Playing TPC Sawgrass

I played the TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course – where they play the Players Championship – over Memorial Day weekend, and the weather was beautiful. I live in Houston, and it was my first time on the course. I had a blast. Having watched so many exciting Players finishes on TV, walking around those finishing holes was a real thrill. My tee time was 2 p.m. on Sunday, so I was playing those finishing holes at about the same time as every champion before played them en route to victory. I saw the same shadows and even some of the same pin positions. On 16, I hit my second shot in the closely mown area just left of the green, where so many players aim to set up the easy up and down birdie. It was a special feeling hitting that shot, and so many others that I was already so familiar with, and that had so much exciting history.

There were some things I already knew, but that didn't sink in until I got there. One is that the new clubhouse really is pretty nice. Big paintings of memorable Players moments. Signed scorecards of the winners. Other interesting art and trophies and memorabilia. And the course itself had some surprises. I hadn’t realized just how deep all the greenside bunkers were. Every single one of them. You see them on TV and it doesn’t register how difficult they are to normal people. The pros, after all, have no problems out of the bunkers. But things can get very tricky in TPC Sawgrass sand when you’re a low ball hitter and your rental set of clubs doesn’t have a 60 degree wedge. To make things worse, the allegedly 56 degree wedge in my bag seemed very strong, so I couldn't hit high, soft shots out of the bunkers. Every iron and wedge in my bag seemed delofted. I was hitting the ball astonishingly far with my irons and wedges. Ponte Vedra Beach isn’t exactly in the thin mountain air, so that kind of power surge shouldn’t happen. The sand wedge said 56 degrees on it, but I was hitting it 130 yards or more. (My normal 56 degree sand wedge at home goes 120.) On the 17^th hole, from 145 yards, with a slight right to left breeze, I hit the front edge of the green with sand wedge. I wanted to see if I could do it. I swung hard and hit a little draw. The ball hit the front third of the green, then spun back and to the left, ending up half an inch from going into the water. It left me one of those putts where you have one foot on the edge of the wood and you’re trying not to fall off the island.

Confession: Prior to hitting the sand wedge on 17, I hit a pitching wedge and flew the green. After hitting the island with sand wedge, I chipped and two putted for a 6.

Well, it was a perfect day of golf, and I can't wait to watch the tournament next year, having had the experience of playing the course on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in May.