PGA Tour 2K23: The Three Best Holes at Pinehurst No. 2

Golf is one of those sports where the venues have a major impact on the game. The courses can truly make or break your round, including in video games. Even if certain golf courses aren’t the most difficult, they can still dazzle golfers with some fun hole designs. Pinehurst No. 2, one of the most iconic and historic golf courses in the United States, definitely has a nice mix of a challenge and fun.

When you think of golf-filled hot spots, you immediately think of places like St. Andrews, Bandon Dunes, and the Monterey Peninsula that houses Pebble Beach, but you also think about Pinehurst Resort that is home to a whopping nine golf courses, including the legendary No.2.

The historic Pinehurst #️⃣2️⃣ is here!

Known for its length off the tee, challenging greens, & pin placements this course has long challenged the world's greatest golfers. Hop into #PGATOUR2K23 to take your shot on this hallowed turf. @PinehurstResort

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— #PGATOUR2K23 (@PGATOUR2K) June 15, 2023

This public North Carolina track, which has hosted several major championships, has made its way into PGA Tour 2K23 as the game continues to beef up its roster of licensed courses to go along with the many different amazing community-designed layouts. This place offers some terrific holes but what are a few of the best?

Pinehurst No. 2 is just such a great design that sometimes it can be hard to pick just three great holes. But in this article, we’ll go ahead and list a few that are fun to play. One thing that’s always fun about Pinehurst is the nice mix of shorter and longer holes that are available to tackle. But here are a few to look forward to teeing up at in PGA Tour 2K23.

The Best Holes At Pinehurst No. 2

Hole 5

Pinehurst No. 2 comes at you early with a terrific par-5 that’s reachable in two. This is also one of the first holes where you really begin to see the course’s iconic sandy waste area come in to play. Your best bet here is to aim for the right side of the fairway, which will give you a great look at the green.

From there, you can pull out a wood and go for the green or lay it up close and go for a chip or pitch from there. The greens at Pinehurst love to make your golf ball go for a little slide if your shot catches the edges and that’s how it is here. It’s fun because it makes you think a little bit. Go for the green and risk the ball rolling off and potentially into a bunker? Or, do you knock it close and go for the chip, pitch, or flop? I will say that it is one of the more satisfying greens to reach in two. Overall, just a great hole.

Hole 16

Another par-5, the 16th at Pinehurst in PGA Tour 2K23 requires you to either hit your tee shot over a portion of sand or aim for the right of it. This hole is not as easy to make the green in two like on the 5th, but it’s still a fun one to tackle. Anytime there’s a chance at an eagle at a place like No. 2 it’s always pretty exciting, and if there’s some drama there then even better.

All in all, this is a great hole to kick off the final three hole stretch at the course. What happens here can potentially have an effect on your score on the last two tracks. If you get an eagle on 16, you’re setting yourself for a solid finish, and if you drop a shot on 17 or 18 then you’ll be glad you got that eagle on 16.

Hole 18

This is the signature hole at Pinehurst No.2 and it’s a great way to finish things off. This par-4 finisher is where the late golf legend Payne Stewart won the 1999 US Open and famously let out an iconic fist pump. That image is always regarded as one of the PGA’s most iconic shots.

This one is about as sandy as it gets with the dunes coming into play. In PGA Tour 2K23, you’ll likely leave yourself with a pitch onto the green after the tee shot. Several things can happen here. You can duff it and land in the sand in front you, you can make the green — only for it to roll off the green and possibly into a bunker — or your shot lands at the edge of the green and the slope decides to send your ball for a short ride off the green, leaving you with a chip. It’s a dramatic hole and is an excellent addition to the 3-hole matchmaking rotation.