Pete Dye and the Genius of Sawgrass
If you've ever played any of the Tiger Woods PGA Tour series games from EA sports you'll notice that there are always a few courses that never seem to change from year to year. One of them is the TPC Sawgrass, and with plenty good reason. With the exception of the courses selected for the majors, TPC Sawgrass is perhaps the most notable course on the PGA Tour circuit. It is stunningly beautiful, exceptionally difficult, and after a historic summer-long renovation in 2006 that included new sand and drainage, over 200 new trees and a massive Mediterranean-style 55,000 sqft clubhouse the TPC Sawgrass is clearly the crown jewel of the TPC courses, if not ALL the courses on the Tour's schedule.
Since its renovation for 2007, Sawgrass has received incredible praise from pros and amateurs alike. Phil Mickelson recently commented that "they are the best bermuda greens I’ve ever seen." That says a lot. Just like Dye's Harbour Town, the greens are small, firm and fast. Sawgrass seems to meander through forest and wasteland, requiring that the players play close attention to every shot. Let's take a look, in no particular order, at the brilliantly designed holes that this course features...
Hole 11 - 588 Par 5
If you're standing on the tee and you don't hit your ball anywhere but straight, you're in jail (or worse!). Water and sand all along the left edge of the tee area, with a cluster of islands in a sand bunker as well. This hole was truly designed as a dynamic middle-length par 5, and attempting to reach the green in 2 requires a long drive down the right side of the fairway. Oh, and don't let that huge overhanging tree on your right knock down your 2nd shot, if you even placed your drive this well. The green is slightly elevated; come up short, and you're either in the beach or in the drink. Go long and your approach shot might come in too shallow, bouncing and skidding off the green, possibly going into the water behind.
Hole 9 - 583 Par 5
There is simply no room for error on this hole. As the hole progresses it becomes increasing difficult. Players must land the ball in the fairway short of the bridge. If they decided to go for the green in two, there is sand all along the left, grass and bunkers to the right of the green which also slopes severely from front to back right and is very narrow.
Hole 17 - 137 Par 3
Perhaps the most famous par 3 on the planet. At "only" 137 yards this would seem to be a mere chip shot for most of us, but when you think about the green as the target that you simply cannot miss (for obvious reasons!) and the swirling winds above, the difficulty is tremendous. Balls have routinely bounced off the green if hit too shallow or close to the edges, and throwing a ball high in the air is a recipe for disaster as the wind can blow it completely off course. A true classic in every sense of the word.
Hole 18 - 462 Par 4
Two things come to mind when I see this hole - 18 at Pebble Beach and 18 at Doral. Like these holes, the finishing hole at 18 is spectacular and demanding. Water is all the way down the left side so make sure you have your go-to fade working on this hole. Large mounds and trees line the right side of the fairway to keep you in check. Beware the squirrelly grass bunkers guarding the right front of the green as well.
I believe that each hole at this course deserves an in-depth mention, but that would take forever. I encourage you to check out the Players Championship website (http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/r011/course/tour/course/p-index.html) and check out each hole. Sawgrass is an amazing piece of property that tests every possible facet of the game. The timing of the tournament would make it difficult to double as a US Open venue, but I would love to see this set up as an Open course just once. It would be a treacherous to say the least.