PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL.—There’s nothing more humbling for a PGA Tour player than to be exposed on national television and have their respective golf game shredded with no place to hide. After having been in California the last two weeks, the PGA Tour begins its four-week Florida swing with the Honda Classic at PGA National Golf Club’s Champion Course.
All of the competitors are fully cognizant of a three-hole stretch—affectionately named The Bear Trap—consisting of holes 15–17. In 1990, Hall-of-Famer and course designer Jack Nicklaus redesigned the layout and completely altered a trio of holes that stands in a league of its own for overall challenge. Since 2007, only three other trio of consecutive holes on the PGA Tour rates higher on stroke average than ones found at the Champion Course.
How tough is it?
The Bear Trap accounts for 18 percent of all bogeys, 33 percent of all doubles and 41 percent of all triples or worse.
2,069 balls have been hit in the water at PGA National since 2007. The Bear Trap has accounted for 38 percent—779 balls.
Amazingly, the long par-4 14th which precedes the start of the Bear Trap and the par-5 closing 18th are also demanding in their own right. In short, there’s no real reprieve as players are attempting to snare a trophy that often results in what golfer is the last to stand tall and most importantly—dry.
Water is often a common element in much of golf design in Florida and The Champion Course certainly makes use of it at key points. However, it is the knowledge that the Bear Trap lurks is what causes white-knuckle times when finally coming to that point in any round.
15th Hole: 179 Yards Par-3
The 15th is not an overly long par-3 at 179 yards but often players will encounter a demanding crosswind from the left which can easily push less-than-certain shots to the right where a pond sits menacingly. For those players who seek to avoid the water there are bunkers strategically placed on the left side of the green that are no less frightening because of the fact that a too aggressive play can mean hitting the water with one’s second shot. Taking dead aim at such a target demands utter precision.
“There are no bailouts—you have to commit to the shot,” says former world-number-one player Tiger Woods. Nicklaus adds, “15 was a little benign par 3 before we did it. There was not much there. The water was in play. It was sort of a nothing little hole, and when we brought the water in play, all of a sudden it became a monster and it’s only a monster because of the awkward wind there.”
No player has aced the hole during competition, the closest coming is when Mark Wilson hit his approach to 4-inches.
