TPC Sawgrass Dye's Valley
The other course at the home of THE PLAYERS is no consolation prize. Designed by Pete Dye with Bobby Weed and player consultant Jerry Pate, and opened in 1987, Dye's Valley is a 6,847 yard par 72 with water on nearly every hole, decades of professional qualifying history and the same Sawgrass polish at well under half the Stadium fee. Here is the verdict, the facts, the holes and how to get on.
Photograph: TPC Sawgrass Dye's Valley Course, via Google.
The verdict
Living next to the most famous hole in golf is a hard brief, and Dye's Valley handles it with grace. Opened in 1987 on the lower ground beside the Stadium Course, it was shaped by Pete Dye with Bobby Weed doing much of the heavy lifting and Jerry Pate consulting, and it shows the family resemblance everywhere: water pressing against fairways, greens angled behind sand, par asked for politely rather than surrendered.
The difference is temperament. The Valley gives you wider corridors, gentler carries and greens that accept a running shot, so a mid handicapper can post a score while a good player still has to think. The conditioning, TifEagle greens and Celebration fairways, is kept to tournament standard because the course genuinely hosts tournaments: Q School and developmental tour finals have been decided here for decades. Play it the day before your Stadium round and you arrive at the island 17th with your swing, and your sleeve count, intact.
Dye's Valley at a glance
- Opened
- 1987
- Designers
- Dye & Weed
- Par
- 72
- Length
- 6,847 yds
- Rating/Slope
- 73.8 / 138
- Green fee
- ~$225 to $325
Designer, opening and layout verified June 2026. Dye's Valley was designed by Pete Dye with Bobby Weed and player consultant Jerry Pate and opened in 1987 at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. It plays as a par 72 of 6,847 yards, rated 73.8 with a 138 slope. Indicative 2025 rates started around 225 dollars in summer and 325 dollars in the September to May peak, with cart, range balls and forecaddie included; fees change by season and year, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
The Valley's water is honest: you see almost all of it from the tee, and the round becomes a running conversation about how much of each lake to bite off. The opening holes work through the pines with Dye's trademark angled fairways, where the brave line down the waterside earns the better approach and the safe bail leaves a longer, blinder shot over sand.
The strongest stretch comes late. The closing holes turn back toward the clubhouse with water hard against the playing lines, and the finish has decided enough professional careers at Q School to have a quiet menace all of its own. Standing on the final tee needing par to win the match, you understand exactly why the Tour trusts this course to sort contenders from pretenders.
Throughout, the greens are the examination: smaller targets than the modern resort norm, full of Dye tilt, kept at speeds that make the right miss matter. It is a course that teaches you something about your game, which is the highest compliment a second course can earn.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Open to the public; tee times bookable online through TPC Sawgrass, with Sawgrass Marriott guests getting package access and preferred windows |
| Green fee | Indicative 2025 rates from around 225 dollars June to August and around 325 dollars September to May, including cart, range balls and a forecaddie |
| Booking | Far easier to book than the Stadium; still reserve ahead for the March PLAYERS window and peak winter weeks, and check for maintenance closures |
| On the day | Forecaddies standard, full practice grounds shared with the Stadium, and the famous clubhouse open to all players; collared shirts required |
| Getting there | In Ponte Vedra Beach, around 35 to 40 minutes from Jacksonville airport and 30 minutes from St Augustine |
| Best months | October to May for the best Florida weather; summer brings heat, afternoon storms and the year's lowest rates |
Access and indicative green fees verified June 2026; they change without notice, so always confirm directly before booking with TPC Sawgrass or your trip planner. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
The Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort and Spa sits across the road from the courses and is the de facto golf hotel, with package access to both layouts and a shuttle to the first tee. Ponte Vedra's beach lodges add an Atlantic front alternative, and Jacksonville Beach has livelier options for a buddies group.
A north Florida swing built around Sawgrass pairs naturally with the resort courses further south or a drive up the coast; see our guide on how to play TPC Sawgrass for the full booking playbook, and our best courses in Florida ranking for what to add.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts around Ponte Vedra Beach and Jacksonville.
Play the home of THE PLAYERS
We arrange tee times on Dye's Valley and the Stadium Course and build them into a full Florida golf week, with the Sawgrass Marriott as base and every transfer handled, costed to the head. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge does the rest, with no obligation.
Dye's Valley questions
Who designed Dye's Valley at TPC Sawgrass?
Dye's Valley was designed by Pete Dye working with Bobby Weed, with the 1976 US Open champion Jerry Pate as player consultant. It opened in 1987, five years after the Stadium Course, on the lower lying land alongside it.
What par and length is Dye's Valley?
Dye's Valley is a par 72 of 6,847 yards from the back tees, rated 73.8 with a slope of 138. Water threads through almost the entire routing, but the landing areas are friendlier than the Stadium Course next door.
How much does it cost to play Dye's Valley?
Indicative 2025 rates started at around 225 dollars between June and August and around 325 dollars in the September to May peak, including cart, range balls and a forecaddie. That is well under half the Stadium Course fee. Always confirm current rates directly before booking.
Is Dye's Valley worth playing as well as the Stadium Course?
Yes. It shares the Stadium's conditioning, caddie program and clubhouse but plays as a friendlier, classic Florida test, which makes it the ideal warm up round the day before your Stadium tee time, and a genuinely good course in its own right with real tournament history.
Has Dye's Valley hosted professional golf?
Extensively. Dye's Valley has hosted developmental tour finals and PGA Tour qualifying over many years, including Korn Ferry Tour and Q School play, and it serves as a competition venue alongside the Stadium Course during big weeks at TPC Sawgrass.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening date, layout and tournament history verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.