TPC Sawgrass - The Tree on the 6th returns...

[Simon Barrington]

Thought provoking return of the original Pete Dye intent...

PGA Tour's Youtube Channel has a great little video on the process and reasoning w. Davis Love III:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEf_2y48om0

[Matt_Cohn]

That link didn't work (maybe just for me?) but here's an article. The picture makes it look like you need to hit it super low?


https://sports.yahoo.com/pga-tour-iconic-oak-tree-100835351.html

[Simon Barrington]

That link didn't work (maybe just for me?) but here's an article. The picture makes it look like you need to hit it super low?

https://sports.yahoo.com/pga-tour-iconic-oak-tree-100835351.html

Fixed link above, Thanks

[Kalen Braley]

Another link with a video to the changes, plus discussion on the changes to 14...

https://www.pgatour.com/article/news/latest/2025/03/10/famous-overhanging-tree-replanted-sixth-hole-pete-dye-tpc-sawgrass-the-players-championship-renovation

P.S.  Some of those pics make the tee shot look almost impossible now

[Simon Barrington]

Another link with a video to the changes, plus discussion on the changes to 14...

https://www.pgatour.com/article/news/latest/2025/03/10/famous-overhanging-tree-replanted-sixth-hole-pete-dye-tpc-sawgrass-the-players-championship-renovation

P.S.  Some of those pics make the tee shot look almost impossible now

That's the interesting bit, Dye intended to force (or get into the players head at least, that they ought to use) a lower flighted shot.


"Almost impossible" for modern drivers are not designed that way, so the feature essentially is a "rollback" of the drive...3D design and ahead of his time

[Rob Marshall]

Looks like a gimmick to me.


I used to have dreams when I played in a lot of tournaments of getting to the tee and I couldn't find a place to tee it up because a tree branch was in my backswing no matter where I went........

[Kalen Braley]

Looks like a gimmick to me.


I used to have dreams when I played in a lot of tournaments of getting to the tee and I couldn't find a place to tee it up because a tree branch was in my backswing no matter where I went........

Especially given Davis Love was one of the loudest critics of it back in the day and repeatedly asked for its removal...and then eventually advocated for its replacement, and did the work. 

[Matt Schoolfield]

Gimmick or not, what? Some on this forum sure seem to care about architectural integrity and intent until we find a feature we don't like, and then it's all "bah humbug."

The tree was obviously left there on purpose, the course is meant to be challenging, and this feature seems like an extremely interesting challenge. Good on them for restoring some of Dye's intent.

[Rob Marshall]

Gimmick or not, what? Some on this forum sure seem to care about architectural integrity and intent until we find a feature we don't like, and then it's all "bah humbug."

The tree was obviously left there on purpose, the course is meant to be challenging, and this feature seems like an extremely interesting challenge. Good on them for restoring some of Dye's intent.

Looks like you are teeing off through a clowns mouth. I’m sure Tom knows what Mr Dye was thinking.


The original tree is in the video. It doesn’t look as obtrusive as the new tree to me.

[Michael Felton]

Looks like a gimmick to me.


I used to have dreams when I played in a lot of tournaments of getting to the tee and I couldn't find a place to tee it up because a tree branch was in my backswing no matter where I went........

Especially given Davis Love was one of the loudest critics of it back in the day and repeatedly asked for its removal...and then eventually advocated for its replacement, and did the work. 

The key difference between those two being whether he was playing in the tournament or not

[mike_malone]

If it’s original it’s fine. The tee placement then becomes the question.

[Kalen Braley]

If it’s original it’s fine. The tee placement then becomes the question.

Well that's just it, the current tee is a newer tee that is further back which brings the tree much more into play.

And its possible the tee that was in use in 1980 when it first opened, was likely further up under the tree and not nearly as intrusive as now, which would make Pete's original intent far less contrived....

[Ira Fishman]

Looks like a gimmick to me.


I used to have dreams when I played in a lot of tournaments of getting to the tee and I couldn't find a place to tee it up because a tree branch was in my backswing no matter where I went........

That often actually happens to me on my second shot.

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