The British golf course Jack Nicklaus once named as the toughest he had ever played

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Jack Nicklaus once named one British venue as the toughest golf course he had ever played, as the Golden Bear also lauded Pinehurst for its design.

It is hard to imagine that there is a single iconic golf course on the planet that Jack Nicklaus has not played over the course of his life.

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The 18-time major champion has won majors on a number of the most impressive courses in the world. He won The Masters six times, while two of his Open Championship victories came at St Andrews.

He did not enjoy quite as much success when The Open was played at Carnoustie.

Jack Nicklaus names the toughest golf course he’s ever played

Nicklaus played in two Opens at Carnoustie. He actually finished tied for second in 1968 as Gary Player went on to lift the Claret Jug. And Nicklaus was third seven years later when Tom Watson won in 1975.

The venue clearly left a lasting impression on the American, as he was asked to pick one golf course to play for the rest of his life in an interview with Golf Digest in 2009.

“Well, let me tell you this: if I was going to exclude my golf courses, okay, if I have one round of golf to play, I’d go to Pebble Beach,” he said.

“If I had two places that I want to visit, my favorite place, I’d be hard pressed to choose between Augusta and St Andrews. If I had one golf course, from a design standpoint, one that I really love, it would probably be Pinehurst. There’s a totally tree-lined golf course where trees are not a part of the strategy.

“And the toughest course I’ve ever played is Carnoustie.”

How Jack Nicklaus performed at Carnoustie and Pinehurst during his illustrious career

Pinehurst did not host a major championship for the large majority of Nicklaus’ career. He did play during the US Open in 1999, but went on to miss the cut as Payne Stewart emerged victorious.

He also played in the US Senior Open at the North Carolina course in 1994, finishing in a tie for seventh.

Nicklaus did win both the US Amateur and the US Open at Pebble Beach. It also provided the stage for his final US Open appearance in 2000. That week would be remembered for Tiger Woods‘ 15-shot victory.

Similarly, Nicklaus said goodbye to The Open Championship at The Old Course in 2005. He obviously did not see the appeal of waiting two more years for the event to return to Carnoustie.