TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course
Home of THE PLAYERS and the most famous closing stretch in golf, the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass is Pete Dye's original stadium design and the stage for the island green 17th. It is a bucket list round where a public golfer can take on the exact tee shot the world watches every March.
Photograph: TPC Sawgrass, via Google · Urania Wynperle
The verdict
THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass is one of the most recognizable courses on earth, built in 1980 by Pete Dye, with his wife Alice Dye, as the permanent home of THE PLAYERS Championship. It was the first purpose built stadium course, its mounding shaped to seat huge galleries, and it set the template for tournament golf design. The par 72 plays to around 7,245 yards and remains one of the most demanding and theatrical tests the professionals face all year.
For all its tour pedigree, the Stadium Course is open to the public, which is the heart of its appeal for the travelling golfer. You can stand on the same tees, navigate the same Dye visual trickery and, above all, take on the island green par 3 17th, the most famous and nerve jangling short hole in the game. It is expensive and it is exacting, but few rounds in the world deliver this combination of fame, difficulty and the chance to test yourself against a shot you have watched a hundred times on television.
TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course at a glance
- Opened
- 1980
- Designer
- Pete and Alice Dye
- Type
- Stadium, parkland
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- Around 7,245 yds
- Green fee
- From $550 (2026, indicative)
History, designer, par and yardage verified June 2026 from TPC Sawgrass and leading course guides. The Stadium Course was designed by Pete Dye with Alice Dye and opened in 1980 as the home of THE PLAYERS, a par 72 of around 7,245 yards, with the famous island green par 3 17th playing about 137 yards. Indicative 2026 rack rates run from around 550 dollars in summer to about 750 dollars in peak season, including cart, a group forecaddie and range balls; stay and play packages are also available. Fees are indicative and change by season and year, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
The Stadium Course is the purest expression of Pete Dye's design philosophy, where what you see is meant to deceive you. Railroad tie bulkheads, sharp edged bunkers and water that crowds the eye make the fairways and greens look smaller and more dangerous than they are, and the player who lets the visuals dictate the swing is lost. Position off the tee is everything, because Dye angled the greens to demand approaches from the bolder, riskier side.
It builds to the most famous finish in golf. The drivable risk of the closing stretch sets up the par 3 17th, the island green ringed entirely by water at around 137 yards, where Alice Dye's idea turned a simple short iron into the most watched and most feared shot in the sport. The par 4 18th then runs along water all the way up the left, a brutal closer that has decided countless PLAYERS Championships and tests the nerve right to the final putt.
For the visiting golfer this is a genuine bucket list day. It is long, firm and uncompromising, and the smart move is to play it from sensible tees and savor the theater rather than chase the card. Walking off the 18th having carried the 17th green is one of the great feelings in golf, which is exactly why players travel from all over the world to stand on that tee.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | A public, daily fee tour course open to visitors; tee times can be booked directly or as part of a Sawgrass Marriott stay and play package |
| Green fee | Indicative 2026 rack rates from around 550 dollars in summer to about 750 dollars in peak season, including cart, a group forecaddie and range balls; price is dynamic by demand |
| Booking | Reserve directly in advance or through TPC Vacations up to 12 months out as a stay and play guest at the adjacent Sawgrass Marriott; the course closes around THE PLAYERS in March |
| Handicap | No handicap certificate required; a forecaddie accompanies each group, dress code applies and play is from tees suited to your game |
| Getting there | In Ponte Vedra Beach, around 35 minutes southeast of Jacksonville and its international airport on Florida's First Coast |
| Best months | Autumn and spring are ideal; summer is hot and humid with afternoon storms, and the course is busiest in the cooler high season |
Access and indicative green fees verified June 2026 from TPC Sawgrass and course guides; rack rates are dynamic and the course closes around THE PLAYERS, so always confirm current details directly before booking with the club or your trip planner. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
The natural base is the Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort and Spa, steps from the clubhouse, which sells stay and play packages that bundle a room with a round on the Stadium Course and can be booked up to a year ahead. It is the surest route to a confirmed tee time on a course where demand is high and the calendar is shaped around the tournament.
TPC Sawgrass sits on Florida's First Coast in Ponte Vedra Beach, around 35 minutes from Jacksonville International airport and close to the Atlantic beaches. A trip here usually pairs the Stadium Course with the resort's Dye's Valley course and other First Coast and central Florida golf, from the Dye designs of the region to the courses of Orlando a couple of hours south.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts at Sawgrass and on the First Coast.
Build a TPC Sawgrass golf trip
We secure a confirmed Stadium Course tee time through a Sawgrass Marriott stay and play, add Dye's Valley and the best of Florida's First Coast, and handle the room, transfers and the order of play. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course questions
How much does it cost to play TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course?
Indicative 2026 rack rates run from around 550 dollars in summer to about 750 dollars in peak season, with the price set dynamically by demand and including cart, a group forecaddie and range balls; stay and play packages at the Sawgrass Marriott are also available. These figures are indicative and change by season and year, so always confirm the current rate directly with the club or your trip planner before booking.
Who designed TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course?
The Stadium Course was designed by Pete Dye, with his wife Alice Dye, and opened in 1980 as the permanent home of THE PLAYERS Championship. It was the first purpose built stadium course, and Alice Dye is credited with the idea for the famous island green at the 17th.
Can the public play TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course?
Yes. The Stadium Course is a public, daily fee tour course. Tee times can be booked directly in advance or, more reliably, as part of a stay and play package at the adjacent Sawgrass Marriott, bookable up to a year ahead. A forecaddie accompanies each group. The course typically closes around THE PLAYERS in March.
How long is the island green 17th at TPC Sawgrass?
The par 3 17th plays to around 137 yards to a green ringed entirely by water, one of the most famous and intimidating short holes in golf. The hole was the idea of Alice Dye, who suggested building up the green and filling the surrounding excavation with water, and it has produced countless dramatic moments at THE PLAYERS.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. History, designer, par, yardage and indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.