TPC Sawgrass, 2012

[jeardley]

Six of flew out to Florida at the beginning of Feb for a once in a lifetime golfing jolly.
Booked it through Golfbreaks.com and got to say it was amazing from the beginning to the end.

The course is phenomenal!! easily the hardest I've ever played. There is not a bad hole on it and its worth the money just to play 16,17 and 18.

All in all I was happy with how i played, worst round of 3 was 86 (never broke 80 all week). Played well tee to green (you have to find the fairway) but the greens are impossible. Not used to bermuda grass at all and the grain is very difficult and they run FAST. God knows what they must be like in the summer.
We played off the blues which is one back from the pro tees. The pro tees were netted of as they are readying the course for the players in May.

First time we got to the 16th green you get your first glimpse of 17 ... thats when the nerves kick in.
I'm happy to say i hit the green in one every time but sadly 3 putted it every time as well lol
18 was my hole for the holiday though, absolutely stunning with the water down the left and the clubhouse
in the distance and it proved to be my best hole of the holiday as never did worse than par.

The people at sawgrass literally cant do enough for you and the welcome and service is brilliant. After each round they clean your clubs and shoes for you while you have a beer. The guided tour of the place is well worth it too.

In the package complimentary range balls, buggies and forecaddies (we opted out) were all included plus shuttle to and from the Marriot.

I could go on all day, but to sum up if you haven't been... do it!! its unforgettable and there are some cracking deals on the web which will include flights and hotel.

I cant wait to watch the players in May now and will certainly view in a different light.
That once in a lifetime trip is already being planned again for next year

Jim.

 

[Val]

Great pics mate, what are they like with non playing visitors? Im going to St Augustine in May and fancy a trip up to it.

 

[jeardley]

You should be fine mate,we went back to the clubhouse on the last day before we drove to the airport (not playing that day) and walked all round the clubhouse and shop. No problem at all

 

[Aztecs27]

Awesome!

If you don't mind me asking, how much did the whole package set you back? And how long did you go for. I'd be well interested in this in a few years.

 

[jeardley]

Cheers Aztec, it was £1200 each for 5 days, 3 rounds. Includes flights with virgin, twin rooms in the marriot.
plus all your bonuses like shuttle to course or the beach club, range balls, buggies, forcaddies.
you get $50 voucher to spend in the pro shop and a nice metal bag tag as a souvenir which you can get engraved for free.

flights alone can be 700 quid!!

Anybody know why the right side of my pics are cut off

 

[Aztecs27]

Cheers Aztec, it was £1200 each for 5 days, 3 rounds. Includes flights with virgin, twin rooms in the marriot.
plus all your bonuses like shuttle to course or the beach club, range balls, buggies, forcaddies.
you get $50 voucher to spend in the pro shop and a nice metal bag tag as a souvenir which you can get engraved for free.

flights alone can be 700 quid!!

Anybody know why the right side of my pics are cut off

Cheers mate. Well worth that price I would say!

And your pics aren't cut off, you just need to use the horizontal scroll bar at the bottom of your post

 

[bladeplayer]

Beautiful pics mate thanks for sharing , sounds like a class trip ,

 

[bluewolf]

Fantastic trip mate. I wonder if my Missus would understand if I booked it for her 40th later this year. She doesn't play golf, but then thats her problem....

 

[Junior]

Awesome review, thanks for sharing. Those Alligators looked close, please tell me it was a zoom lens ???

 

[daymond]

Well posted. lovely pics. Have said it before but son in law played it two years ago and had a birdie on 17. He's off 7 or 8 I think.

 

[jeardley]

Awesome review, thanks for sharing. Those Alligators looked close, please tell me it was a zoom lens ???

The alligators are quite docile to be honest and don't pose much of a threat.
They bag em and relocate them when they get too big.
That being said its a bit dodgy when your only 6ft away from one lol

 

[jeardley]

Well posted. lovely pics. Have said it before but son in law played it two years ago and had a birdie on 17. He's off 7 or 8 I think.

It is a great achievement... We were split into two groups of 3. On the last day two of my mates playing in front of us both birdied 17. One knocked it to 2ft the other holed from about 15ft
Still not heard the last of it lol... The banter was great

 

[Val]

Awesome review, thanks for sharing. Those Alligators looked close, please tell me it was a zoom lens ???

You can get close before they move, it's amazing and most courses with water in Florida have them. I booked a villa and the welcome notes spoke about golf and one note mention alligators in the water saying remember if your ball is in reach then so are you.

 

[Monty_Brown]

The alligators are quite docile to be honest and don't pose much of a threat.

I believe those are what's known as "famous last words"

Great pics, thanks for sharing. I was quite surprised at how dry some of the grass looks. always assumed US courses are watered to the max?

 

[jeardley]

Yeah, we were to be honest.. not sure if it was the time of year or what. It was easy
to forget that it was the middle of winter.
Locals were saying they had been enjoying a heatwave since new year, it was around 85 degrees
every day and they hadn't seen any rain for weeks.
The burnt looking grass was mostly around were you'd expect the galleries to be during a tournament.

 

[CliveW]

The grasses used on most Florida courses die back in the winter and the fairways and tees are over-seeded in September/October with a more durable grass which dies back in the spring. Some courses appear almost barren apart from the fairways.

 

[welshjim22]

Normally play in Orlando every year due to parents time share. Sadly no holiday for me and these photos only add to my dissapointment for this year. I often see gators on the course. I was very weary of them in the past but now enjoy seeing them out and about. Needless to say whilst i enjoy seeing them i still have aheap of respect for them. Course looks awesome mate and the only real question i have now is would anyone mind on my next florida trip if i took a drive up. Did you notice any non playing riders accompanying players. I know some florida courses charge and at least one as told me in the past they prefer not to have them.

 

[jeardley]

dont remember seeing any non playing people on the course but you can literally drive up and play as a single.
you will get put into a group but if you dont mind that then away you go.

not sure what the green fees are though mate as we did it as a package.

 

[Mr_T]

Wow. Looks like an unbeleibable trip mate, great pics, my family goes to the states quite often and about half an hour from where we used to live is congressional country club so I'm trying to persuade my mum to let me have a round there

 

[connor]

wow amazing! do you need a minimum handicap requirement?

Quite fancy doing someting for old mans 60th and st andrews old course is out of the question