Dramatic, punishing, and an unforgettable experience.  

Few courses build anticipation quite like TPC Sawgrass – Stadium Course. Unlike Augusta, this is a place where any golfer can test themselves against holes they’ve memorized from watching years of Players’ Championships. What’s remarkable is that Sawgrass delivers on those expectations. It’s designed for drama, risk-taking, elation and heartbreak—moments that stick with you long after the round. 

Everyone knows what to expect from 16 through 18, and they’re as thrilling to play as they are to watch. If there’s a critique, it’s that both 16 and 18 heavily favor a right-to-left ball flight, whereas Dye typically mixes up the shot shapes required from tee to green. Still, the rest of the course has plenty of engaging designs, particularly the stretch from the 9th through the 14th. The diagonal streams cutting across the fairways on the par-5 9th and 11th are strategic hazards, forcing you to commit to both your line and club choice. Approaches that must navigate around or over tree stands, like on the 6th, 9th, and 14th feel reminiscent of Dye’s work at Harbour Town. Meanwhile, wild greens that tilt toward water on holes like the 4th, 12th, and 13th invite creativity to reach tucked pins. The flat-bottomed bunkers that outline the edges of many fairways are punishing on small misses, often obscuring vision to the green because they sit below the fairway surface, but are visually striking. And that’s the fun of Sawgrass: walking the tightrope of a penal, exacting layout with aggressive visuals. 

The routing is compact and deliberate, making for an efficient walk (heat permitting), though the mental grind makes it feel longer. In some ways, it’s hard to judge Sawgrass strictly on design because it achieves its intended purpose so well: to provide a stage that challenges the best in the world and delivers a roller-coaster experience for the rest of us. To that end, every golfer should make the trip at least once. You may not want a steady diet of it, nor hope other architects emulate it, but Sawgrass succeeds brilliantly at being Sawgrass. Bring enough golf balls—and savor every challenge.