x
Skip to main content
Golf Logo
InsideGolf Join Now  / Log In
Easiest hole on PGA Tour once again living up to its softball reputation
SHARE
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share by Email
Golf Logo
  • News
    • Latest
      • News
      • Features
      • Shows
      • PGA Tour Schedule
    • Series
      • Tour Confidential
      • Monday Finish
      • Hot Mic
      • Rogers Report
    • Shows
      • The Scoop
      • Subpar
      • Seen & Heard
  • Instruction
    • Game Improvement
      • Driving
      • Approach Shots
      • Bunker Shots
      • Short Game
      • Putting
      • Rules
      • Fitness
    • Series
      • Top 100 Teachers
      • Rules Guy
      • The Etiquetteist
    • Shows
      • Warming Up
      • Play Smart
      • Short Game Chef
      • Pros Teaching Joes
  • Gear
    • Clubs
      • Drivers
      • Irons
      • Hybrids
      • Fairway Woods
      • Wedges
      • Putters
    • Other Gear
      • Balls
      • Shoes
      • Apparel
      • Golf Accessories
    • Series
      • ClubTest
      • Winner’s Bag
    • Shows
      • Fully Equipped
  • Travel & Lifestyle
    • Travel
      • Course Finder
      • Courses
      • Resorts
    • Lifestyle
      • Accessories
      • Celebrities
      • Food
      • Style
      • Betting Advice
    • Shows
      • Super Secrets
      • Destination Golf
  • Shop
    • Shop
      • Clubs
      • Shafts
      • Training Aids
      • Balls
      • Bags
      • Technology
      • Apparel
      • Accessories
      • Our Picks
      • Shop All
    • Collections
      • The GOLF Collection
      • The Birdie Juice Collection
      • The Fully Equipped Collection
      • Shop All
  • Newsletters
    • Sign Up for GOLF’s Newsletters
      • Hot Mic
      • Monday Finish
      • Play Smart
      • Our Picks
      • Top Stories
      • Sign Up for All
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Features
    • Shows
    • PGA Tour Schedule
  • Instruction
    • All Instruction
    • Driving
    • Approach Shots
    • Bunker Shots
    • Short Game
    • Putting
    • Rules
    • Fitness
  • Gear
    • All Gear
    • Drivers
    • Irons
    • Hybrids
    • Fairway Woods
    • Wedges
    • Putters
    • Balls
    • Shoes
    • Apparel
    • Golf Accessories
  • Travel & Lifestyle
    • All Travel
    • All Lifestyle
    • Course Finder
    • Courses
    • Resorts
    • Accessories
    • Celebrities
    • Food
    • Style
    • Betting Advice
  • Series
    • Tour Confidential
    • Monday Finish
    • Hot Mic
    • Rogers Report
    • Rules Guy
    • The Etiquetteist
    • ClubTest
    • Winner’s Bag
  • Shows
    • The Scoop
    • Subpar
    • Seen & Heard
    • Warming Up
    • Play Smart
    • Short Game Chef
    • Pros Teaching Joes
    • Fully Equipped
    • Super Secrets
    • Destination Golf
  • Shop
    • Clubs
    • Shafts
    • Training Aids
    • Balls
    • Bags
    • Technology
    • Apparel
    • Accessories
    • The GOLF Collection
    • The Birdie Juice Collection
    • The Fully Equipped Collection
  • Newsletters
    • Hot Mic
    • Monday Finish
    • Play Smart
    • Top Stories
    • Our Picks
    • Sign Up for All
InsideGolf Join Now  / Log In
InsideGolf
News

Easiest hole on PGA Tour once again living up to its softball reputation

By: Alan Bastable
  • Follow on Twitter
January 6, 2022
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share by Email
5th hole on plantation course

The pros have been making short work of the par-5 5th hole on the Plantation Course at Kapalua.

getty images

If you’re a regular golf-watcher, you can probably picture many of the toughest holes on Tour: the meaty par-4 closers at Bay Hill and Quail Hollow; the recently lengthened par-4 5th at Augusta National; the 233-yard par-3 11th at Torrey Pines South. Bruisers all of them.

But what of the easiest holes? Or that matter, the easiest hole, period?

In the 2020-21 season, that distinction went to the 526-yard par-5 5th on the Plantation Course at Kapalua, home of the Tournament of Champions. The boys are back in Maui this week for the ToC, and exactly one round into 2022, Kapalua’s defenseless 5th is already well positioned to defend its title as the Tour’s biggest pushover, as noted Thursday evening in a tweet from Chris Solomon at No Laying Up.

This is so sick.

2 pars and 1 bogey on the 5th today. 35 birdies and eagles!

So close to a clean full shot under par. pic.twitter.com/XrvmiCKNKW

— No Laying Up (@NoLayingUp) January 7, 2022

How easy was the 5th? Of the 38 players in the field, 33 made birdie, 2 made eagle, 2 more made par and just a single player — Patrick Reed — made bogey, the result of a blocked tee shot into the native area right of the fairway. Reed hit a second tee ball, knocked his fourth shot on to the green and two-putted for his 6.

The scoring average for the hole on Thursday was a gaudy 4.053, meaning Reed, who shot a one-over 74, lost nearly 2 full strokes to the field with a bogey. Not something you see often.

The 5th actually doesn’t look that easy, at least not for mere mortals. The fairway — which has a center-line bunker — banks left to right, and you can’t miss too far right or you’ll pull a Reed. From the fairway, should you choose to go for it, you’re left with a daunting second over a gnarly ravine that guards the front-right of the green. Trouble can be found!

Drivers
cobra ltdx ls driver bryson
Bryson DeChambeau spotted with Cobra LTDx prototype driver in Hawaii
By: Jonathan Wall

Just not by Tour pros, apparently. On Thursday, the field, on average, was left with only 177 yards into the green, which doesn’t present much of a risk-reward decision for players who can hit 8-irons that distance. No risk, all reward. Making scoring even easier in the first round: preferred lies were in effect on account of soggy conditions.

“I didn’t find it all too difficult,” South African Eric Van Rooyen said after posting a six-under 67 that has him four back of leader Cameron Smith. “I think the course needs a bit of breeze to really protect it. The fairways are quite wide and it’s playing so soft, so if that doesn’t happen then the scores will be really low.”

And at the 5th, really, really low.

The other easiest holes on Tour last season? No surprise, the top 10 softballs were all par-5s. Runner-up honors went to another Hawaii hole, the 506-yard par-5 9th at Waialae (Sony Open), which had a scoring average of 4.171. The third-easiest hole was the par-5th at Sedgefield (Wyndham Championship), which had a scoring average of 4.220.

The easiest non-par-5 was the 341-yard par-4 15th at TPC Summerlin (Shriners), with a 3.464 scoring average.

Here, courtesy of the PGA Tour’s ShotLink database, are the top 10 most toothless holes from last season:

Latest In News

10 hours ago

Scottie Scheffler's 10 sweetest moments following his PGA win | Rogers Report

10 hours ago

Scottie Scheffler, hot drivers and 1990’s R&B: 50 thoughts on the PGA

11 hours ago

Scottie's hilarious swing fix, Rory's silence, surprise PGA winners | Monday Finish

12 hours ago

Major champion apologizes for 'inappropriate' outburst at PGA Championship

Alan Bastable

Golf.com Editor

As GOLF.com’s executive editor, Bastable is responsible for the editorial direction and voice of one of the game’s most respected and highly trafficked news and service sites. He wears many hats — editing, writing, ideating, developing, daydreaming of one day breaking 80 — and feels privileged to work with such an insanely talented and hardworking group of writers, editors and producers. Before grabbing the reins at GOLF.com, he was the features editor at GOLF Magazine. A graduate of the University of Richmond and the Columbia School of Journalism, he lives in New Jersey with his wife and foursome of kids.

  • Author Twitter Account

Related Articles

News
Max Homa hits a drive at the Sentry.

With 1 swing, Max Homa entered the PGA Tour record book Saturday

By: Jack Hirsh
News
Max Homa hits a drive at Kapalua.

Stats (and huge drives) reveal why Kapalua is one of the most unique courses on Tour

By: Jack Hirsh
News
patrick reed

Patrick Reed refiles defamation lawsuit against Golf Channel and Brandel Chamblee, adds 3 more golf journalists

By: Josh Berhow
News
Patrick Reed

‘The media have painted me as this black hat’: Patrick Reed opens up on lawsuit, LIV

By: Nick Piastowski
News
patrick reed, Alfred H. Bennett and brandel chamblee

Judge in Reed-Chamblee defamation suit is avid golfer and 'absolute stickler for the rules'

By: Josh Sens
News
Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods

Tour Confidential: PGA Tour shakeup, LIV contracts and lawsuits 

By: GOLF Editors
News
patrick reed brandel chamblee

Patrick Reed files defamation lawsuit against Brandel Chamblee, Golf Channel

By: Sean Zak
News
Patrick Reed

Patrick Reed makes bold claims about LIV Golf money, level of play 

By: Nick Piastowski
News
Patrick Reed makes his LIV debut this week in Oregon.

No LIV, no problem: Patrick Reed to tee it up in Asian Tour events

By: Jack Hirsh
Sign up for GOLF's Newsletters
Get the latest news, the hottest instruction tips, new product releases, golf media insider reports and more delivered directly to your inbox. Choose your favorites now.
Sign Up
Categories
  • News
  • Instruction
  • Gear
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
Services
  • Masthead
  • GOLF Media Kit
  • GOLF Magazine Customer Service
  • TERMS OF SERVICE
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • Opt-out of Ads/Sharing
  • Your Privacy Choices
Social
  • facebook
  • x
  • instagram
  • youtube
Membership
InsideGOLF Logo
More than $140 Value for JUST $39.99

INCLUDES 12 SRIXON Z-STAR XV GOLF BALLS, 1 YR OF GOLF MAGAZINE, $20 FAIRWAY JOCKEY CREDIT - AND MUCH MORE!

LEARN MORE

© 2025 EB Golf Media LLC. An 8AM Golf Affiliated Brand. All Rights Reserved. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy a linked product, GOLF.COM may earn a fee. Pricing may vary.

Go to mobile version