Close Menu
    Facebook Instagram
    Instagram YouTube X (Twitter)
    Breaking Eighty | Best Golf Courses and Golf Product ReviewsBreaking Eighty | Best Golf Courses and Golf Product Reviews
    Subscribe
    • Home
    • About
    • Product Reviews
      • Golf Shoes
      • Golf Bags
      • Golf Clubs
      • Golf GPS
      • Golf Launch Monitors
      • Golf Rangefinders
      • Golf Recovery
    • Buying Guides
      • Best Golf Shoes
      • Best Launch Monitors
        • Best Simulator Studios
      • Best Golf Rangefinders
      • Best Golf Bags
      • Best Golf Cart Speakers
      • Best Putting Mats
      • Best Golf Clubs
        • Best Golf Drivers
        • Best Fairway Woods
        • Best Golf Irons
        • Best Golf Hybrids
        • Best Golf Wedges
    • Travel
      1. Golf Resorts
      2. Private Golf Clubs
      3. Best in State
      4. Hotel Reviews
      5. Breaking Eighty Top 100
      6. All Golf Course Reviews
      7. View All

      Why Vietnam Might Be the Most Underrated Golf Destination in the World

      May 1, 2025

      Dutchman’s Pipe Club Lives up to (High) Expectations

      February 3, 2025

      The Richland Course at Reynolds Lake Oconee is a Wonderful Marriage of Old and New

      October 29, 2024

      Mountain Sky: A Unique Five-Star Guest Ranch

      September 9, 2024

      Hoiana Shores: Insane Links Golf in…Vietnam?!

      April 23, 2025

      Dutchman’s Pipe Club Lives up to (High) Expectations

      February 3, 2025

      The Richland Course at Reynolds Lake Oconee is a Wonderful Marriage of Old and New

      October 29, 2024

      This Might Be the Most Exclusive Golf Course in Oregon

      September 20, 2024

      Best Golf Courses in Oregon: Everything You Need to Know

      September 3, 2024

      Best Golf Courses In New York: It’s (Private) Golf Mecca

      February 27, 2024

      Best Golf Courses In California: The Best Golf State in America?

      January 4, 2024

      Best Golf Courses In Wisconsin: Everything You Need to Know

      January 1, 2024

      Peninsula NYC Review: One of New York’s Grandest Hotels

      January 9, 2025

      Indulgent Paradise: Why Nemacolin Resort is a Must-Visit

      August 12, 2024

      I Wasn’t Prepared for Just How Special Sensei Porcupine Creek Would Be.

      June 6, 2024

      Ritz Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes: The Best Hotel in Town?

      March 4, 2024

      12+ Best Father’s Day Golf Deals for 2025

      May 20, 2025
      8.5

      The FootJoy HyperFlex is an Excellent Pair of Golf Shoes

      May 19, 2025

      The 3 Best Golf Travel Bags in 2025 (and One You Should Definitely Avoid)

      May 15, 2025

      Stitch Golf is Doing Things Different, and I’m Here for It.

      May 13, 2025

      12+ Best Father’s Day Golf Deals for 2025

      May 20, 2025
      8.5

      The FootJoy HyperFlex is an Excellent Pair of Golf Shoes

      May 19, 2025

      The 3 Best Golf Travel Bags in 2025 (and One You Should Definitely Avoid)

      May 15, 2025

      Stitch Golf is Doing Things Different, and I’m Here for It.

      May 13, 2025

      Why Vietnam Might Be the Most Underrated Golf Destination in the World

      May 1, 2025

      Hoiana Shores: Insane Links Golf in…Vietnam?!

      April 23, 2025

      Dutchman’s Pipe Club Lives up to (High) Expectations

      February 3, 2025

      The Richland Course at Reynolds Lake Oconee is a Wonderful Marriage of Old and New

      October 29, 2024
    • Eighty Club
    • Contact
    Breaking Eighty | Best Golf Courses and Golf Product ReviewsBreaking Eighty | Best Golf Courses and Golf Product Reviews
    Home»Golf Course Reviews»Golf Resorts»TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course: Is it Worth $600 Green Fees?
    Golf Resorts

    TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course: Is it Worth $600 Green Fees?

    Sean OgleBy Sean OgleUpdated:January 11, 20244 Comments
    The 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
    The world famous island green, hole 17
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    Every golfer dreams of playing TPC Sawgrass.

    Each May March (that still feels weird) we watch The Players, we see the drama, and we marvel at the best golfers in the world.

    And don’t get me started on how many times I’ve teed it up already in various Tiger Woods video games.

    When it comes to public golf resorts in the US, there are only a handful that I think truly fall into the category of “bucket list” territory.

    • Pebble Beach
    • Whistling Straits
    • Bandon Dunes
    • Pinehurst #2
    • TPC Sawgrass

    Obviously, there are dozens of other fantastic public golf courses out there – but for me, these 5 fall to the top of the list.

    So when I woke up knowing I was about to head out and play the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass? I was downright, giddy.

    So what’s the experience like playing TPC?  Is it truly all it’s cracked up to be? Is it as hard as people say it is?

    Read on, and I’ll give you the full lowdown on what to expect.

    Details About TPC Sawgrass

    • Designer: Pete Dye
    • Built-in: 1980
    • Location: Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
    • Greens fees: $600 between September and May, and $400 June through August
    • Website: https://tpc.com/sawgrass/

    Top 100 Rankings for 2022

    • Golf Digest Top 100 Public: #12
    • Golf Digest Top 100: #52
    • Golf Magazine Top 100 Public: #10
    • Golf Magazine Top 100: #45
    • Breaking Eighty Top 100: #30

    First Impressions of The Players Stadium at TPC Sawgrass

    For those of you who have been to the Masters, driving to Sawgrass had a little bit of an Augusta vibe in the sense that the main road was full of chain restaurants and strip malls. Then you pull into a neighborhood and wind your way through houses to TPC Sawgrass, and their massive clubhouse that’s even bigger in person.

    There aren’t many clubhouses in golf that have a more imposing presence.

    The first surprise we experienced was the fact that while we were driving in, everything was….brown?

    While Sawgrass was in immaculate shape in January, because of the freakishly cold winter the Bermuda grass had gone dormant for the first time in decades (if ever).

    We had multiple employees comment on how lucky we are to see it in this condition.

    While their typical lush green fairways would have made for better photos, it was cool to see all the same.

    One of the cool things about being in Florida around the PGA show is the fact that so many golf industry people are in town.

    I teed it up with golf photographer extraordinaire Patrick Koenig (@pjkoenig) and we met multiple “internet friends” randomly on the practice tee and even in the middle of one of the fairways.

    TPC Sawgrass: The Course

    After a brief warm up, we headed out to the opening hole, which does a very good job of letting you know exactly what you’re in for in your round:

    Lots of sand, water that isn’t in play as much as I expected it to be, trees that were in play more than I expected them to be – and blazing fast greens.

    I thought the first hole was an excellent opener. While it’s not the “gentle handshake” I usually like, it wasn’t as difficult as many of the holes on the course, and it gave you options off the tee. Do you blast away with driver to take the lake out of play? Or do you finesse a 3 wood up the left side to avoid losing it in the trees?

    TPC Sawgrass: Hole 1
    The first hole at TPC Sawgrass

    The par 5, second hole gives you an option to make a decision on how the day is going to go: are you going to play aggressive and go for the eagle or birdie early?

    Or are you going to play smart, layup and try and make a 4 with the one putt?

    You learn quickly that Pete Dye’s signature bunkering is prevalent just about everywhere on the course.

    While in many cases it can be overdone, I thought the bunkering at TPC Sawgrass was excellent and very effective given the nature of the course.

    What do I mean by that?

    Earlier I mentioned the water didn’t come into play as much as expected.

    While you have obvious cases of “do or die” like on the island green 17th:

    The 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
    The world famous island green, hole 17

    Or the entire left-hand side of 18:

    The 18th at TPC Sawgrass
    The 18th at TPC Sawgrass

    or the approach carry on 4:

    Looking back at the approach on the 4th hole at TPC Sawgrass.
    Looking back at the approach on the 4th hole at TPC Sawgrass.

    In many cases, you have to miss pretty significantly to go in the water. In most cases, you have a generous amount of bunkering to stop the ball from going in the drink.

    You can see a great example of this on the tee shot at #6. There’s water way left, but you have a large bunker to save you before you go in.

    TPC Sawgrass Hole 6
    The 6th at TPC Sawgrass

    If you hit it that far left? You deserve the punishment. But if you just hit it “sorta bad” – then you get a “sorta bad” result on the beach.

    You see this theme repeatedly on the course, and personally, I was really impressed by it.

    There weren’t really any times where I found myself bored on the course. Across the board, the holes had consistency in the sense that it was obviously the work of Pete Dye, and there was an abundance of sand and water – but there was enough unique to each hole that it keeps you on your toes and engaged in the round.

    The greens weren’t the most undulating I’ve ever played, but at times it felt like they were.

    I’ve played fast greens (see: Winged Foot), but these were next level.

    When you got them downhill, down grain, it’s like your ball was strapped to a turbo booster as soon as it came off your putter face. The balls just kept rolling, and rolling, and rolling…

    Looking back at the green on the par 3, 13th at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
    Looking back at the green on the par 3, 13th.

    It took some adjusting to get used to, and you quickly stopped thinking about holing putts.

    It became a quest for survival, and if you were able to get the distance right and leave it within 4 feet? It felt like a win.

    For the entirety of the front 9, I was playing for bogey golf. Save for the odd par on 2 and double on 6, it was all bogeys for a 45 – my 5th in a row on this trip.

    On the back, it was possible to finally get a sense of the speed. Close putts and good scores became much more prevalent.

    Personal Favorite Holes at TPC Sawgrass

    It’s hard to argue that TPC Sawgrass has one of the best finishing stretches in professional golf. The risk/reward par 5 16th, was every bit as good as I expected it to be.

    The look from the tee on the par 5, 16th at TPC Sawgrass.
    The look from the tee on the par 5, 16th.

    #17 requires an exacting tee shot, but honestly, it wasn’t quite as daunting from the blues as it is from the tips (which were blocked off with pro nets even months in advance of the tournament.)

    Looking back at the island green 17th at TPC Sawgrass
    Looking back at the island green 17th.

    Of course, that didn’t stop me from almost leaving it in the drink. My gap wedge caught the edge of the island by only about 2 feet.

    Finally, 18 is one of the scariest tee shots in the world. Left? Totally dead. Right? In the trees.

    A long straight drive is required if you want any chance at your par.

    Other favorites?

    I love short par 5s, and #11 is the best chance on the day for an average person to make their birdie.

    TPC Sawgrass Hole 11
    Looking back at 11.

    I also thought 9 had one of the best green complexes on the course. The unique mounding kind of reminded me of #9 at Myopia Hunt. Obviously two very different holes and courses, but elements felt oddly familiar.

    The 9th at TPC Sawgrass
    The 9th at TPC Sawgrass

    Despite his easy par, Patrick still sent himself to time out in the tiny pot bunker at the front of the green:

    @pjkoenig at TPC Sawgrass
    Timeout.

    A Few More Photos of TPC Sawgrass:

    The par 3, 3rd hole at TPC Sawgrass
    The par 3, 3rd hole.
    The par 3, 13th.
    Hole 4 TPC Sawgrass
    From behind the green on hole 4
    The tee shot on 10
    The 18th green with the massive clubhouse in the background.

    Final Thoughts on TPC Sawgrass

    In the end, I actually liked TPC Sawgrass more than I expected to. It’s one of the best target golf courses in the world, and to play a tour-level, championship course that isn’t all about length was nice to see.

    The rate when we played was $413. I don’t care who you are, that is a lot of money for a round of golf.

    In 2022? That has gone up to $600. 

    To be clear, that’s more than a round at Pebble Beach.

    And as far as I know, it’s the 2nd most expensive public tee time in the country behind Shadow Creek.

    Is it worth it?

    Well, “worth it” is a relative term.

    I barely hit the green on 17. I lagged a long putt, and made a knee knocking 5 footer for par.

    On 18 I smoked a 275-yard drive, dropped an 8 iron to 6 feet and barely missed my birdie putt for a tap in par.

    I lipped out an eagle putt and tapped in for birdie on the short par 5 11th.

    Those memories alone?

    That I undoubtedly will share dozens of times over the coming years?

    Totally worth $413.

    So it honestly depends on how much you like golf, how many times you’ve watched The Players, and frankly what things you truly value in life.

    For me, I place a premium on experiences. And playing the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass was one of the coolest golf experiences I’ve had to date.

    Staying at the Sawgrass Marriott Resort

    One of the best parts of the experience was staying at the Sawgrass Marriott which is located just across the water from the 13th hole of the course.

    The hotel is about as convenient as it gets to the Club, and frankly was even better than I’d expected.

    While we were only there for one night, I was surprised by just how much was going on there. The lobby bar (where I actually wrote the majority of this post) has a nice buzz of people to it, and the full-service Starbucks in the hotel was a welcome surprise (even if it was the most expensive Starbucks I’ve ever been in).

    The resort would be even better in the summer, as there were a ton of outdoor activities and seating areas, and best of all, their own mini island green sitting out in their lake. You can buy raffle tickets for a chance to hit a hole in one and win some sweet prizes.

    Dinner at Alice & Pete’s Pub was very good, and a perfect spot to play some games and grab beers with your buddies. My sliders weren’t bad, but Patrick’s Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese was some of the best mac and cheese I’ve ever tasted – highly recommended.

    In the end, while it certainly isn’t the most affordable option out there, if you want the full Sawgrass experience, staying at the resort is highly recommended and was a welcome treat.

    florida
    Previous ArticleSecrets Cap Cana Resort: A Solid Option for Dominican Republic Golfers
    Next Article Lumen Metabolism Review: The Ultimate 21st Century Diet Plan?
    Sean Ogle

    As the Founder of Breaking Eighty Sean has spent the last 10+ years reviewing the best golf products and golf courses in the world. He prides himself on only writing about products and courses he's experienced first hand, and helping others find exactly what they need to enhance their enjoyment of the game we all love so much.

    Related Posts

    Why Vietnam Might Be the Most Underrated Golf Destination in the World

    May 1, 2025

    Dutchman’s Pipe Club Lives up to (High) Expectations

    February 3, 2025

    Peninsula NYC Review: One of New York’s Grandest Hotels

    January 9, 2025

    The Richland Course at Reynolds Lake Oconee is a Wonderful Marriage of Old and New

    October 29, 2024

    4 Comments

    1. Tim on January 30, 2018 11:39 pm

      pretty good write up. thx for sharing. There are no chain restaurants in Ponte Vedra. Way different then the drive in to August in my opinion

      Reply
    2. Rick Weinberg on February 9, 2021 7:49 am

      Played the AWESOME TPC Stadium, then Dye’s Valley, a fine course, two weeks ago, with two nights at the excellent Marriott as part of a package. WARNING: not sure how long this has been in effect, but each Wednesday all groups on the Stadium START ON #10!! I’m guessing this is for maintenance purposes, but if there’s one course in the world where you want to finish on 16, 17, and 18, it’s this one! For the record, although I was quite pleased with pars on 13, and then 1, 3, 4 (which is a great hole!), and 9, I can’t seem to recall what transpired on 17 and 18. (When asked if he remembered the worst putt he ever struck, Jack immediately responded, “No.”)

      Reply
    3. Rick Weinberg on March 14, 2021 12:22 pm

      Sean– As usual, I agree with your course assessment 100%. I was at Sawgrass at the end of February, and with the exception of Pebble Beach– which I played for $27.50(!) about 40 years ago– I have to say I have never enjoyed a course more. There was one tiny drawback which your readers should know about. On certain days, and I’m guessing this is due to maintenance concerns, everyone starts on #10. If there’s one course on the ENTIRE PLANET where you want to finish on 16, 17, and 18, it’s the Stadium course at Sawgrass!! So I’d advise anyone making a tee time there to ask if they’ll be starting on #1 or #10. Had I known in advance, I’d have rearranged my schedule. Also, if they’re planning to be on the property for two days, spend the extra money and play Stadium twice, as Dye’s Valley, although nice, is not close to being in the same league.

      Oh– for the record, I recall making five pars, which I was very happy about, but I seem to have no memory of what transpired on #17 and #18.

      Rick Weinberg
      Pittsfield, MA

      Reply
    4. Orby Kelley on November 9, 2023 7:13 am

      Played the stadium course Monday, first day open after maintenance and it was spectacular. It cost $750 to play and was well worth it. Played Pinehurst no. 2 in July and it was about $1000 w hotel; also worth it. Bucket list is getting shorter.

      Reply
    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    Quest: Play Top Courses
    Currently:
  • Top 100 in America: 49/100
  • Top 100 Public: 36/100
  • Top 100 in World: 52/100
  • Next Up: Good question!
    Email me! sean@breakingeighty.com
    About Us
    • About
    • The Eighty Club
    • Affiliate Disclosure
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
    Buying Guides
    • Best Golf Rangefinders
    • Best Golf Launch Monitors
    • Best Golf GPS
    • Best Golf Bags
    • Best Golf Shoes
    • More Golf Buying Guides
    • Golf Coupon Codes
    Golf Courses and Travel
    • Golf Resorts
    • Private Golf Clubs
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Breaking Eighty Top 100
    • Best in State
    • All Golf Course Reviews
    X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
    © 2012-2025 Location 180, LLC

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.