TPC Sawgrass (Dye's Valley)

The Dye’s Valley course at TPC Sawgrass is yet another club that gets much less attention than it deserves on account of having a World Top 100 golf course (and PGA host) right next door.

Many PGA pros believed Pete Dye needed to be cooled down after the initial run of The Players Championship, and Jerry Pate did the honor by tossing the architect in a lake following his win at the 1982 event. The golfer was given a second opportunity to temper Dye when he was named player consultant for the Dye’s Valley course just five years later (it was also a major coming out moment for then Dye associate Bobby Weed).

Still, Pate won that initial tournament, so clearly he didn’t mind Dye’s methodology too much, and the resulting 18 is not a total walk in the park (although everything is a relative walk in the park post-Stadium). Water hazards are still a significant part of play, lining many holes, if not requiring the same number of forced carries as the Stadium Course.

Still, at around 6,850 yards, it allows less-skilled golfers a chance to experience The Players’ mindset. There’s still plenty enough challenge to make one consider dunking Dye in a pond post-round.