Where Royal Troon’s ‘The Railway’ ranks among 50 toughest Open holes of 21st century

As far as Open Championship venues go, Royal Troon isn’t particularly stout, ranking as the third easiest on the rota.

It’d be much easier if not for “The Railway.”

The par-4 11th hole has historically been the toughest hole on property, including in 2016, the last time the Open visited Troon, when its 4.561 scoring average ranked it as the most difficult hole on the PGA Tour that season.

What makes this hole so punishing? Let’s start with the tee shot; at 490 yards and usually playing directly into a northwest wind, it’s hard to leave the lumber in the bag. Railroad tracks run down the entirety of the right side of the hole, and at about 300 yards from the tee, the boundary wall sits just 20 yards from the right edge of the fairway. Of course, there is no bailout left, either; thick gorse litters the left side of the fairway, which is only about 30 yards wide in the landing area for most of these players.

The tracks are in play on the second shot, too, with the wall just steps from the right edge of the green. There is also a deep, greenside pot bunker just off the front-left portion of the putting surface.

“11 is a great example, just get that one on the fairway,” Bryson DeChambeau said. “It’s a very difficult, difficult hole. If the wind picks up, it may be driver. There are times where it has to be driver. You can’t hit 3-wood or 5-wood; it’s just too short. I could hit a 3-wood, and if it’s 15, 20 miles an hour into the wind, it could go 250 yards, 240 yards depending on the height. If it’s raining too, that plays a big factor, as well.

“So, there are times where you may be forced to hit driver, and you’ve just got to suck it up and hit a good drive.”

“The Railway” has produced its fair share of disasters, including in 1962 when Jack Nicklaus carded a ’10′ on the hole. More recently, Thomas Pieters delivered one of the more memorable moments of frustration, snapping his club over his knee and chucking both pieces of iron into some gorse.

But where does Troon’s intimidating No. 11 rank among all holes in this championship since 2001? Here is a list of the 50 toughest of the 21st century so far; 2016’s version of “The Railway” cracks the top 10, though just barely: