U.S. Women’s Open: 5 brutal holes at Lancaster Country Club sure to define winner

A few weeks ago at the U.S. Women’s Open media day at Lancaster Country Club, I asked the veteran caddie about some of the distinctive features of this legendary William Flynn design.

“Hole 8 through 11,” he answered without hesitation.

“They’re really strong. Anyone who can compete against them at par or better in the Open will have a good chance of winning.”

Those four holes will have a major impact on the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open, which is on track to have the largest prize purse in women’s golf history, thanks to Ally Financial.

But the final hole at Lancaster Country Club, a tough par 4 that leads back to the clubhouse, will also play a role in determining the Central Pennsylvania champion.

So, without further ado, here are the five tough holes that will determine the outcome of the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open.

Hole 8 – Par 3, 199 yards

The last time Lancaster Country Club hosted the U.S. Women’s Open in 2015, only 39.7 percent of players reached the green in regulation, the lowest number of any hole.

The eighth hole, a monster par-3, may be the most difficult hole on the course.

“Other than the 8th hole at Oakmont, this might be the toughest par-3 hole in Pennsylvania,” the caddie said.

“It’s like a par four.”

In fact, when standing on the tee, players can barely see the putting surface, one of the smallest on the course, which slopes significantly from back to front and left to right, leaving only a small area for the pin position.

Still, anyone who makes it to the green will consider themselves lucky, while anyone who doesn’t will struggle up and down, especially if they miss left.

Hole 9 – Par 4, 418 yards

Russell Kirk/USGA

The beautiful par-4 ninth hole, which leads back towards the clubhouse, is played against the prevailing winds, making a difficult hole even more challenging.

The 2015 championship saw the most bogeys, but the fairways have been widened since then. In a brilliant architectural twist, the second and ninth holes now share a common fairway, providing players with a wider target on both holes and creating more attractive views.

Still, this hole presents plenty of problems. A tee shot that veers too far right will land in the sand or, even worse, in thick rough. Either way, trees will block any hope of reaching the green.

Once you hit the fairway, your second shot should be with a long iron onto an elevated green. The putting surface slopes from back to front, but a large swath of a groove runs off the greenside bunker on the right. Birdies are few and far between on this hole.

Hole 10 – Par 4, 444 yards

USGA/Russell Kirk

Lancaster’s tough battle continued until the par-4 10th hole.

However, unlike the 9th hole, the tee shot on the 10th hole is downhill.

A speed slot on the right side of the fairway allows for longer drives, but watch out for the two sand traps at the corners of this gentle dogleg right, but any shot will get caught in the thick, nasty rough that lines Lancaster’s snake-like fairways.

The second shot is uphill and the green slopes sharply from the back to the front, so distance control is crucial. Not only do you want to avoid going over the hole, but you also want to avoid coming short. A mistake up front will send the ball hurtling back down the slope into an area where it’s nearly impossible to get up or down.

Hole 11 – Par 4, 417 yards

Russell Kirk/USGA

Like the 10th hole, the tee shot on the 11th hole is downhill before an uphill approach.

Finding short grass can be tricky on this straight course as the fairway curves slightly from left to right. Big misses to the right and left will cause a lot of problems due to the trees and long grass respectively. However, the fairway bunkers on the left side of the fairway will definitely bring a lot of activity.

The player must hit another long iron into this challenging green that slopes sharply from right to left. The putting surface also features run-off areas along the slope. The green not only runs from right to left, but also back to front, especially on the front half of the green, a typical element of Flynn designs.

As players leave this green, you will hear a huge sigh of relief as the tough battle in Lancaster is over.

Hole 18 – Par 4, 437 yards

Russell Kirk/USGA

The second-longest hole on the course, the par-4 18th, has the widest fairway of any hole at Lancaster. More than 80 percent of the field hit it in 2015 and that is expected to continue this week.

But the tee shot on this tricky closer isn’t the problem. It’s everything else.

The green is about 20 yards uphill and this hole plays into the prevailing wind, turning a 175 yard shot into a 200+ yard shot.

Like the 10th hole, Flynn used a false front on the 18th hole, which correlates with the hole’s natural topography and is another distinctive feature of Flynn’s design.

Lancaster’s final hole has the widest putting surface on the course, measuring over 11,000 feet, but players still struggle to find this green in regulation. A false front greatly reduces the actual size of this green, and the back left portion of the putting surface extends into the distance.

If you are long, you can expect difficult ups and downs, but if you are short, you can expect difficult ups and downs.

So while accuracy and distance control are paramount on the 18th hole, those attributes are necessary on every hole at Lancaster Country Club, which will once again be a beautiful yet challenging U.S. Open testing ground.

Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation Playing Through. Follow For more golf articles, follow us on Twitter Jack Mirko In the same way.