TPC Sawgrass

Origins

TPC Sawgrass grew from PGA TOUR Commissioner Deane Beman's attempt to give THE PLAYERS Championship a permanent home controlled by the TOUR itself. After an effort to purchase nearby Sawgrass Country Club failed, Beman worked with Ponte Vedra Beach landowners Jerome and Paul Fletcher, who sold 415 acres of wooded wetland and swamp to the PGA TOUR for one dollar. Construction began on a site with little natural elevation, and the Stadium Course was built in 1980.

Its creation also launched the broader Tournament Players Club network. The first THE PLAYERS Championship held on the new course followed in 1982, when Jerry Pate won and famously celebrated by pushing Beman and Pete Dye into the lake beside the 18th green before jumping in himself.

Design Philosophy

Beman asked Pete Dye for a championship course that would not favour a particular type of golfer. The resulting routing deliberately mixes short, medium and long par 3s, par 4s and par 5s, uses doglegs in both directions and avoids having consecutive holes run in the same direction, reducing the chance that one wind condition or shot shape dominates the round. Spectator viewing was equally fundamental.

The flat wetland site had no more than about 18 inches of natural elevation above the waterline, so lakes were excavated for strategic hazards and to provide fill for large viewing mounds. Elevated spectator areas were built around key tees and greens, producing the stadium concept that gave the course its name. The 17th evolved unexpectedly when excavation around what had initially been a smaller pond continued in search of usable sand; TPC's history credits Alice Dye with suggesting the resulting green become an island.

Development

The Stadium Course has been altered repeatedly since its construction as playing technology, agronomy and spectator requirements changed. Pete Dye himself returned numerous times for modifications. A comprehensive reconstruction took place in 2006, and another substantial renovation followed THE PLAYERS in 2016.

PGA TOUR Design Services architect Steve Wenzloff led the latter work, during which the course and practice facilities were rebuilt and the original 12th hole was replaced. The new 12th became a more attackable short par 4 with water extending along the left side, intended to introduce greater strategic decision-making and scoring volatility early in the back nine. The renovated Stadium Course reopened in November 2016.

Recognition

The course's significance extends beyond the familiar island green. Its spectator-first architecture established a template subsequently adopted throughout the TPC Network and influenced tournament-course development more broadly. The debut 1982 PLAYERS was controversial because professionals were unaccustomed to Dye's visually intimidating angles, mounds, water and severe hazards, but the design subsequently became one of the PGA TOUR's defining venues.

THE PLAYERS has remained at TPC Sawgrass since that first edition. Golf Digest's 2025-26 rankings place the Stadium Course No. 41 among America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses and No.

8 among America's 100 Greatest Public Courses.

Today

THE PLAYERS Stadium Course remains publicly accessible rather than being restricted to PGA TOUR professionals or private members. TPC Sawgrass allows tee times to be booked directly up to 14 days in advance without lodging, while stay-and-play packages can be reserved farther ahead through TPC Vacations. Current published starting rates include a golf cart, a forecaddie for the group and practice balls.

The property also includes Dye's Valley Course, which is a separate 18-hole layout and should be stored independently if the directory models individual golf courses. Supporting facilities include the TPC Sawgrass clubhouse, Golf Shop, NINETEEN restaurant, practice grounds and PGA TOUR Performance Center.