All of the stories about the 7,643-yard "monster" that is Torrey Pines got me to thinking: What is the toughest golf course in the world? Is it Oakmont? Carnoustie? Will it be Torrey Pines after the completion of the United States Open? I need to do more research (read: play more courses) to get a larger sample, but I do have a couple of candidates right off the bat.

Six years ago, I took 123 unsightly strokes around Bethpage Black in advance of the 2002 United States Open. (What do you want from me? My last name is Hack.) Then, in 2006, I was (un)lucky enough to play Winged Foot before that year's Open, a round so brutal that I stopped keeping score. When I look back at both experiences, though, I actually enjoyed the Black, even as I failed to record a single par. Winged Foot left me near tears. That was no fun. (Hey, Phil, I was such an idiot, too). Winged Foot is the toughest course in my little world.

What is the toughest course in yours? Tell us in the space below. Looking for more candidates? See Golf Magazine's lists of the Top 100 Courses in the U.S. and the Top 100 in the World.