Hole #9 - Royal County Down Golf Club, Newcastle, Northern Ireland - 486 yards Par 4

Remember when I said the 7th at Pebble Beach was one of the greatest five tees in golf... well this is one of the five.  There really is nothing quite like standing on this tee, with about eight other holes of one of the world's great courses in view, a blind tee shot over a huge dune in front of you, with the town of Newcastle behind that, and the Mountains of Mourne behind that.  If you haven't played Royal County Down yet, run, don't walk, to get there.  Not only is it one of the most unique courses in the world, but it is head and shoulders above any other course in the world that you don't need to know someone to get to play.  (Royal Portrush is in the mix of being second on that list and is nearby if you need some extra motivation.)  As for the 9th hole itself, it is an absolute brute.  Beauty and the beast, to be sure.  At 486 yards, it will take two well struck shots to reach the green, but both need to be straight as an arrow as there is heavy rough and gorse surrounding both the fairway and the green.  If you manage to hit a good drive, watching it sail over the dune than is about 175 yards in front of the tee is one of the great joys in golf.  Once over the dune, the fairway sits well below the tee box, with a long second shot to a semi-blind elevated green set just to the left and behind a large dune (there are two "spectacle" bunkers about 40 yards short of the green).  A mishit on either the drive or approach is likely to result in a bogey or worse, and a par at this hole feels like an eagle on most (trust me).  One of the truly great holes in golf and one that is very unlikely to be supplanted on this list.

Next best: Cypress Point, Turnberry, Merion (East), Pebble Beach
Most likely to take its place, but have not yet played: Maidstone, Muirfield