[Phil Benedict]

Recognizing the limits of the site, TPC Sawgrass's par 5's are a superb collection.  The 9th is reachable in two only for the longest hitters; has a quirky shape with a dog-leg near the green; and a tough lay-up.  The 11th is a fantastic hole and 16 is the classic risk-reward half par hole.  Is there any course that has a better collection of 4 par 5's? 

[Emil Weber]

What the par 5s at Sawgrass (haven't played it) probably don't have are the sloping lies which make the ones at Augusta so good. Driving near Rae's Creek would definitely not be as useful if the fairway was flat.

[Phil Benedict]

Emil,

Absence of sloping lies is what I meant by "limitations of the site."  Aside from all the water, the architect didn't have a lot to work with at TPC.

[Gary Slatter]

16 is as good as any par five anywhere but the rest don't do anything for me and my D game.

[Emil Weber]

Phil:
Just because they're built on flat ground, it doesn't make them better holes. I believe that it takes much more skill to lay out great 3-shot holes on a hilly property than creating some out of nothing with a big budget.

[Andy Troeger]

Having not been to Augusta in person I don't I can make a fair comparison, but the par fives at Sawgrass are as fine a set as I've ever played except for perhaps Pebble Beach. Ironically, its the 2nd hole at PB and TPC that would seem to be the weak link. Dye's Blackwolf Run River has a fine group as well but I'd put them a smidge behind the others.

At Sawgrass, I think the 11th (at least for a single digit handicap or better) provides tons of options and to me is better than the 16th which is also very good. The 9th is a three-shotter for 99.9% of golfers and the 2nd isn't bad, just not in the league of the others. I'd have to think the 13th at Augusta rises above any of them, but the 11th and 16th at Sawgrass would seem to compete with the other three at least for TV drama.

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