As most of us were snowed in, James Keitch, PGA Professional, spent ten days in Florida playing golf! He has been fortunate to play on some great courses, including Wentworth and Carnoustie, but nothing came close to playing TPC Sawgrass.
The course was in spectacular condition, with fairways like carpets and greens that rolled as pure as anything you could ever wish to putt on. Each hole is lined with trees either side of the fairway. It’s not a course you can get away with hitting irons off the tee for position, because you’ll have a three-wood left into every hole. Once safely through the first fifteen holes, he came to what must be one of the most famous finishing-three holes in golf.
The sixteenth is a friendly par five from the tee, with a slight dogleg right to left, leaving a good chance to get there in two, but it is not without its danger, with water all down the right side.
The seventeenth is one of the shortest – yet toughest – par-threes on the PGA Tour. The island green offers no respite for a slight miss hit – if you don’t quite hit the green, you will be taking a drop. We can report that James hit the middle of the green.
The eighteenth has to be one of the toughest driving holes he has ever played, with water all down the left side up to the green, and trees and bunkers on the right. You need to hit a great shot, as the water is lurking all down the left, and the bunkers to the right are far too appealing if you don’t feel brave! All in all it was a fantastic experience to play at Sawgrass for James, and he can’t wait to do it again. Janice White