The Other Island Green At Sawgrass

There are actually two island greens at the TPC Sawgrass Resort. One is the famous 17th hole on the TPC Sawgrass Course. The other is a tiny replica floating in the lagoon outside the Marriott Sawgrass Resort Hotel. Rumor has it that no one has ever successfully hit a shot that held that second green. You can see why. It just bobs serenely at there on the lagoon, flag flapping lazily in the Florida sunshine, taunting you.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo

Pete Dye's Excuse For Sawgrass 17

Every time a golfer complains to Pete Dye about how many balls he drowned at the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass, Pete just refers them to his wife, Alice. "It was her idea," he swears while making every effort to look innocent.

The way Billy Dettlaff, TPC Director of Golf told the story to me, Dye found a great deposit of perfect sand where the 17th hole was supposed to exist as a perfectly normal, medium length par 3. He kept hauling sand away from the spot to lay the foundations for the other fairways on the course until one day he realized that if he took away any more, there wouldn't be anything left except a huge crater where the 17th hole was supposed to be.

When he recounted the problem to Alice, she told him to fill the hole with water and put the green on an island. Voila--one of the most recognized and reviled holes on the PGA tour.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds

Sawgrass 17 - A Shotmaker's Hole

The 17th at Sawgrass epitomizes a shot-maker's hole. At 138 yards, brawn doesn't matter. With a 6,000 square-foot green, accuracy is everything. Just as important, though, is your ball's trajectory and spin. If it doesn't come in high and soft, it can easily bounce off the tiny target.

A couple of other things make the 17th even more challenging. One is the wind, which can put anything from a wedge to a six-iron in your hand or even force you to aim out over the water if it's blowing hard from right or left.


The other factor is the crowd. Even though you probably won't be playing in front of packed galleries like the pros in the Players' Championship, I can guarantee there will be at least one and probably two foursomes behind you waiting for their turn on the tee. The club also encourages non-playing tourists to visit the spot, too, so there are often a handful of gawkers watching your swing. Every atom in your body screams "Don't chunk it! Don't dunk it!" when you stand up to the ball. Your soul would shrivel up and expire should anyone chuckle. It's a grand game, ain't it?

The hole is full of stories. The last time I played it, everyone in my foursome drowned their (USGA-unapproved) practice shot from the back of the pro's tee. When we moved to the real tee, two players hit the green, then both sank their birdie putts while the other two (including me) reached for another sleeve of balls and headed for the 18th tee. The birdie boys are still chirping about it.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo