Trevor Ng
The Alcatraz in golf refers to Hole 17 of the Stadium Course at PGA West in La Quinta. It is a par-3 hole that features an island green surrounded by water and bunkers. The hole is known for its difficulty, with a distance of 166 to 169 yards from the tee. The Stadium Course was designed by Pete Dye, who intended to create the toughest course in the Western US. The hole got its name, Alcatraz, from the infamous island prison in San Francisco Bay, known for its inescapability.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Course Name | Stadium Course |
| Course Designer | Pete Dye |
| Course Owner | PGA West |
| Hole Number | 17 |
| Par | 3 |
| Yards | 166-169 |
| Location | La Quinta, California |
| Hazards | Water, bunkers |
| Notable Events | Lee Trevino's hole-in-one in 1987 |
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What You'll Learn
The Alcatraz hole at PGA West Stadium Course
The Stadium Course at PGA West was designed by Pete Dye and is known for its multiple adrenaline-inducing moments throughout the round. The course is the host for the PGA TOUR "Q-School" Finals every other year, and golfers must navigate the tricky Alcatraz hole as one of the finishing holes. The hole is made even more challenging by the fact that it is longer than similar holes, such as the 17th at TPC Sawgrass, and has a "wild look".
Alcatraz has been the site of some historic moments in golf, including Lee Trevino's hole-in-one during the 1987 "Skins Game". This feat won him a carry-over skin worth $175,000. Following this, the course was removed from the rotation for almost three decades, only reassuming its position in 2016. Since then, the hole has been conquered by the likes of Jason Dufner, who clinched his 2016 CareerBuilder Challenge victory with a par-saving recovery shot from the 17th green's rocky perimeter.
The Stadium Course at PGA West offers a challenging and exciting golf experience, with the Alcatraz hole being one of its most notable features. The course is designed to test even the most skilled golfers, and the Alcatraz hole is a true test of precision and nerve.
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The toughest hole in the desert
The Stadium Course at PGA West is renowned for its difficulty, with the highest stroke (76.1) and slope (150) ratings of all the courses at PGA West. The course stretches to 7,300 yards and features multiple adrenaline-inducing holes, including the infamous Alcatraz. The hole's island green is a mere 166 yards from the tee, but players must navigate more lake than grass to reach it.
Alcatraz has earned a reputation for being one of the most diabolical holes in golf, with pros and amateurs alike finding it a challenging test. In 1987, Lee Trevino conquered Alcatraz with a hole-in-one during the Skins Game, hosted at PGA West from 1986 to 1991. This memorable feat netted him a carry-over skin worth $175,000.
The hole's design is credited to Pete Dye, who described it as a place where "love and hate can be found." Dye's approach to course design often embraced the unfair and unconventional, and Alcatraz embodies this philosophy. In fact, the entire Stadium Course was removed from the Professional Golfers Association tour in 1988 due to its challenging nature, only to be reinstated in 2016.
Alcatraz is not the only difficult hole on the Stadium Course. The 18th hole, for example, features a menacing water-lined fairway that challenges golfers until the very end of their round. However, it is Alcatraz that stands out as the toughest hole in the desert, striking fear into the hearts of golfers who must navigate its treacherous waters.
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The hole's designer, Pete Dye
The 17th hole at PGA West, known as Alcatraz, is the work of renowned golf course designer Pete Dye. Dye is considered by some to be the most famous golf architect of the last 50 years, with a reputation as a creative genius. He is known for designing the "world's most terrifying tee shot", the par-3 17th hole of the Stadium Course at TPC at Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
Dye's interest in golf course design began in his mid-30s, influenced by his father, who designed and built a nine-hole golf course on his family farm. Dye's first design was the nine-hole El Dorado course south of Indianapolis, which he created with his wife, Alice. The couple's first 18-hole course was Heather Hills, now known as Maple Creek Golf & Country Club.
In 1963, Dye visited Scotland and studied its classic courses, incorporating features such as small greens, pot bunkers, undulating fairways, and wooden bulkheads. Dye's first well-known course was the Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Indiana, which hosted the 1991 PGA Championship. He has since designed numerous acclaimed courses, including Harbour Town Golf Links in South Carolina and the Stadium Course at PGA West, which features the infamous Alcatraz hole.
Dye's designs are known for their distinctive features, such as small greens and the use of railroad ties to hold bunkers, as well as their environmental friendliness. He has been credited with returning short and medium-length par fours to golf, and many prominent golf architects have worked under him. Dye's influence on golf course design has been profound, and he is considered a legend in the field.
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Lee Trevino's hole-in-one
In golf, the term 'Alcatraz' refers to the 17th hole at the PGA West Stadium Course in La Quinta. It is considered one of the toughest holes in the sport, featuring an island green surrounded by a lake.
Now, onto the legend that is Lee Trevino. During the 1987 Skins Game, Trevino achieved an unforgettable feat by scoring a hole-in-one on the infamous Alcatraz hole. This was no ordinary hole-in-one; it was a moment that captivated the golfing world and earned Trevino a substantial sum of money.
The Skins Game was a made-for-TV event hosted at PGA West from 1986 to 1991, attracting some of the biggest names in golf. In 1987, Trevino stepped up to the tee box on the 17th hole, with 11 previous holes-in-one to his name. With a simple swing, he added another incredible feat to his resume.
Trevino's tee shot landed about four feet in front of the flagstick and then disappeared into the cup for a hole-in-one. This shot was witnessed by a gallery of approximately 8,000 spectators and a national television audience. Among the spectators was the great Jack Nicklaus, who couldn't help but admire Trevino's shot, commenting with a touch of humour, "That was a nice shot, putt, whatever that was!"
Trevino's hole-in-one on the Alcatraz hole won him a carry-over Skin worth \$175,000, a substantial prize that made the achievement even sweeter. It was a testament to Trevino's skill and a moment that cemented his place in golfing history.
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The Stadium Course's ranking and reputation
The Stadium Course at PGA West in La Quinta, California, is consistently ranked among the best golf courses in the world. Designed by renowned golf course architect Pete Dye, it was built to be the most difficult course in the world. It is known for its challenging design, which features undulating fairways, deep bunkers, tight fairway approaches, and fast greens.
The course has been ranked as high as 40th in the "100 Greatest Public" category by Golf Digest in 2015-2016 and 4th toughest course in America in Golf Digest's "Top 50 Toughest Courses in America" in 2007. GOLF Magazine also rated it one of the "Top 100 Courses to Play" in 2016-2017. In addition, it has consistently been ranked as one of the best courses in its state, most recently ranked 36th for 2025-2026.
The Stadium Course is known for its demanding and unforgiving nature, with little margin for error. It has a course rating of 76.1 and a slope of 150, the highest of all the courses at PGA West. The 17th hole, known as Alcatraz, is particularly infamous for its rock-ringed island green, which has been the site of many historic moments in golf, including Lee Trevino's hole-in-one in 1987.
The course has undergone recent restorations to return it to Dye's original design, including enlarging the greens to create bigger targets while also allowing for more challenging hole locations. These changes aim to strike a balance between providing a suitable tournament test and maintaining playability for everyday golfers.
The Stadium Course at PGA West has earned a reputation for being one of the most challenging and exciting golf courses in the world. Its demanding design, spectacular scenery, and memorable holes, such as the infamous Alcatraz, contribute to its high rankings and make it a must-play course for golfers of all skill levels.
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Frequently asked questions
Alcatraz is the nickname for hole #17 on the Stadium Course at PGA West in La Quinta. It is considered one of the toughest holes in golf.
The Alcatraz hole is an island green that is surrounded by water and bunkers. It requires a long and precise tee shot to reach the green, and even then, the green is undulating and challenging to putt on.
Yes, Lee Trevino made a hole-in-one on Alcatraz during the 1987 Skins Game, winning him a carry-over skin worth $175,000.
