TPC Sawgrass

Lore & Background

The Stadium Course was designed by Pete and Alice Dye and is known as one of the most difficult courses in the world. It features narrow fairways lined with hazards, waste bunkers, pot bunkers, thick rough, tall palm trees, and fast greens. The course originally drew heavy criticism from players; Ben Crenshaw called it 'Star Wars golf, designed by Darth Vader,' and Jack Nicklaus said, 'No, I've never been very good at stopping a 5-iron on the hood of a car.' Dye later softened the greens and replaced bunkers, leading Crenshaw to say, 'Now it's a darn good golf course.' The course hosted the 1994 U.S. Amateur, where Tiger Woods won his first of three consecutive titles. The second Creator Classic was held here, won by Grant Horvat.

In Their Own Story

The March wind came off the Atlantic in long, salt-tinged gusts and tore through the grandstand like a held breath finally released. On the 17th tee, the crowd had gone silent in that particular way Sawgrass crowds do—shoulders hunched, eyes locked on the ball, a collective stillness that felt almost religious. The player addressed the ball, felt the pine-shafted iron square in his hands, and let the swing happen. The ball hung over the water in a high, lazy arc, and for two seconds the entire stadium forgot to breathe. It landed on the island, kissed the fringe, and stopped. The roar that followed was not a cheer so much as an exhalation, a ten-thousand-person sigh that rolled down the fairway and into the pines. Somewhere in the back rows, a kid in a too-big polo shirt was crying, and his father was crying too, and neither of them could say why except that for one Tuesday afternoon in March, the game had been perfect.

Reader's Guide

The Stadium Course's signature hole is the par-3 17th, known as the 'Island Green' (technically a peninsula). It measures 137 yards and is completely surrounded by water except for a small path. The green is 78 feet long with a tiny bunker in front. Wind swirls due to surrounding trees. Over 100,000 balls are retrieved from the water annually. The hole was created by accident when all the sand was dug from the area, leaving a crater; Alice Dye suggested the island concept. The Dye's Valley Course hosted the Web.com Tour Championship from 2013 to 2015.

Did You Know?

• The 17th hole's island green design came by accident when all the sand was dug from the area, leaving a large crater.
• In the 1998 event, a seagull picked up Brad Fabel's ball from the 17th green and dropped it in the water; under Rule 18-1, he was allowed to replace the ball.
• A record 51 balls found the water at the 17th hole during the gusty opening round in May 2007.
• In the 2019 Players Championship, Jhonattan Vegas made the longest putt in the hole's history: 69 feet 7 inches.
• The course was featured on the Tiger Woods PGA Tour video game series for many years.