Prestwick Country Club has never been a golf course that allows players to settle into cruise control.

The Pete and P.B. Dye design, named the 2025 South Carolina Golf Course of the Year, mixes length, intimidating visuals, demanding approach shots and plenty of opportunities for a small mistake to become a big number.

But which holes are the toughest?

We asked Jay Smith, PGA General Manager at Prestwick Country Club, to make the call.

His four selections include two holes on each nine: Nos. 2 and 3 on the front and Nos. 14 and 17 on the back.

Some align closely with the handicap rankings on the scorecard. Others might surprise golfers who know Prestwick well.

No. 2: The Challenge Arrives Early

Black: 448 yards | Blue: 427 | White: 387 | Green: 358 | Red: 307

Prestwick gives golfers a relatively friendly introduction at No. 1.

Then comes the second tee.

No. 2 is the No. 1 handicap hole on the scorecard, and Smith believes that ranking is well deserved.

The par 4 makes a fairly sharp turn to the left, with a deep waste bunker creating an immediate decision from the tee. A handful of long hitters may be able to carry the trouble, but that’s not an option for most players.

Missing to the right isn’t necessarily the answer, either.

While that side provides room, moving too far right lengthens an already demanding approach. From there, golfers are looking toward a split-level fairway and a green protected by another waste bunker.

Then there is the green itself.

The putting surface slopes away from the approaching golfer, making it particularly difficult to hold when coming in with a long club.

Smith estimates that 80 to 85 percent of players will be approaching with anything from a fairway wood or hybrid to a long or mid-iron.

The misses aren’t especially inviting, either. The green drops away significantly to the left and behind, and a deep bunker adds another obstacle.

It’s a demanding hole from tee to green — and it arrives almost immediately.

No. 3: There’s No Secret — It’s Long

Black: 470 yards | Blue: 458 | White: 444 | Green: 403 | Red: 357

If No. 2 beats golfers with angles, hazards and a difficult green, No. 3 uses a much simpler weapon.

Length.

Smith calls it the only truly straight hole at Prestwick, but that doesn’t make it easy.

From the white tees, No. 3 stretches to 444 yards. That’s only 15 yards shorter than the par-5 sixth from the same set of tees.

“It feels like a par 5,” Smith said.

For an average golfer hitting a drive 220 to 230 yards, that can leave another 200-plus yards to the green.

That means another fairway wood or hybrid for many players.

Finding the fairway is particularly important. Rough and mounding along the left side can leave an uneven lie, while trees and out of bounds protect the right. Get too close to the trees and the direct route to the green can disappear entirely.

The green is large and deep, but it also features plenty of movement.

There may not be a long list of hazards to avoid on No. 3, but that’s almost beside the point.

Two very good golf shots are required just to have a reasonable opportunity at par.

And Smith won’t fault anyone for walking away with a five.

No. 14: Prestwick’s Sneaky Monster

Black: 451 yards | Blue: 431 | White: 409 | Green: 381 | Red: 343

The scorecard lists No. 14 as Prestwick’s fourth handicap hole.

Smith thinks it’s tougher than that.

In fact, he considers the par 4 a contender for the hardest hole on the entire golf course.

It begins with one of Prestwick’s most visually impressive — and intimidating — tee shots.

From the back tee, golfers hit from a setting tucked into the woods toward an uphill, angled fairway. Water is in play to the left, while elevated pampas grass and out of bounds create trouble to the right.

The fairway itself doesn’t offer much relief.

It rolls and moves, making a perfectly level lie difficult to find. The split-level nature of the hole continues near the green, where the left side drops significantly below the putting surface.

Missing there can leave a recovery shot played sharply uphill from the rough, sometimes without a view of the flag.

Right isn’t much better, with a bunker protecting the green, while going long can find a grass bunker.

But Smith says there is another challenge many golfers don’t recognize until they’ve played the hole several times.

The wind.

No. 14 plays in the direction of the nearby Atlantic Ocean, and Smith estimates golfers are playing into the ocean breeze the overwhelming majority of the time.

Because the approach is played from a lower section of the fairway toward an elevated target, that breeze can be difficult to detect.

A golfer looking at 160 or 170 yards on the rangefinder may need to play the shot approximately 10 yards longer depending on the conditions.

It’s the type of hidden challenge that helps explain why so many approaches finish short and leave players facing a difficult uphill recovery. (14th top photo)

No. 17: Three Shots, Three Challenges

Black: 531 yards | Blue: 515 | White: 499 | Green: 472 | Red: 405

 Prestwick’s penultimate hole made Smith’s list without hesitation.

The scorecard ranks the par 5 as the No. 2 handicap hole, and Smith considers it one of the two toughest holes on the course.

The reason is simple.

There isn’t an easy shot.

A meandering stream crosses in front of golfers off the tee, runs along the left side and eventually cuts back across in front of the green. Trouble also awaits to the right.

Assuming golfers negotiate the drive, they still have to choose the proper club and position for the layup.

Then comes a demanding approach into a narrow green with significant movement.

Smith’s strategy for the final shot isn’t complicated.

Aim for the middle.

Don’t chase a tucked pin. Don’t try to manufacture a heroic shot. Find the putting surface, take two putts if necessary and head to the 18th tee.

If you make five, you’ve done your job.

Four Holes That Help Define Prestwick

What makes Smith’s selections interesting is that the four holes don’t challenge golfers in exactly the same way.

No. 2 combines length with demanding angles and a difficult approach. No. 3 is more straightforward but asks golfers to produce two big shots. No. 14 mixes length, elevation, uneven lies and an often-overlooked ocean breeze.

Then No. 17 asks for three consecutive shots with very little margin for error.

They also illustrate something important about Prestwick’s scorecard.

At 6,347 yards from the white tees, for example, the overall number might not immediately appear overwhelming. But Prestwick concentrates plenty of its yardage — and difficulty — into holes where length matters most.

And when you reach Nos. 2, 3, 14 and 17, Smith’s advice is essentially the same: don’t let the pursuit of par turn into something much worse.

Sometimes at Prestwick Country Club, taking your medicine and moving to the next tee is a victory in itself.