Blood, sweat, and tears. Being at the Royal Troon’s 11th is akin to being on a golf battlefield for even the best of talents. A pro golfer’s nightmare, this hole is otherwise known as ‘the Railway’. The name likely originates from its border on the right side, the Glasgow-Ayr railway. The left side, on the other hand, is home to an impenetrable gorse.

This par-4 hole on the back nine pits nature against the players. This is due to the gusts of high-speed wind that hit one in the face. At this 498-yard stretch, anything that’s not a bogey is considered a fine score. Not only does this hole become the GC’s biggest challenge on the way to the Claret Jug, but it is also one of the hardest holes in all of the major championships.

This toughest test at Troon is regarded as “the most dangerous [hole] he’d ever seen” by Arnold Palmer. Even Jack Nicklaus has had his fair share of difficulty here. The 11th led him to make a 10 on his scorecard when he made his first Open appearance. After all, the 11th’s scoring average of 4.91 speaks for itself.

The railway falls into the category of some of the toughest holes present in majors. This includes the 2004 U.S. Open’s venue, Shinnecock Hills’ 10th hole, and the 2011 British Open’s venue, the Royal St. George’s third hole. Back in 2016, talking about the 11th, the course’s consulting architect Martin Ebert said, “I suppose you get those iconic, difficult holes in golf, don’t you? This is definitely one of them. In the final round, that hole could turn the entire event.”

But is the 11th the only challenging hole that players need to be aware of at the 152nd Open Championship in Royal Troon? Certainly not!

The railway’s companion in difficulty is the Postage Stamp at Royal Troon

The 8th hole at Royal Troon Golf Club and the Postage Stamp’s small stretch and location add to the golfer’s problems. With just 123 yards at its disposal, this par-3 hole’s greens are often compared to a postage stamp, hence its name. Although small, it is placed on a sandhill, making it another one of a pro’s nightmares at Royal Troon.

Precision and accuracy are not the only problems here. Golfers also need to be wary of the bunkers. After all, heartbreaks and lost dreams are nothing new at the 8th hole. The 1923 Open Championship winner Gene Sarazen even admitted that “for many years, the postage stamp hole had haunted me. I feared it.”

However, Sarazen proved to be one of the lucky few. At 71, he managed to finally conquer his fear of the Postage Stamp. This was when, in 1973, he shot an ace on this tricky hole, proving that if you truly want it, anything is possible. The only scary bit is that it took Sarazen 50 years after his first Open appearance to achieve this feat.

The Royal Troon Golf Course is all set to host the 2024 Open Championship for the tenth time in history. Only time will tell if the railway will hold up to its reputation or not.