Wow, I have seen some impressive clubhouses on this trip, but driving up it is a very impressive and daunting at the same time. TPC Sawgrass opened in 1980 and is the flagship of all the TPC network. In 1978 the PGA Tour bought the 415 acre track and built the TPC Sawgrass. The two courses are of course, The Stadium Course and Dye’s Valley which I was playing today. Besides the gigantic clubhouse they had a massive driving range, plus a performance center. The best part of the parking lot is the best spots are reserved for tour players.
I went in and and looked around for a bit, they have some massive paintings of past winners on the walls. I went and checked in and realized I spent so much time looking around that no time for the range. I took a ride out to the course and met my caddy and the couple I was going to join. My caddy Parker was from the area and was immensely helpful with the greens. Denise and Tom where from the Tampa area. Tom was playing from the blue tees and was long off the tee but a bit wild. Denise was playing very consistent from the lady’s tees. It helped that we all were playing from different tees as I was walking and they took a cart.
We started on ten and I had a great tee shot right off the bat. Then with water coming into play I put one in immediately. I had three balls go into the water on three of the first four holes. On fourteen I had a two put, and then chipped in from about 15 yards on fifteen. On sixteen I putted from off the green and made that. Of course on seventeen I three putted but on eighteen I chipped in again! On the last five holes I putted a total of five times and on the front a total of twelve. You think I would have a really good score but I also put one in the water on eighteen so that chip in was for a seven, LOL. I shot a 51, so a bit of work to break a hundred.
After a hot dog and some chips on the turn I was ready to go. I didn’t realize that one is a short par 5 and got a bogey as I was bit overconfident with my putter and three putted. And then three putted on two and three as well for good measure. Five a par three, has water surrounding most of the green and is yardage wise similar to seventeen on the Stadium Course. I pulled a eight iron and put a nice smooth swing on the ball, landed pin high about fifteen feet away, got real close to a birdie and settled for a very satisfying tap in par. I hope I do the same on seventeen. On seven I put another one in the water but scrambled for a double bogey. Eight was another par five that I saved par on with my putter as I made a long ten footer. Nine was tough as I had a tough lie in the sand and blasted it over the green, chipped on and had another long putt to close out my round, and again I made it, putter was on fire and I got some great lines from Parker. I shot a 48 on the front nine which means, 99 I broke a hundred! YES!
Yes I definitely had more fun today than the day before, I guess if I had one complaint was that by the 13 hole I felt like I was cooking, lol. It was so humid and hot for me personally, doesn’t help I wear all black that my sunscreen seemed to disappear and I got burned a bit on my arms. Again if that’s my only complaint that sounds like a pretty good day! Thanks for reading and if you haven’t checked out my Instagram page you’re missing out on all the good videos! Well tomorrow when I play the Stadium Course I promise to try and hit them straight but if I don’t I will yell “FORE”!
The High Handicapper
High Handicapper 