If necessity is the mother of invention,
the 17th hole of the Stadium Course
at the Tournament Players Club at Sawgrass
is a gifted child.
Originally intended to be bordered
by water on the right side only, the
hole evolved into the famous island
green due to needs elsewhere on the
course. As architect Pete Dye was
building the course on swampland,
a good pocket of sand -- a rare commodity
-- was discovered in the area around
17.
The 17th green measures 90 feet deep,
87 feet wide across the back and 50
feet wide across the front. A ridge
dissects the middle of the green with
a 2-foot drop from the upper rear
to the lower front. There is also
a lower tier on the back right --
a foot lower than the upper level
-- which is exactly where you can
expect to find the Sunday pin placement.
"I don't think anyone thought
that hole would become what it is,"
said Beman. "It's only 130 yards
maximum until you are playing for
something important."
Like the $6-million mother of all
purses at THE PLAYERS Championship.
This club features two outstanding
eighteen hole courses. The Stadium
Course is a target design that features
water coming into play on almost every
hole. This course was considered the
debut of stadium golf, with plenty
of pot bunkers and moguls to make
even professionals squeal. |
