Champion Hills - North Carolina - USA

The eighteen holes at Champion Hills have been described by architect Tom Fazio as a layout that “looks hard but plays easy” and he somehow routed the fairways in such a way that fourteen of the holes play downhill.

Opened for play in 1991, this heavily forested mountain course features a number of engaging holes including the left doglegged 7th, the short par five 13th and the uphill home hole which plays to a tricky two-tier green.

Most memorable hole, though, is probably the par three 9th where the green lies more than 100 foot (or, as the architect says, the height of a 12-storey building) below the level of the tee - it’s easy to see why many consider this one of the most spectacular holes in the Tar Heel State.