One of the game’s vaunted mighty mites — the 159-yard par-3 11th at Shinnecock Hills — will enjoy the spotlight this week as the U.S. Open returns to the legendary Long Island course for a fifth time.
The hole, known as “the shortest par 5 in golf,” plays uphill to a shallow green that slopes away from a player on all sides, mostly from back-left to front-right. Hit it short or right and a nest of bunkers awaits 15 feet below the putting surface. Players must at all costs avoid being long, where balls funnel into a collection that leaves a head-splitting up-and-down. Any tee shot that finds the green is exceptional, but even that task is tough when the wind is up.
In the second part of our three-part series examining some of the best and most demanding holes on the 2018 USGA tournament rota, veteran PGA Tour caddie John Wood explains the intricacies of No. 11 at Shinnecock Hills, which you can watch above. Below you’ll also find an immersive 360-degree video of the hole that lets you explore it for yourself.
