg left lined with fescue, and the club describes it as the only par 6 in the Pacific Northwest. With the new tees, the full course plays close to 8,300 yards, making it one of the longest public courses in the country.
The Links does not hold a Guinness listing, which is why Meadows Farms keeps the official title.
The Longest Golf Holes in the US
| Hole | Location | Yards | Par |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Links Golf Club, No. 9 | Post Falls, ID | 842 (touted 888) | 6 |
| Meadows Farms Golf Course, No. 12 | Locust Grove, VA | 841 | 6 |
| TPC Colorado, No. 13 | Berthoud, CO | 773 | 5 |
| Black Mountain Golf Club, No. 17 | Black Mountain, NC | 747 | 6 |
| Turquoise Valley Golf Course, No. 15 ("The Rattler") | Naco, AZ | 747 | 6 |
Yardages are from the back tees. Courses change tees over time, so check the current scorecard before you go.
Black Mountain's 17th is worth a note: at 747 yards, it was once recognized as the longest hole in the world. Turquoise Valley's "Rattler" is Arizona's only par 6, on a course that has operated continuously since 1908.
Is There a Par 6 in Golf?
Yes. Par 6 holes are real, rated and playable, just rare. Under the USGA's Rules of Handicapping, par is set mainly by hole length, with adjustments for how long a hole actually plays.
| Par | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Par 3 | Up to 260 yards | Up to 220 yards |
| Par 4 | 240 to 490 yards | 200 to 420 yards |
| Par 5 | 450 to 710 yards | 370 to 600 yards |
| Par 6 | 670 yards and up | 570 yards and up |
The ranges overlap on purpose. A 690-yard hole could be rated a par 5 or a par 6 golf hole depending on its "effective playing length," which accounts for:
- Elevation changes
- Prevailing wind
- Forced lay-ups and doglegs
- How much the ball rolls on the fairways
A downhill 690-yarder with firm fairways may stay a par 5, while an uphill one into the wind may earn the extra stroke. These guidelines assume a course below 2,000 feet of altitude.
What scores mean on a par 6: a 5 is a birdie, a 4 is an eagle, and a 3 is a double eagle (albatross).
How Many Par 6 Holes Are There in the US?
No one keeps an official count. The USGA publishes par guidelines, but there is no national registry of par 6 holes in the US, so any number you see online is an estimate.
What is clear is that they are rare, for practical reasons:
- Cost: an 800-yard hole is close to two holes' worth of fairway to mow, irrigate and fertilize.
- Pace of play: par 6 holes slow groups down, which limits how many tee times a course can sell.
- Land: few sites have room for a hole approaching half a mile long.
Some planned monsters never stuck. Chocolay Downs in Marquette, Michigan, once laid out a 1,007-yard par 6. The course is now the NMU Golf Course, and its current scorecard has no par 6 at all.
Is There a Par 7 or Par 8 in Golf?
Par 7 holes exist, but only a handful are known worldwide. The record holder is the 3rd hole on the Jeongeup course at Gunsan Country Club in South Korea. It measures 1,004 meters, close to 1,100 yards, on an 81-hole property built on a former salt field. Before Gunsan, Satsuki Golf Club in Sano, Japan, held the title with a 964-yard par 7.
We could not verify any par 8 golf hole in regular play on a rated course. For practical purposes, par 7 is the highest par in golf.
What Is the Longest Hole in Professional Golf?
Tour players rarely see anything close to these lengths. The longest golf hole on a PGA Tour-sanctioned circuit is the 13th at TPC Colorado, a 773-yard par 5 played on the Korn Ferry Tour. The course sits at altitude, so the ball flies farther and the hole plays closer to 700 yards in effect. Dozens of players reach it in two shots each year.
In Europe, Penati Golf Resort in Slovakia has stretched its 15th hole to a 783-yard par 6 for the Challenge Tour.
How to Play a Par 6 Without Wrecking Your Round
A par 6 is not a driving contest. It is three or four planned shots, and the golfers who score well treat it like a puzzle in yardages.
- Plan backwards from the green. Decide which wedge distance you want for your approach, then work out where each earlier shot needs to finish. A full wedge from 100 yards beats an awkward 40-yard pitch.
- Know your real carry numbers. On a hole this long, a 10-yard error per club compounds across four shots. Our 7-iron distance chart gives you a benchmark by handicap.
- Measure hazards, not just the flag. Two lakes on one hole means every lay-up needs a number to the front and back of the water. A connected rangefinder like the Blue Tees Captain Pro gives you both in one look.
- Account for elevation and wind. Long holes often change elevation more than once. True Distance in the GAME app adjusts yardages for conditions, and our guide to uphill and downhill shots explains how much it changes your club choice.
- Protect against the big number. A 7 on a par 6 is only a bogey. Aim for the widest part of each fairway and let the hole come to you.
The Blue Tees GAME app includes GPS for more than 42,000 courses, so you can see the full layout of a hole like Meadows Farms No. 12 before you tee off and plan every lay-up in advance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the longest golf hole in the world?
The 3rd hole on the Jeongeup course at Gunsan Country Club, South Korea, is a par 7 measuring 1,004 meters, or about 1,100 yards.
What is the highest par in golf?
Par 7. Only a few exist worldwide, led by Gunsan Country Club. No par 8 in regular play on a rated course has been verified.
What is the longest golf hole in Virginia?
Meadows Farms No. 12 in Locust Grove, at 841 yards. It is also the Guinness record holder for the longest hole in the United States.
Has anyone ever made a hole in one on a par 5?
Yes, but it is one of the rarest shots in golf. A hole in one on a par 5, called a condor, has only a handful of recorded cases, usually on short, downhill or sharply doglegged holes where the ball can be cut across the corner.
