The hardest golf courses in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The hardest 18-hole golf courses within about 25 miles of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, ranked by USGA slope rating from each course's longest men's tees, with course rating as the tiebreaker. 43 courses have complete, verified tee data.
Also covers Oakmont, Sewickley, Gibsonia, Canonsburg, Verona and 12 more nearby towns.
Southpointe Golf Club
Canonsburg, PA, USASlope rating 144, 74.7 course rating, Black tees, 6,912 yds
PrivateArthur Hills & Spencer Holt
- 4.0Conditions
- 4.0Layout
- 3.3Scenery
- NRFacilities
- Challenging
- Driving range
- Pristine
Montour Heights Country Club
Coraopolis, PA, USASlope rating 144, 72.9 course rating, Black tees, 6,634 yds
PrivatePete Dye & Ron Forse
- 4.0Conditions
- 1.0Layout
- 1.0Scenery
- 4.0Facilities
Yo, Montour Heights got that local flavor. Dye design, so you already know it’s got angles, attitude, and a little chaos. Layout’s unique, creative, keeps you thinkin’ on every swing. Not every hole’s a banger, but the vibe’s real.
Written by
@Heelcut22
- Challenging
- Driving range
- Restaurant
Oakmont Country Club
Oakmont, PA, USASlope rating 142, 76.9 course rating, Black tees, 7,255 yds
PrivateHenry Fownes
- 4.9Conditions
- 4.3Layout
- 4.1Scenery
- 4.5Facilities
Fantastic track. Will test you with every shot you have. No holding back, just have to step up to the tee box, pull out driver and fire away. Greens are the fastest I’ve ever played. On the first hole, had 168 out.
Written by
@CMoneyP13
- Must play
- Pristine
- Fast greens
3 Lakes Golf Course
Pittsburgh, PA, USASlope rating 140, 73.4 course rating, Black tees, 6,504 yds
PublicEmil Loeffler
- 2.0Conditions
- 2.0Layout
- 2.5Value
- 2.0Scenery
- 2.1Facilities
Quirky, Pittsburgh golf at its finest. Doglegs, elevation changes, and holes you struggle to explain to people. That has its ups (hole 3) and its downs (holes 5 through 7 are a shooting gallery nightmare of design). It’s way too crowded, in ok shape, but a fun home base.
Written by
@Owen Gabbey
- Walkable
Totteridge Club
Greensburg, PA, USASlope rating 139, 75.8 course rating, Black tees, 7,154 yds
PublicRees Jones & Steve Weisser
- 3.7Conditions
- 3.8Layout
- 4.2Value
- 3.7Scenery
- 3.4Facilities
Around 50% of the original fairway and greenside bunkers were turned into grass bunkers but playing the course as it currently stands there are still plenty of hazards to navigate to keep your attention especially when the fescue is up. The course still tips out at 7100+…
Written by
@alpino
- Must play
- Hidden gem
- Underrated
The Madison Club
Madison, PA, USA
Slope rating 139, 73.4 course rating, Black tees, 6,847 yds
Pittsburgh National Golf Club
Gibsonia, PA, USA
Slope rating 138, 74.4 course rating, Black tees, 6,933 yds
Diamond Run Golf Club
Sewickley, PA, USA
Slope rating 138, 73.7 course rating, Black tees, 6,805 yds
Hickory Heights Golf Club
Bridgeville, PA, USA
Slope rating 138, 72.2 course rating, Blue tees, 6,531 yds
(Red) Cedarbrook Golf Course
Belle Vernon, PA, USA
Slope rating 138, 70.8 course rating, Black tees, 6,237 yds
River Forest Country Club
Freeport, PA, USA
Slope rating 138, 70.2 course rating, Black tees, 6,190 yds
Quicksilver Golf Club
Midway, PA, USA
Slope rating 137, 74.6 course rating, Black tees, 7,012 yds
(Championship) St. Claire Country Club
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Slope rating 137, 74.2 course rating, Tee V, 7,023 yds
Longue Vue Club
Verona, PA, USA
Slope rating 137, 73.2 course rating, Black tees, 6,714 yds
Willowbrook Country Club
Apollo, PA, USA
Slope rating 137, 73.1 course rating, Black tees, 6,686 yds
Pittsburgh Field Club
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Slope rating 137, 73.0 course rating, Black tees, 6,683 yds
The Club at Shadow Lakes
Aliquippa, PA, USA
Slope rating 137, 72.1 course rating, Blue tees, 6,570 yds
The Club at Nevillewood
Nevillewood, PA, USA
Slope rating 136, 74.3 course rating, Nicklaus tees, 7,228 yds
Fox Chapel Golf Course
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Slope rating 135, 73.9 course rating, Blue tees, 6,696 yds
Youghiogheny Country Club
McKeesport, PA, USA
Slope rating 135, 72.3 course rating, Blue tees, 6,375 yds
Pheasant Ridge Golf Course
Gibsonia, PA, USA
Slope rating 135, 70.2 course rating, Blue tees, 6,600 yds
(Gold) Cedarbrook Golf Course
Belle Vernon, PA, USA
Slope rating 134, 74.0 course rating, Black tees, 6,824 yds
Shannopin Country Club
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Slope rating 134, 71.9 course rating, Black tees, 6,457 yds
Sewickley Heights Golf Club
Sewickley, PA, USA
Slope rating 133, 73.3 course rating, Blue tees, 7,004 yds
Butler Country Club
Butler, PA, USA
Slope rating 133, 73.3 course rating, Blue tees, 6,727 yds
How we rank
This ranking uses published scorecard data from each course’s longest men’s tees, the same tee set for every course. Only 18-hole courses with a yardage for every hole, a total that matches the hole-by-hole sum, and a par between 54 and 80 are included, and the tees must carry a single slope rating (55–155) and course rating. Courses whose scorecard duplicates another course’s are left out until the data is fixed. Courses are ordered by slope rating, then course rating, then Course Vaults score. Only open courses with a published Course Vaults score (at least 5 explicit ratings) are eligible, and a page is published only when at least 5 courses qualify. City pages include courses within about 25 miles of Pittsburgh, so nearby suburbs can appear. Rankings refresh about hourly.
FAQ
Southpointe Golf Club is #1 on Course Vaults in and around Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at Slope 144 (74.7 course rating · Black tees · 6,912 yds). 43 courses qualify for this list.
This ranking uses published scorecard data from each course’s longest men’s tees, the same tee set for every course. Only 18-hole courses with a yardage for every hole, a total that matches the hole-by-hole sum, and a par between 54 and 80 are included, and the tees must carry a single slope rating (55–155) and course rating. Courses whose scorecard duplicates another course’s are left out until the data is fixed. Courses are ordered by slope rating, then course rating, then Course Vaults score. Only open courses with a published Course Vaults score (at least 5 explicit ratings) are eligible, and a page is published only when at least 5 courses qualify. City pages include courses within about 25 miles of Pittsburgh, so nearby suburbs can appear. Rankings refresh about hourly.
Slope rating is the USGA measure of how much harder a course plays for a bogey golfer than for a scratch golfer, from 55 to 155 (113 is average). Course rating is the expected score for a scratch golfer from the same tees.
Yes. It includes qualifying courses within about 25 miles of Pittsburgh, not only courses whose address is in the city.
This page was last generated Nov 12, 2026, 4:17 AM EST. Scores and eligibility are recomputed about every hour.
