Examining over 700 courses across five continents, including many of the world’s best (and lesser well-knows), provides plenty of inspiration and precedent...

Hole 17 "Road" - St Andrews; Scotland

Hole 11 "High (In)" - St Andrews; Scotland

Hole 14 "Long" - St Andrews; Scotland

Hole 14 "Cape" - New York; USA - C.B. MacDonald

Hole 3 - Victoria; Australia - Alister MacKenzie / Alex Russell / Vern Morcom

Hole 10 - Victoria; Australia - Alister MacKenzie / Alex Russell / Vern Morcom

Hole 9 - California; USA - Alister MacKenzie

Hole 10 - New Jersey; USA - George Crump et. al.

Hole 14 "Foxy" - Sutherland; Scotland - Old Tom Morris

Hole 5 - Pennyslvania; USA - Hugh Wilson

Hole 9 - East Lothian; Scotland - Old Tom Morris / H.S. Colt / Tom Simpson

Hole 16 - New York; USA - William Flynn

Hole 15 "Redan" - East Lothian; Scotland

Hole 13 "Pit" - East Lothian; Scotland

Hole 2 "Sea" - East Lothian; Scotland

Hole 1 - Nebraska; USA - Bill Coore / Ben Crenshaw

Hole 3 "Cardinal" - Ayrshire; Scotland - Old Tom Morris / James Braid / John R. Strutt

Hole 13 "Sea Headrig" - Ayrshire; Scotland - Old Tom Morris / James Braid / John R. Strutt

Hole 2 - New York; USA - Devereux Emmet / Walter Travis

Hole 3 - Victoria; Australia - Des Soutar / Alister MacKenzie / Vern Morcom / Graeme Grant

Hole 15 - Victoria; Australia - Des Soutar / Alister MacKenzie / Vern Morcom / Graeme Grant

Hole 12 - Surrey; England - Willie Park Jr. / H.S. Colt

Hole 9 - North Carolina; USA - Donald Ross

Hole 13 "Sea Hole" - East Sussex; England - H.S. Colt / Douglas Rolland / Tom Simpson / Sir Guy Campbell / Major H.C. Tippet

Hole 17 - Berkshire; England - H.S. Colt

Hole 17 "Nose" - Connnecticuit; USA - C.B. MacDonald / Seth Raynor

Hole 7 - Nebraska; USA - Tom Doak

Hole 5 - Suffolk; England - Tom Dunn / Captain A.M. Ross / H.S. Colt

Hole 6 - Co. Kerry; Ireland - Patrick Murphy / M. Smyth / Tom Simpson / Molly Gourlay

Hole 8 - Kansas; USA - Perry Maxwell / Press Maxwell

Hole 5 "Table" - Devon; England - Old Tom Morris / Herbert Fowler

Hole 5 - Surrey, England - Herbert Fowler

Hole 7 - Tasmania; Australia - Tom Doak

Hole 1 - New York; USA - A.W. Tillinghast

Hole 4 - Surrey; England - Tom Dunn / Stuart Paton / John Low

Hole 14 - Aberdeenshire; Scotland - Tom Simpson

Hole 6 - New York; USA - C.B. MacDonald / Seth Raynor

Hole 13 - West Sussex; England - C.K. Hutchinson / Sir Guy Campbell / S.V. Hotchkin

Hole 2 - New Jersey; USA - A.W. Tillinghast

Hole 3 - Lincolnshire; England - S.V. Hotchkin / C.K. Hutchison

Hole 10 - Surrey; England - H.S. Colt

Hole 14 - Callifornia; USA - Alister MacKenzie

Hole 9 - Kent; England - W. Laidlaw Purves / Alister MacKenzie / Frank Pennink

Hole 15 - Illinois; USA - Seth Raynor

Hole 1 - Argyllshire; Scotland - Charles Hunter / Old Tom Morris / Sir Guy Campbell

Hole 3 - South Australia; Australia - Des Soutar / Alister MacKenzie

Hole 6 - Cornwall; England - James Braid

Hole 5 - Ontario; Canada - Stanley Thompson / Robbie Robinson

Hole 9 - Hawke's Bay; New Zealand - Tom Doak

Hole 10 - Victoria; Australia - Alex Russell / Vern Morcom

Hole 6 - East Sussex; England - A.T. Scott

Hole 3 - Massachusetts; USA - Willie Campbell / William Flynn

Hole 3 - Oxfordshire; England - Willie Park Jr.

Hole 14 "Spectacles" - Angus; Scotland - Allan Robertson / Old Tom Morris / James Braid / James Wright

Hole 8 - Victoria; Australia - S. Bennett / Charles Lane / Sloan Morpeth / Vern Morcom

Hole 3 - Isle of Islay; Scotland - Willie Campbell

Hole 13 - New York; USA - A.W. Tillinghast

Hole 8 - Maine; USA - Alexander H. Findley / Walter Travis

Hole 1 - Wirral; England - George Morris / Robert Chambers / James Braid / H.S. Colt / Frank Pennink

Hole 13 - Berkshire; England - Herbert Fowler / H.S. Colt / Tom Simpson

Hole 9 - Norfolk; England - Horace Hutchinson / Holcombe Ingelby / C.K. Hutchinson

Hole 4 - New York; USA - Devereux Emmet

Hole 7 - Mid-Glamorganshire; Wales

Hole 13 - Wellington; New Zealand - Alex Russell

Hole 12 - New Jersey; USA - Walter Travis

Hole 2 - Cumbria; England - Willie Park Sr. / Willie Park Jr.

Hole 6 - Wisconsin; USA - William Langford

Hole 1 - Fife; Scotland - H.S. Colt

Hole 3 - Kent; England - J.F. Abercomby

Hole 12 - Powys; Wales - James Braid

Hole 9 - Massachusetts; USA - Herbert C. Leeds

Hole 15 "Punchbowl" - New York; USA - C.B. MacDonald / A.W. Tillinghast

Hole 12 - Herefordshire; England - C.K. Hutchison

Hole 11 - Iowa; USA - William Langford

Hole 13 - Lincolnshire; England - Willie Fernie

Hole 16 - Florida; USA - Bill Coore / Ben Crenshaw

Hole 18 - Surrey; England - Mure Fergusson / Tom Simpson

Hole 4 - County Louth; Ireland - Cecil Barcroft / Tom Simpson

Hole 17 - Florida; USA - Pete Dye

Hole 10 - Hampshire; England - J.H. Taylor / Tom Simpson

Hole 6 - Fife; Scotland - Old Tom Morris / James Braid

Hole 3 "Redan" - New York; USA - C.B. MacDonald

Hole 12 - Cornwall; England - James Braid

Hole 8 - Pennsylvania; USA - Howard Toomey / William Flynn

Hole 16 - Kent; England - Tom Dunn / Sir Guy Campbell

Hole 17 - Perthshire; Scotland - James Braid / C.K. Hutchison

Hole 3 - Indiana; USA - William Langford

Hole 17 - Morayshire; Scotland - Old Tom Morris

Hole 15 "Bell Hole" - Cumbria; England - Willie Fernie

Hole 16 - Cumbria; England - Willie Campbell / George Lowe

Hole 7 - Michigan; USA - Alister MacKenzie / Perry Maxwell

Hole 12 - South Taranaki; New Zealand

Hole 2 - County Down; Northern Ireland - Old Tom Morris / Seymour Dunn / Harry Vardon

Hole 6 - South Island; New Zealand - Reg Romans / B.V. Wright
No education in golf course architecture is complete without surveying the significant holes and courses, experiencing the spirit, dignity and culture of the game known by its British forebears. But, great holes can be found (and built) almost anywhere...