THE PLAYERS starts with the Military Celebration and Concert on Tuesday night on the back lawn of the Clubhouse.
We are down to the last night before the world gets fixated on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass for the 42nd rendition of THE PLAYERS Championship! If you are lucky enough to be in Ponte Vedra Beach there are plans to be made. Which players to follow, where is the best location to be a spectator or if you are even more lucky, choosing which corporate hospitality tent to stop by? Or should I just hang out in Nineteen in the Clubhouse? I took a close look and came up with five spectator tips for THE PLAYERS.
CLICK here for Andy’s Top 5 Spectator Tips for THE PLAYERS Championship!
But what is the ULTIMATE PLAYERS Ticket?
In my opinion, the ultimate PLAYERS ticket is to do all of the above for the entire week and play the Dye Valley Course after THE PLAYERS. There are tee times available here for Tuesday, May 12th.
Watch golf at the Stadium Course but be sure to play golf at the Valley!
You may not realize it but the Dye Valley Course has hosted some great golf competitions of its own. Golf history made on the Valley include two Senior Players Championship and three Web.com tournaments. Since 2013 the Valley has become the permanent home of the Web.com Tour Championship. Dye’s other creati0n at TPC Sawgrass is an ongoing Fountain of Youth quenching the thirst for young talent on the PGA TOUR with champions like Russell Henley, Derek Fathauer and Chesson Hadley.
Milan Moore, Dye’s Valley Project Manager making the rounds as the restoration neared completion.
From an amateur golfer’s perspective the Valley is a guaranteed playground in great shape. Last year’s course renovation was completed in time for the September Playoff Finale. The project, managed by Milan Moore, a course designer in the PGA TOUR Design Services Group, restored the greens to their original size (roughly 30% larger) with a change to Bermuda TifEagle grass (which the Stadium will change to after THE PLAYERS this year). The fairways and tees were changed to Celebration Bermuda, following the recent change on the Stadium. With a new irrigation and drainage systems installed, the course is now available in prime condition even if it happens to rain a little before your tee time.
CLICK here for a Video Interview with Lucas Andrews, Dye’s Valley Golf Course Superintendent.
With Lucas Andrews, Golf Course Superintendent in John Deere Land at TPC Sawgrass.
Lucas Andrews, the Golf Course Superintendent for Dye’s Valley at TPC Sawgrass, is the guy that creates the “firm and fast” conditions for the Web.com Tour Championship. With five years experience at TPC Sawgrass he commands the army of John Deere equipment during championship week in September. Educated in Canada, Lucas was at The Old Course in St. Andrews for a year-long internship before coming to TPC Sawgrass. His favorite time on the Valley is early in the morning or late in the evening when the low sun highlights all the bumps and hollows. Here is a guy that has come from the ‘Home of Golf’ to the ‘Home of THE PLAYERS.’
CLICK here for a Video Interview with Brian Riddle, Resident Golf Professional at TPC Sawgrass.
Brian Riddle, Golf Professional resides at TPC Sawgrass, Home of the PLAYERS on the Stadium and The Web.com Championship on Dye’s Valley.
Brian Riddle, the Resident Golf Professional at TPC Sawgrass, is a lover of the game of golf and working at TPC Sawgrass. His Dad put a golf club in his hand as a young child and after playing junior and high school golf he tried to walk on at UNC Wilmington. While not successful as a competitive golfer he turned to the business side of golf After earning his Business Management degree, he went to NC State and graduated from the Professional Golf Management program. His favorite hole on the Valley is the dogleg right No. 6 (Tournament No. 15) with water all the way down the right hand side. Brian has an interesting title and he laughed when I asked him if he lives at the Clubhouse. I think he does.
Enjoy THE PLAYERS this year and play Dye’s Valley! You will be happy you did!
Penn State has Happy Valley, we have Dye’s Fun Valley! With John Anderson, Dennis Berkholtz and Stokes Hill (L to R).
