Double Dogleg
A double dogleg is a golf hole whose fairway bends twice between the tee and the green. It appears almost exclusively on par 5s, where the extra length leaves room for two distinct turns.
What is a double dogleg?
The fairway turns twice. The first turn usually arrives in the tee-shot landing area, the second appears in the layup or approach zone, and together they shape a route that no single straight shot can cover.
The two bends can move in the same direction, creating an S-shaped or serpentine fairway, or they can move in opposite directions, sending the fairway one way off the tee and back the other on the way to the green. Either pattern asks the golfer to think about three shots at once: where to land the drive so the next shot has an angle, where to place the layup so the third shot has a clean look at the green, and only then, how to actually attack the pin.
Almost every double dogleg is a par 5. The length of a par 5 (often 480 to 600 yards) gives an architect enough room to build two meaningful bends with playable distance between them. A par 4 generally does not, although a small handful exist, including the par-4 5th at Bethpage Black and the par-4 12th at Erin Hills, which Tom Watson has called a question-mark-shaped double dogleg.
Double dogleg vs. single dogleg
Most golfers know the standard single dogleg, where the fairway bends once. A double dogleg adds a second bend and, with it, a second strategic decision. The table below lays out the practical differences.
| Feature | Single dogleg | Double dogleg |
|---|---|---|
| Number of bends | One | Two |
| Most common par | Par 4 or par 5 | Par 5 (rarely par 4) |
| Typical length | 350–550 yards | 480–650 yards |
| Shots to plan | Two decision points (drive, approach) | Three decision points (drive, layup, approach) |
| Shot-shape demand | One direction (fade or draw) | Often both directions across the hole |
| Frequency on courses | Very common | Rare |
The headline difference is what the second bend asks of the golfer’s head. On a single dogleg, the player chooses how aggressive to be once. On a double dogleg, that choice arrives twice in a row, and a poor first decision narrows the options for the second.
Why double doglegs are almost always par 5s
Length is the simple reason. A par 5 typically gives an architect 470 yards or more to work with, which is enough to build a tee-shot zone, a layup zone, and a green complex while still fitting two distinct turns into the routing. A par 4, by contrast, rarely carries enough yardage for two bends to feel like real turns rather than gentle curves.
The design also matches the natural rhythm of a par 5. Most recreational golfers play par 5s as three-shot holes, and a double dogleg lines up neatly with that pattern: a tee shot to the first turn, a layup at the second turn, and an approach into the green. The reachable par 5 is the exception, where bigger hitters can carry one or both corners and turn the hole into a two-shot test, which is exactly the risk-reward tension architects often build in on purpose.
A brief history of the double dogleg
The American architect A.W. Tillinghast claimed credit for the design in a 1926 issue of Golf Illustrated, where he wrote that he had originated the double dogleg for a three-shot hole roughly fifteen years earlier. That places his version around 1911, during a prolific stretch of his career that produced courses such as Bethpage Black and Winged Foot.
The claim is disputed. Historians point to Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland, established in 1851, which had a double-dogleg hole well before Tillinghast. What is not disputed is that Tillinghast popularised the design in American golf, and the par-5 4th at Bethpage Black, his signature double dogleg, is regularly named among his finest par 5s in golf course rankings. Later architects, including Pete Dye, Robert Trent Jones Sr., and Greg Norman, have used the design in some of their best-known holes.
Famous double dogleg holes
A handful of double doglegs come up again and again in golf course rankings and tournament coverage. The list below covers the ones most often featured.
| Hole | Course | Yardage | Par | Architect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th hole | Bethpage Black (NY) | 517 | 5 | A.W. Tillinghast |
| 5th “Snake” | Whistling Straits, Straits Course (WI) | 543 | 5 | Pete Dye |
| 11th “Sand Box” | Whistling Straits, Straits Course (WI) | 645 | 5 | Pete Dye |
| 8th hole | Los Angeles Country Club, North Course | 537 | 5 | George C. Thomas Jr. |
| 5th hole | PGA West, Stadium Course (CA) | 535 | 5 | Pete Dye |
| 5th hole | Bethpage Black (NY) | 478 | 4 | A.W. Tillinghast |
Bethpage Black’s 4th, which played host to the 2025 Ryder Cup, is the most frequently photographed example. It bends around Tillinghast’s “great hazard,” a sprawling cross bunker known as the glacier bunker, and has hosted U.S. Opens in 2002 and 2009 and the 2019 PGA Championship. Whistling Straits’ 5th was the site of Bryson DeChambeau’s 417-yard tee shot at the 2021 Ryder Cup, when he carried the right-side hazard on a line most players would not consider.
Related Golf Terms
- Dogleg — A hole with one bend in its fairway.
- Dogleg left — A hole that bends to the left after the tee shot.
- Dogleg right — A hole that bends to the right after the tee shot.
- Double bogey — A score of two over par on a single hole.
- Dormie — In match play, being ahead by the same number of holes remaining.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are all double doglegs on par-5s?
Almost all of them. The length of a par 5 is what makes two bends practical. A handful of par-4 double doglegs exist, such as the 5th at Bethpage Black, but they are rare exceptions.
Who invented the double dogleg?
A.W. Tillinghast claimed credit in a 1926 Golf Illustrated article, dating his version to roughly 1911. The claim is disputed because Prestwick in Scotland had a double dogleg in the 19th century, but Tillinghast is credited with popularising the design in American architecture.
How do you play a double dogleg?
Most golfers play it as a three-shot hole: a placement tee shot to set up the first turn, a layup that opens up an angle to the green, and an approach. The smart play is to work backward from the green, deciding where the third shot needs to come from, then choosing the layup and tee shot that get the ball to that spot.
What is the difference between a double dogleg and an S-shaped hole?
They overlap. An S-shape is one form of a double dogleg, where the two bends head in opposite directions. The other form curves both bend the same way. Architects sometimes call this a serpentine fairway.
Are double doglegs common?
No. Most golf courses have none, and a course with two or three is unusual. The design takes a lot of land and a long par 5 to execute well, which keeps the count low.
Sources
- Brent Kelley. “Explaining What a Dogleg Hole Is in Golf.” LiveAbout. Accessed May 2026.
- “What Is A Dogleg In Golf?” Golf Monthly. Accessed May 2026.
- “6 Great Double Dogleg Holes.” LINKS Magazine. Accessed May 2026.
- Brian VanDongen. “Yardage Book: Hole 4, Bethpage Black.” From the Drop Zone (Substack). Accessed May 2026.
- “The Straits Course Hole-by-Hole Guide.” Destination Kohler / Whistling Straits. Accessed May 2026.
- Steve Robert Simmons. “Doglegs.” Double Agent (WordPress). Accessed May 2026.
- “Whistling Straits.” Wikipedia. Accessed May 2026.
- “2025 Ryder Cup Matches: a hole-by-hole look at Bethpage Black.” Golfpass. Accessed May 2026.
- “Dangerous Curves Ahead: Studying A Double Dogleg.” Golf Digest (Tom Watson on Erin Hills 12th). Accessed May 2026.
