First Look at TPC Sawgrass

I played TPC Sawgrass' "THE PLAYERS Stadium Course" (yes...that's the actual name, and don't you forget it) this weekend (Jan 30, 2010).  And for fear of finger injury, excuse me as I heretofore refer to it as "Stadium". 

For those of you outside the area, even though Ponte Vedra Beach is technically in Florida, (PVB to Naples is 360 miles...PVB to Charlotte NC is 383 miles), it is not the typical Florida climate that is shown on the commercials for the State Convention and Visitor's Bureau.  To prove that point, Jacksonville (PVB's hub city) does NOT have a Convention Center hotel...or even motel.

That being said, early January saw the longest cold snap in this area's history...18 straight days below freezing, with many mornings dipping into the teens.  Some area superintendents said that while they routinely deal with frost delays each winter, this year was the first time that the ground actually froze.  I know of a couple dulled cup cutters for sale on ebay...

This would not have been such a big deal in the 'overseed' days of THE PLAYERS being held in March.  Back then, it really didn't matter how many freezes the area had...the overseeded bermuda grass (rye in fairways and rough, poa/bent mix on the greens) would stay green, and even expand a bit with the bermuda dormancy. 

Yet, with the date of THE PLAYERS being moved to May a few years ago (2007 was the first PLAYERS on redone course), the course got a new base of soil on the fairways and the greens were switched from tif-dwarf Bermuda, which was over-seeded each winter, to a new hybrid strand called mini-verde Bermuda, they no longer overseed the greens.  The winter of the initial grow-in was co-operative, with the entire season (Dec-Feb) only accounting for fewer than 10 frost delays.  Yet, the winter of 08-09 saw the TPC Sawgrass staff have to call for over 25 frost delays, and the winter of 09-10 is on the way to reaching over 35 frost/freeze delays. 

In response, the grounds staff at Stadium has introduced a system of putting protective 'tarps' over the greens to prepare for cold nights...and it seems to have worked well.  How can I tell?  Because there are very well defined 'right angles' on the green complexes that clearly denote where the tarp was (fairly dark tint of green grass) and wasn't (completely dormant, brown bermuda). 

Having played the course, I can tell you that there is not any freeze damage on the greens, and that they are getting through the area's record-breaking-cold winter just fine.  Some the other areas though...not so much.

Many areas of the 'rough' have seen some freeze kill...with bare-soil sand more prevalent than thick, or even dormant, bermuda.  I don't see this being a problem at all if the tourney was to be in June and the area was to get a nice run of "150 degree" weather.  (What I mean by that is when you add the night-time low to the daytime high, and the total is 150 or higher, that is when bermuda grass grows at its normal pace)  Having the tournament in early May will make the agronomic staff at TPC Sawgrass work harder than ever to get the roughs to a uniform cut this year.

As opposed to last year...when the differing rough heights were of the man made kind, not the work of Mother Nature.

On the subject of course changes...there won't be any.  I saw no evidence of tee box extensions/changes or green complex adjustments.  The only noticeable changes are ones that are very welcomed: tree removal.  As you read more and more of my articles, you'll learn that I have a fairly large disdain for trees in the line of play.  I believe they force the player to play one shot, rather than give a player a choice.  The mind should play more a role in a round of golf than what flavor Tiger Gatorade to get at the turn...oh wait...I can't get those any more.