Icon #1: The Road Hole - When Fear Becomes Fashion
The tee you wear was once feared.
At the heart of golf's most sacred ground lies a hole that has humbled legends, shattered dreams, and defined careers. The 17th at St. Andrews Old Course - the Road Hole - isn't just golf's most infamous par-4. It's a 495-yard monument to the beautiful brutality of the game we love.
The Story Behind the Shirt
When Worn by Golfers launched their Icon Range, they didn't start with the easiest choice. They started with the most meaningful one. The Road Hole became Icon #1 not because it's gentle, but because it's unforgettable. Every golfer who has stood on that tee knows the feeling - a mixture of anticipation, respect, and yes, fear.
"It is the toughest par-4 in golf, and perhaps the most famous hole in the world," said Jack Nicklaus, and he should know. The Golden Bear's 1970 Open Championship victory was sealed when Doug Sanders' miraculous escape from the Road Hole bunker still couldn't save him from missing that crucial putt on 18.
A Hole That Doesn't Play Fair
The Road Hole's reputation is built on its uncompromising design. It starts with a blind tee shot - aim over the Old Course Hotel, targeting the letters on the hotel's sign. Get it wrong, and you're either in the hotel or out of bounds. Get it right, and you're rewarded with... another problem.
The approach shot to the green is where legends are made and broken. The infamous Road Hole bunker guards the front left like a deep, revetted sentinel. Miss right, and the stone wall and actual road behind the green await. As Ben Crenshaw noted, "The reason the Road hole at St Andrews is the most difficult par 4 in the world is that it was designed as a par 5."
Champions and the Road Hole
The hole has witnessed some of golf's most dramatic moments:
- 1873: The Road Hole became part of Open Championship history when the tournament was first hosted at St. Andrews
- 1970: Nicklaus's triumph over Sanders in one of golf's most heartbreaking playoffs
- 2024: Lydia Ko's stunning drive in her final round helped secure her Women's Open victory while her contenders found trouble
Tom Watson captured its essence perfectly: "The Road Hole doesn't play fair—it plays brilliantly!" Tiger Woods added his perspective: "Not every hole should be fair; some holes should test every ounce of your creativity and courage. This one does."
More Than a Shirt
The Road Hole tee from Worn by Golfers represents something deeper than apparel. It's a conversation starter, a badge of understanding, a way to carry the spirit of golf's greatest challenges with you. Each shirt includes a downloadable "hole card"—the kind of strategic breakdown a caddie would whisper before that intimidating tee shot.
The design itself speaks in code, capturing the hole's minimalist linework and maximum meaning. It's not just about wearing golf-inspired fashion; it's about wearing the story of golf itself.
Crack the Code: The Dingbat Solution
Hidden within the Road Hole tee design is a clever puzzle that true golf enthusiasts will appreciate. The dingbat asks you to solve an 8-letter phrase (4+4) that captures the essence of this legendary hole.
The dingbat solution serves as a reminder that sometimes the most profound truths are hiding in plain sight. Just like the Road Hole itself—deceptively straightforward in concept, endlessly complex in execution.
The Icon Range Philosophy
The Road Hole is just the beginning. Worn by Golfers' Icon Range captures the stories that make golf legendary, transforming famous holes into wearable art. Every month or so brings a new design inspired by legendary holes, unforgettable shots, and golf's most iconic moments.
But they started with the Road Hole because some stories demand to be told first. Some holes are so fundamental to golf's identity that they transcend the game itself. The 17th at St. Andrews isn't just a hole - it's a rite of passage, a legend, and a symbol of the enduring challenge that keeps us coming back to golf.
Download the No.001 Hole Card here
Ready to wear the Road Hole? Because sometimes the best way to conquer your fears is to wear them proudly.
The Road Hole at St. Andrews Old Course is more than a hole - it is a rite of passage, a legend, and a symbol of the enduring challenge of golf. Now you can wear that story.