Anyone played TPC Sawgrass or the Valley Course?

[Tim Harris]

I'm heading down to that area in a couple weeks for a family vacation and going to sneak off for 2 days to play Sawgrass and the Valley course.  Anyone played them before?  If so anything that I should know about. 

I'm hoping all this rain moves out so I can at least get a little practice in before I go.  I don't have high expectations but would like to at least not completely embarrass myself.

[ricepig]

I've played Sawgrass a few times, admit your level and play those tees, haha. It's really a pretty easy driving course, fairways seemed ample to me. It's been a few years since I played there, but two times V.J. was on the far right end of the driving range pounding golf balls. Enjoy it, and practice on your 8 or 9 iron shot, 17th green.

[Tim Harris]

Yeah I'm not sure how the tee selection is going to be handled.  I'm going as a single and then just getting paired up with 3 other players.

[ricepig]

Yeah I'm not sure how the tee selection is going to be handled.  I'm going as a single and then just getting paired up with 3 other players.

Yeah, me and a buddy were paired one time with a couple of college players, they played the tips, we didn't, lol. The other times were foursome from home, so that was just the normal game.

[hog golf]

you will have a caddie, no choice. it will be a local kid, probably college age or a little more and he will know the course. if he tells you to aim toward the oak tree on the left side of the fairway and hit a ball 110 yards, do it. he knows the course. a couple of times he will come in real handy. I remember taking his advice on maybe numbers 11 and 16 specifically and it worked out well. you get to hit from the tips (where the pros play) on 17. gonna be around 138 as mentioned earlier. take your camera. you take pictures of your partners and have them do the same for you. better yet, get your caddy to do it. he can time it perfectly.
as stated earlier, the fairways were ample at Stadium Course. numbers 16, 17 and 18 are real fine finishing holes. after playing them, you'll have a real nice appreciation of watching The Players, especially on Sunday afternoon.

eat a nice breakfast at the club. don't leave food in your cart on (#4??)- a relatively short par 4. the raccoons will come out of nowhere and raid your golf cart. your caddy will probably warn you. wonder if that is a problem this time of year though.

tip your caddy. enjoy. report back. they have some nice souvenirs as you would expect. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

valley course was decent. try to play it first so you can get some practice in.

[michaels]

My brother worked at sawgrass for years. Came a few centimeters away from getting a hole in 1 on 17

[Tim Harris]

valley course was decent. try to play it first so you can get some practice in.

That was my plan but staying at the Marriott and had to take the tee times they could get me.  Playing TPC on a Friday and the valley course on Saturday.

May have to sneak out one morning and play one of the 9 hole offerings around disney earlier in the week.

[ricepig]

you will have a caddie, no choice. it will be a local kid, probably college age or a little more and he will know the course. if he tells you to aim toward the oak tree on the left side of the fairway and hit a ball 110 yards, do it. he knows the course. a couple of times he will come in real handy. I remember taking his advice on maybe numbers 11 and 16 specifically and it worked out well. you get to hit from the tips (where the pros play) on 17. gonna be around 138 as mentioned earlier. take your camera. you take pictures of your partners and have them do the same for you. better yet, get your caddy to do it. he can time it perfectly.
as stated earlier, the fairways were ample at Stadium Course. numbers 16, 17 and 18 are real fine finishing holes. after playing them, you'll have a real nice appreciation of watching The Players, especially on Sunday afternoon.

eat a nice breakfast at the club. don't leave food in your cart on (#4??)- a relatively short par 4. the raccoons will come out of nowhere and raid your golf cart. your caddy will probably warn you. wonder if that is a problem this time of year though.

tip your caddy. enjoy. report back. they have some nice souvenirs as you would expect. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

valley course was decent. try to play it first so you can get some practice in.

I've played 3 times at Sawgrass and never had a caddy. Now, I haven't played there in 5 years.

[HSVhogfan2]

I've played 3 times at Sawgrass and never had a caddy. Now, I haven't played there in 5 years.

Yeah,that must be fairly new. I've played it and the area course a good bit never had one.

I actually like the Valley course better than the Stadium course. I think there is water on every hole at the Valley. Both play completely different in the late winter/early spring than in the summer. The Stadium courses main defense is the wind. It usually blows all from now until late spring. As the earlier advice stated, play the tees you are comfortable with, it's hard to hit a bad shot from the fairways because they are so manicured, however if you are going into either course with long irons/hybrids, it can be a bit frustrating.

[Tim Harris]

Ive read by default you get a cart and a forecaddie which is there to help with lines, find your ball, etc. You also can walk the course get a traditional caddy if you are in to that.

[Jackrabbit Hog]

Yeah, me and a buddy were paired one time with a couple of college players, they played the tips, we didn't, lol. The other times were foursome from home, so that was just the normal game.

My one round at Pebble Beach, I was a single and got grouped with three big, long hitting dudes.  They insisted on playing from the back tees and, well, I wasn't going to be the lone ranger on the whites so I played from back there too.  Maybe that's why I shot such a lousy round..

[ricepig]

My one round at Pebble Beach, I was a single and got grouped with three big, long hitting dudes.  They insisted on playing from the back tees and, well, I wasn't going to be the lone ranger on the whites so I played from back there too.  Maybe that's why I shot such a lousy round..

Hell, I ain't proud. When my boys and I played for the annual Ricepig championship this fall, I used the old man tees since I was 57. They complained, but I didn't care, it was for the "ship."

[GolfNut57]

My one round at Pebble Beach, I was a single and got grouped with three big, long hitting dudes.  They insisted on playing from the back tees and, well, I wasn't going to be the lone ranger on the whites so I played from back there too.  Maybe that's why I shot such a lousy round..

Lousy round? It was only a lousy round if you seriously expected to shoot well from the tips.   It is all about realistic expectations my man.

Me? If I paid the price to play Pebble Beach I would have played from where I felt the most comfortable and to heck with what my playing partners thought. I am going to play the tees that give me the best chance to shoot a decent round. And if it means Sr tees then so be it. I am 58 after all.

[Rendezvous Cook]

Take a camera! The whole place is a neat experience.

[Jackrabbit Hog]

Lousy round? It was only a lousy round if you seriously expected to shoot well from the tips.   It is all about realistic expectations my man.

Me? If I paid the price to play Pebble Beach I would have played from where I felt the most comfortable and to heck with what my playing partners thought. I am going to play the tees that give me the best chance to shoot a decent round. And if it means Sr tees then so be it. I am 58 after all.

You're 58; ricepig is 57; I'm only 55.  Heck, I need to play from the baby tees if I play with you guys!

[Wildhog]

I'd want to play from where the pros play.  See how I stack up, ha.

[GolfNut57]

I'd want to play from where the pros play.  See how I stack up, ha.

The fact that you don't play on TV for the weekends already shows how you "stack up". 

[Wildhog]

The fact that you don't play on TV for the weekends already shows how you "stack up". 

Yeah, but if I did okay from the tips, I'd point it out every time I watch the Players Championship.

"I beat Jonas Blixt!"

[ricepig]

Yeah, but if I did okay from the tips, I'd point it out every time I watch the Players Championship.

"I beat Jonas Blixt!"

That would be impressive!

[HognitiveDissonance]

I played Sawgrass once, in the fall.
Loved it. I don't generally like Pete dye courses, but I loved this one.
Maybe it's because I know it so well from TV, but I thought it was fun to play. Difficult, though.
The last stretch I birdied 16, put a ball in the water on 17, then bogeyed 18. Hole 18 is a beast, so I was quite happy with that.

[HSVhogfan2]

I'd want to play from where the pros play.  See how I stack up, ha.

You,would have everyone behind you "stacked up" for sure. 

[Tim Harris]

I just got back last night from my trip.  I have to say if you guys ever get the chance to play you have to do it.  It was a rather slow day at the course on Friday so I got to go out solo with a caddie.  It was a great experience to walk down the middle of the fairways like the pros.  To bad my game was absolutely awful that day.

I did play better at the Valley course on Saturday.  I'm not sure why so many say it is a tougher course.  To me the stadium was by far the toughest course I've ever played.

Regardless if you get the chance to play either you have to do it.

[GolfNut57]

I just got back last night from my trip.  I have to say if you guys ever get the chance to play you have to do it.  It was a rather slow day at the course on Friday so I got to go out solo with a caddie.  It was a great experience to walk down the middle of the fairways like the pros.  To bad my game was absolutely awful that day.

I did play better at the Valley course on Saturday.  I'm not sure why so many say it is a tougher course.  To me the stadium was by far the toughest course I've ever played.

Regardless if you get the chance to play either you have to do it.

So how much damage did it do to your wallet, what did you shoot and what tees did you play from?

[Tim Harris]

So how much damage did it do to your wallet, what did you shoot and what tees did you play from?

I played the blended tees on the stadium course and shot a 91.  Terrible day off the tees.  If you have control of your ball off tee then the course is doable.  By no means would I have shot anything great but should have been in the low 80s.  Also the greens were extremely slow.  In talking with my caddie he said that is rather normal as they let them grow out a little because of all the foot traffic. 

Many people I talked to said the Valley course was the tougher of the 2 but I don't see how they come up with that opinion.  On the stadium there aren't many bail outs but on the Valley you pretty much had a bail on every hole.  You might end up in the rough but you were at least dry/not in the trees.  I shot an 87 there from the blues and would have been much better if I hadn't took an 8 on a par 3. 

The rates for the round were included in my stay at the Marriott.  I highly recommend people stay there if wanting to play.  They shuttle you back and forth plus you can make tee times up to a year in advance instead of the normal 14 days if making it directly through the pro shop.  I want to say it was around $350 a night but that was with an upgraded room so my son and wife would have more space while I played golf.  For the walking caddie I think it was $120 plus tip at the end.  I wouldn't have done it but but the course is cart path only plus they let me go out solo so I figured what the hell.  The forecaddie you get by default is included and all you have to cover is tip.

[Arky]

I played TPC when it first opened. Freshman at UA so we went to Jax for the fog bowl. Is the valley course what used to be called Sawgrass?

[HognitiveDissonance]

I played TPC when it first opened. Freshman at UA so we went to Jax for the fog bowl. Is the valley course what used to be called Sawgrass?

Not totally sure, but I doubt that. I don't believe the courses have ever changed names. Sawgrass has always been Sawgrass. Quite a history there of how the course was built. Of course, it was Pete Dye's wife who suggested the island green.

[Tim Harris]

They have the Sawgrass Country club across the street which has another 27 holes but that isn't part of the TPC setup. As far as I know the Valley course has always been called that.

[Arky]

They have the Sawgrass Country club across the street which has another 27 holes but that isn't part of the TPC setup. As far as I know the Valley course has always been called that.

Never heard of the valley course......Sawgrass was on the ocean, iirc......we played TPC about 6 months after it opened....no clubhouse, just trailer.
A yr or so later Dye had to make revisions because the pros bitched about it being to unfair (hard).

[HognitiveDissonance]

All Dye courses are too hard. Period.

Fazio combines the best blend of challenge, beauty, and playability. I like nearly all Tom Fazio courses. I like very few Pete Dye courses.

Jack had the Pete Dye approach early on as well but later evolved into more sensible designs.

[ricepig]

They have the Sawgrass Country club across the street which has another 27 holes but that isn't part of the TPC setup. As far as I know the Valley course has always been called that.

Yeah, we didn't play Sawgrass CC either time I was there, nor the Valley course. Where is it in relation to the hotel? We played TPC twice on each occasion I was there. We would play on Friday and Saturday, and then hit Daytona for the 500.

[Tim Harris]

Yeah, we didn't play Sawgrass CC either time I was there, nor the Valley course. Where is it in relation to the hotel? We played TPC twice on each occasion I was there. We would play on Friday and Saturday, and then hit Daytona for the 500.

The Valley course is on the same property as the Stadium course (What most people just refer to as TPC Sawgrass).  When you drive down the hill from the club house to the driving range you keep driving past the driving range and there is a 2nd course out there.  If you go back I would recommend giving it a shot.

[Tim Harris]

I loved the area though and will probably go back and play other courses.  They all seemed to be nice.

[ricepig]

The Valley cour
se is on the same property as the Stadium course (What most people just refer to as TPC Sawgrass).  When you drive down the hill from the club house to the driving range you keep driving past the driving range and there is a 2nd course out there.  If you go back I would recommend giving it a shot.

Ok, I guess it never entered our minds to play it. Truthfully, it's been several years since I've played TPC, I don't remember it even being there.

Well, I just Googled it, it opened in 1987, so it was there.