{"id":9713,"date":"2026-03-02T19:29:42","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T19:29:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shipsticks.com\/blog\/?p=9713"},"modified":"2026-03-02T19:29:43","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T19:29:43","slug":"tpc-sawgrass-17th-hole","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shipsticks.com\/blog\/tpc-sawgrass-17th-hole\/","title":{"rendered":"TPC Sawgrass 17th Hole & The Famous Island Green"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Photograph Courtesy of Evan Schiller<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Only one thing is certain when a player steps onto the 17th tee at TPC Sawgrass: anything<\/em> can happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A dramatic hole-in-one. A tournament-altering disaster. Even a record-setting 12, like Bob Tway\u2019s infamous collapse in the 2005 PLAYERS Championship. Year after year, the 17th and its island green have shattered dreams, crowned champions, and delivered some of golf\u2019s most unforgettable moments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But how did this legendary par 3 come to be? And if you had a scuba suit and a free afternoon, just how many Pro V1s could you fish out of its depths? We\u2019ve got all the details about the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TPC Sawgrass 17th Hole: A Brief History<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Arguably the most recognizable hole in golf, the 17th at TPC Sawgrass<\/a> wasn\u2019t originally designed to be the stadium-like spectacle it is today. When Pete Dye began shaping the course in the late 1970s, the plan called for a more conventional par 3 with a small lake guarding the green. But a cost-saving decision changed everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The area around the 17th was rich in sand\u2014an essential material for shaping the course and its rolling spectator mounds. As excavation intensified, a small lake turned into a cavernous pit, leaving Dye with an unexpected challenge\u2014what to do with the massive void. That\u2019s when Alice Dye, Pete’s wife, suggested the boldest solution of all: fill it with water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The result is one of the most thrilling and nerve-wracking holes<\/a> in golf. When TPC Sawgrass hosted its first PLAYERS Championship in 1982, the 17th quickly became the defining stage of the tournament. And the rest is history.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TPC Sawgrass 17th Hole: By the Numbers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

137: <\/strong>That\u2019s how many yards this par-3 is, making it the shortest hole on the course. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

100,000: <\/strong>The estimated number of golf balls dunked in the water surrounding the island green every year, which equates to roughly half a million dollars’ worth of balls. Keep in mind that most golfers who come here keep hitting until they find the green…at least once. That said, some estimates put the number closer to 120,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

78:<\/strong> The island green\u2019s length in feet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

14: <\/strong>Hole-in-ones throughout the duration of the PLAYERS Championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4:<\/strong> How deep the water is in feet. So, maybe no scuba suit needed after all. Just a sturdy ball retriever. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

TPC Sawgrass 17th Hole: Notable Moments<\/h2>\n\n\n\n