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Players Championship: Players Stadium Course hole-by-hole scouting report, changes, key stats
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- Players Championship: Players Stadium Course hole-by-hole scouting report, changes, key stats
A hole-by-hole description of the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass , which will host The Players Championship for the 43rd time March 13-16. Scoring averages and rank (from 1 for the most difficult hole to 18 for the easiest) are for the 2025 Players.
The key changes were added length at Nos. 2, 6, 11 and 16, for a total increase in scorecard yardage of 77 yards to 7,352.
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No. 1
Par 4, 423 yards
On this slight dogleg to the right, a drive to the right side of the narrow landing area will give the player a good angle to approach the long and narrow green. A long fairway bunker, a lateral water hazard and grass bunkers await errant drives to the right, and dense trees guard the fairway to the left. Large maintained bunkers protect the front and left portions of the green. Grass bunkers in the front right, right and rear areas of the green protect the remainder of it.
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2024 average:4.019 (11th)
Key stat:More players than not had trouble off this tee on the weekend in 2024. It was the most difficult fairway to hit in the third and fourth rounds, with 46.6 percent of the players finding the short grass.
No. 2
Par 5, 555 yards
The Tour has added 23 yards to this hole but it's still a good eagle opportunity for even moderate-length players off the tee. A high draw off the tee for right-handers is required and most can reach the green in two. A small pond and a large fairway bunker on the right guard the fairway and green from 175 yards out. Deep maintained bunkers are on both sides of the green, along with numerous grass bunkers. The mounds located around this green give spectators a good view of players attempting to reach the green in two shots and players attempting to save par.
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2024 average:4.608 (17th)
Key stat:The field attacked this hole off the tee in the final round, hitting the fairway 83.06 percent of the time, the easiest tee shot on the course that day.
The tee of the par-5 second hole of the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass has been moved back and slightly to the left.
No. 3
Par 3, 177 yards
A maintained spectator mound to the left of this medium-length par 3 offers a view of the entire hole. A shot requiring a middle to short iron is needed to reach the two-tiered green which slopes from back to front. A bunker fronting the green and grass bunkers to the right protect the putting surface, with a large maintained bunker to the left and rear left portion of the green.
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2024 average:3.044 (9th)
Key stat:The hole yielded 60 birdies in 2024, the fewest of the par-3 holes on the Stadium Course. The bunker is deadly – only 36.1 percent of the players in the trap off the tee made par.
No. 4
Par 4, 384 yards
This short par 4 requires accuracy on every shot. The drive must avoid a lateral water hazard and a deep meandering fairway bunker on the right. Very large and severely sloped mounds protect the left side of this narrow landing area. A well-struck long iron or fairway wood from the tee will enable the player to hit a middle to short iron to one of the toughest greens on the course. Numerous treacherous pin placements on this very undulating two-tiered green make this a protected target and a tough shot. A water hazard protects the front and the left side of the green, while small but deep maintained bunkers protect the green on the right and in the rear.
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2024 average:4.081 (T4th)
Key stat:The back-left pin in the second round was too tempting for players in 2024. There were 19 second shots hit in the water, the most in the second round at any hole, and the 26 double bogeys for the tournament were the most on any par-4 hole.
No. 5
Par 4, 471 yards
This dogleg right offers a generous landing area for the drive, as it is the longest par 4 on the golf course. A long fairway bunker down the right side and beyond the landing area for the drive protects the fairway. After hitting a driver from the tee, the players will use long to middle irons on their second shots to this deep, narrow and rolling green. The green is protected by grass bunkers, maintained bunkers, a waste area and palm trees. This will be one of the hardest holes to play, and par will be a very welcome score.
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2024 average:4.081 (T4th)
Key stat:This proved the hardest fairway for the 2024 field to hit, with a driving accuracy of only 48.72 percent.
No. 6
Par 4, 413 yards
A tree is back to the right of the tee which is more a visual factor for players than anything and the hole has been made 20 yards longer. But a low stinger with a 3-wood or iron is still the best tee shot. The drive must avoid dense palm and pine trees on the right and two fairway bunkers and a lateral water hazard on the left. The slightly elevated green is protected by maintained bunkers, grass bunkers and clustered palm trees. The specific landing area on this hole offers players a level lie for their approach to the two-tiered green, which slopes down from right to left and back to front.
Players Championship executive director Lee Smith stands on the back tee of the par-4 sixth hole of the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, with a large oak tree on the right side of the forward teeing ground back in place for the 2025 Players Championship.
2024 average:3.954 (6th)
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Key stat: Let's see how the increased yardage affects this but almost everyone laid up off the tee, with an average driving distance of 257.5 yards and the fifth-best driving accuracy percentage of 73.52. The hole proximity of 26.9 feet was the third closest to the hole on the course.
No. 7
Par 4, 451 yards
A long hole with a slight dogleg right is bordered down the left side by a large fairway bunker and a lateral water hazard and trees on the right. The green is protected by maintained bunkers in the front and to the left, and severe slope off the back. The wind direction on this hole can make it very difficult to score well.
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2024 average:4.079 (7th)
Key stat:Here's an odd one — the sand save percentage around the 7th green was the best of any hole on the course at 58.93 percent. But overall, it was the second-hardest hole to save par, with a scrambling percentage of 49.42. Misses left and behind the green were especially difficult.
No. 8
Par 3, 237 yards
The longest par-3 on the course requires a long iron or fairway wood to carry a myriad of obstacles. The deep, narrow and sloping green is protected by numerous maintained bunkers and grass bunkers.
2024 average:3.125 (3rd)
Key stat:As might be expected, this was the hardest green to hit among the par-3 holes on the Stadium Course, at 53.1 percent. In addition, the average proximity to the hole of 11 feet, 5 inches from off the green was the second-highest on the course.
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No. 9
Par 5, 602 yards
The ninth hole is the longest on the course and rarely reachable in two, and a new tee was introduced in 2022 to give rules officials the option to extend it past 600 yards. A large lake and bunker to the right of the fairway collect stray drives, while woods to the left hinder second shots. It's one of the most difficult second shots on par-5 holes on Tour, and the third shot isn't easy, to a small green that is sloped from the front to the back right. A severely banked maintained bunker guards the left and rear of the green, along with a small maintained bunker.
2024 average:4.773 (15th)
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Key stat:Few players tempted fate on this hole. There were no triple-bogeys or higher, with almost all of them content to hit a safe tee shot, lay up, put a third shot on the small green and escape.
Out:3,713 yards, par-36
No. 10
Par 4, 424 yards
A dogleg left features a large bunker down the left side of the fairway and very dense trees to the right, with a narrow landing area for the drive. Most players will select a fairway wood from the tee to set up a middle or short iron approach to the green, which is protected by two maintained bunkers in the front right. Grass bunkers crowd the entire left side of this deceiving green. From the landing area, the green seems large; it is narrow and fades away from the players. This green offers a variety of pin placements, making the position of the drive very important.
A view from the rear of the 10th green of the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass.
2024 average:3.995 (12th)
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Key stat:Players didn't challenge this hole off the tee. The average driving distance of 269.6 yards was the second-lowest on the course and a clear indication a lot of fairway metals and irons were being used off the tee.
No. 11
Par 5, 573 yards
About 15-20 yards have been added with a new tee and players attempting to reach this green in two shots need a long, accurate drive down the right side. The large fairway bunker stops shots hit through the left of the fairway, and dense trees knock down shots hit left of the driving area. Large overhanging trees crowd the preferred right side. Because the fairway is split by a lateral water hazard and two large bunkers, the player can elect to hit a middle iron to the fairway area on the right, which is guarded by a large oak tree. From this position a short iron to wedge is needed for the third shot. A more daring alternative is to approach the green from the left side of the split fairway. The large maintained bunker runs the length of the second shot landing area and continues up and around the green. The lateral water hazard that splits the fairway continues around the back of the green. One maintained bunker covers the front of the green.
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2024 average:4.701 (16th)
Key stat:Going for the green in two shots yielded an average eagle-putt attempt of 79 feet in 2024. Let's see how the increased distance will change that.
No. 12
Par 4, 369 yards
Players will be able to drive the green most days but it comes with perils: A water hazard guards the left side of the green and several pot bunkers and difficult terrain protects the right side. A large fairway bunker stretches the length of the left side of the fairway and forces an accurate shot off the tee for those that do not attempt to drive the green. The green has several tiers, and slopes dramatically toward the water, penalizing wayward drives and approaches.
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2024 average:3.886 (14th)
Key stat:There were 101 birdies on the hole in the 2024 Players, nosing out No. 4 by one for the most on a par-4 hole.
No. 13
Par 3, 181 yards
A water hazard protects this picturesque par-3 down the left side. The three-tiered green slopes drastically toward the water on the left side and is protected by two small and deep maintained bunkers. Spectators can get a great view from all the mounded areas on this medium length par 3. Short-to-middle irons will be the choice of most players.
2024 average:3.049 (8th)
Key stat:Tough green to putt if you don't hit it close. The 13th green was the second-hardest to putt (1.878 putts per green in regulation), tied for third with the most three-putts (17) and was fourth with the fewest one-putts (162).
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No. 14
The Island Green of hole No. 17 at The Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass for The Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, is pictured on March 12, 2024. [Clayton Freeman/Florida Times-Union]
Par 4, 481 yards
This hole rivals No. 18 for its difficulty. The narrow two-tiered driving area is paralleled down the left side by a narrow fairway bunker and a lateral water hazard. The right side is overshadowed by large, deep grass bunkers in a large mound. Between the driving area and the green is a vast bunker. The green is very large with severe undulations and long slopes. A maintained bunker protects the front left side of the green and a few other maintained bunkers hide among very large grass bunkers to the right and the rear of the green.
Spectators shadows stretch out behind them as they watch action on the green of hole #14 Friday morning. The view from the MetLife Blimp flying over The Players championship at TPC Sawgrass Friday, May 13, 2016.
2024 average:4.258 (1st)
Key stat:Work around and on the green was brutally hard last year and the primary reason it was the hardest hole on the course. The scrambling percentage of 42.55 was the lowest, the 128 one-putts were the fewest and the average putt per green in regulation of 1.934 was the highest. That led to 99 bogeys, the most on any hole.
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No. 15
Par 4, 470 yards
This dogleg right begins with a drive through a chute of trees and over water. The fairway bunker extends down the right side of the fairway to a paved path, then resumes to the left of the path and extends almost to the green. A large maintained bunker to the left and a small maintained bunker to the right front protect the green. There are grass bunkers to the right and rear of the green.
2024 average:4.037 (10th)
Key stat:Min Woo Lee hit the longest drive of the 2024 tournament on this hole, a 398-yard smash in the third round. Lee had the tournament's longest drive on three other holes, 330 at No. 5 in the first round, 362 yards on No. 12 in the second and 320 yards on No. 14 in the second.
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No. 16
Par 5, 538 yards
Despite adding 15 yards this year, the short par-5 is reachable in two shots for almost every player and offers a chance to make up ground. The second shot still must carry a large lateral water hazard, a maintained bunker and a bulkhead. All these obstacles are to the right of the hole and start 150 yards from the green. To the left, a cluster of oak trees blocks a clear path to the green. Players who do not choose to attempt the green in two shots must direct their second shot to the narrow area protected by a grass bunker, a water hazard and the cluster of oak trees. The green has two tiers, sloping left to right toward the water that wraps around the rear of the green.
2024 average:4.452 (18th)
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Key stat:As usual, the rally hole every day. The 212 birdies and 27 eagles were the most on any hole in the tournament and the 22 bogeys were the fewest.
No. 17
Par 3, 137 yards
Quite possibly the most recognizable hole in golf. The Island Green is two-tiered and has a small maintained bunker in the front. Club selection on this hole is critically important; with the tricky winds of spring, the championship could be won or lost here.
2024 average:3.077 (7th)
Key stat:Feast or famine last year. The 80 birdies at No. 17 in 2024 led all par-3 holes on the Stadium Course but the 39 shots in the water also led all holes.
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No. 18
Par 4, 462 yards
The dogleg left bordering the lake tempts players to hit as close as possible near the water to get a better angle and a shorter iron shot to the green, or play it safe to the right, but risk rough and trees. A collection of grass bunkers is in the front-right section of the green, while a lone maintained bunker stops shots hit left and long. This 18th has become one of the premier finishing holes in golf.
2024 average:4.253 (2nd)
Key stat:Mark McCumber, the 1988 Players champion, said it best when asked how to play No. 18. "With a two-shot lead," he said. The field hit the green only 49.2 percent in 2024, the lowest of any hole on the course.
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In:3,635 yards, par-36
Total:7,348 yards, par-72
2024 front nine average:35.763
2024 back nine average:35.708
2024 scoring average:71.471
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Players Championship: Players Stadium Course hole-by-hole scouting report
