Best 18th hole in the USA- you have played-since we covered the first hole

[Rob Curtiss]

I have not had the luxury to play alot the top courses but I love --

The 18th at Olympic Club-Lake course
-short par 4 but plays long because second shot is kinda blind and up hill
-and you can imagine all the heartbreak of some the biggest names- Hogan -Palmer-

although I prefer a par 5 as a closing hole to give you one more chance to close with a birdie
which always makes me want to play again

[Phil Lipper]

This is a tough one since there a so many great holes that are finishing holes.
My top 5 in no particular order would be
TPC Sawgrass (certainly a beast with a lot of trouble)
Yale (I love that there is no right way to play the hole)
Pete Dye Club (great par 4 over a ravine)
Doral Blue (I almost didnt list this since I'm not sure what it looks like now)
Wynn (Not the greatest hole in the world, but with two 70 story on your left, and waterfall in front of you its classic Vegas)

[John Kavanaugh]

Torrey Pines South.  Hey we have a theme going here.

[Jason Thurman]

The Harvester just north of Des Moines.

[mike_malone]

Huntingdon Valley has a strategic up hill tee shot with a well positioned bunker in the landing zone and then a challenging up hill approach affected by your tee shot positioning. It is a nice look as well with the clubhouse in view. The green is a typical Flynn which seems reasonable but has many choices and challenges.

[Mark Pritchett]

Harbour Town

[Mac Plumart]

NGLA

Great hole...magical walk up the hill...stunning view at the green.  Crazy good.

[Rob Curtiss]

Nice pick mark

NGLA looked awesome on TV. especially with the sun setting

[Matt Bosela]

So many good ones I've seen...

Par 4s -
Shinnecock
Oakmont
Sand Hills
Riviera

Par 5s -
Pebble Beach
NGLA
Sebonack
Bigwin Island (off the radar choice)

The best par three finisher for me would have to be Pasatiempo but admittedly, I've played few courses that end with a one shotter.

[Matt Bielawa]

Inverness
Indianwood (Old)
Streamsong (Red)
Daufuskie Island (Melrose)

[Rob Curtiss]

Loved Inverness 18 as well...great from the tee box and from the second shot location

[Tom_Doak]

Five posts in and there are already more than five holes I dislike!

There are many fine holes that are the 18th hole, because too many courses save the best for last.  But there are also a lot of cliches about the 18th hole and how tough it ought to be, that I hate.  Phil Lipper's list of 5 covers most of them -- long and difficult hole, water all along one side, etc.  [yawn]

For me, the success of a finishing hole is that it reflect the character of the course and where it is.

A few that come to mind from the U.S.A.:

18th at Garden City Golf Club - the only par-3 finisher that I really love

18th at Oakmont - perfectly in character with the rest of the course

18th at Stonewall (Old) - still probably my best finishing hole, I just love the way the clubhouse is a part of the hole, but it also demands two good shots and the tilted approach is reflective of the course's primary challenge

[John Kavanaugh]

Five posts in and there are already more than five holes I dislike!

That was the theme we had going. 

[Mark McKeever]

Best 18th Holes:

Philadelphia Cricket Club, Wissahickon
Stonewall Old
Merion East
Myopia Hunt Club
Charles River

[jeffwarne]

The 9th at Goat Hill

[Phil McDade]

Milwaukee Country Club.

Unlike nearly every course you see these days, the clubhouse doesn't sit at the highest point of the course. Alison had the good sense to use the highest point of the course -- a distinctive ridgeline -- as the centerpiece of the 18th hole. The uphill drive off the tee has a true risk-reward element to it, as taking on -- and clearing -- a large bunker on the left side of the fairway leaves the golfer with a slightly downhill shot off an event lie framed by the beautiful white clubhouse. Those avoiding the bunker by going right may be left with a blind approach, off an uneven lie, to a green with traps menacing an approach from the right. A wonderful green site, too, as short of the green is dead ground that sloughs balls away from the green surface, and long is a shaved slope that could result in one's ball coming to rest against the clubhouse.

Without question the best 18th in Wisconsin; I've seen few better anywhere.

From a few years ago: http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,36505.0.html

Ran's review from last year: http://www.golfclubatlas.com/courses-by-country/usa/milwaukee-country-club/

[BHoover]

I like an uphill walk to finish out a round, so I'll go with:

Canton Brookside
Canterbury

[JMEvensky]

I like an uphill walk to finish out a round, so I'll go with:

Canton Brookside
Canterbury

So do I.You'd love Southern Hills.

[Mike Hendren]

The National Golf Links of America's 18th hole is "just right."  I told our favorite dentist on the spot that it was the best I've played.  Haven't seen a better one since.

Bogey

[Phil Lipper]

But there are also a lot of cliches about the 18th hole and how tough it ought to be, that I hate

Obviously when I walk a golf course I am looking at thru very different eyes, than Tom's or many of the others on this board, since I view the course as a player who appreciates the art but certainly doesnt think that much about how different it should have been.

Tom's comment got me thinking what should an 18th hole be? Should it just be another hole on the course or should it be special (defined as visually significant (Pebble 18) or a more difficult hole). Are there special  characterstics that an 18th hole should have or should it just gracefully bring you back to the clubhouse like Stonewall Old.

[Stephen Britton]

NGLA

[Jeff Spittel]

Some of my favorites:

Cherry Hills  
Pasatiempo
NGLA  
Tuxedo

[Michael Felton]

While conceding my bias, I am a big fan of the 18th on the New Course at Walton Heath.

[Tim Lewis]

Milwaukee Country Club.

Unlike nearly every course you see these days, the clubhouse doesn't sit at the highest point of the course. Alison had the good sense to use the highest point of the course -- a distinctive ridgeline -- as the centerpiece of the 18th hole. The uphill drive off the tee has a true risk-reward element to it, as taking on -- and clearing -- a large bunker on the left side of the fairway leaves the golfer with a slightly downhill shot off an event lie framed by the beautiful white clubhouse. Those avoiding the bunker by going right may be left with a blind approach, off an uneven lie, to a green with traps menacing an approach from the right. A wonderful green site, too, as short of the green is dead ground that sloughs balls away from the green surface, and long is a shaved slope that could result in one's ball coming to rest against the clubhouse.

Without question the best 18th in Wisconsin; I've seen few better anywhere.

From a few years ago: http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,36505.0.html

Ran's review from last year: http://www.golfclubatlas.com/courses-by-country/usa/milwaukee-country-club/

The eighteenth at Milwaukee is by far the best that I have played. It is the only closing hole with a downhill approach that I have ever played, and the drive is also very interesting. On one of the occasions that I played their one of the players in my group hit his approach shot a little bit short, and it landed on the green, span back, and then proceeded to ride the slope all the way off the green and into the left bunker. When I saw this happen I thought it was absurd that someone could hit the green and then still end up in the bunker, but at the same time I realized that it is features like this that make Milwaukee such an interesting course.

Another closing hole that I thought was very interesting was the eighteenth at Lawsonia.

[David Royer]

I think the 18th at Sleepy Hollow is undervalued.