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

[Sam Morrow]

Why do people hate this so much yet Prairie Dunes gets a pass?

[Wayne_Kozun]

At 7,352 yards, TPC Sawgrass is now more than 500 yards longer than it was when it opened (6,851).

500 yards over the 14 holes that are par 4s or par 5s is an average of 35.7 yards per hole.  In 1980 the average driving distance on tour was 256.9 yard.  In 2023 that was up to 297.2 yards, an increase of 40.3 yards.  So despite the added length the course will play shorter than it did in 1980, and that is even ignoring par 3s and second/third shots on par 4s and 5s.
Driving distance source: https://www.pga.com/story/how-driving-distance-has-changed-over-the-past-40-years-on-the-pga-tour

[Simon Barrington]

The tree does seem to be having a significant effect, just as Dye wished to test the very best and make them uncomfortable/thoughtful...

Jamie Kennedy (@jamierkennedy on X) has done good analysis of the scoring on Day 1 (edited to keep order of things consistent):

"Players this year drove 18 yards further off the tee (273 yards vs 255 yards). Was that the influence of tree, choosing a longer club to decrease the height? Or was it just due to the extra length?

This year, players hit the fairway just 56.8%, making it the 7th hardest fairway to hit.
Players last year hit the fairway 74.8% of the time. The 6th easiest fairway to hit.
Was that the tree creating doubt and impacting accuracy?

2025, players found the green less than 42% of the time.
In 2024, players hit the green over 70% of the time on the 6th hole, making it the 7th easiest green to hit.
2025 Day 1 - it was the second HARDEST green to hit at TPC Sawgrass (behind only the 18th).

As for scoring...
This year, the field was 23 over par, a 4.23 average (the 3rd hardest hole).
Last year, the field played the hole in 12 under par, averaging 3.92 (5th easiest hole).
Note: The highest average ever on the 6th hole at the Players was 4.20 (1985)."

[mike_beene]

Regarding the dreams—no room to swing or no shot—an old thread exists with an amazing number of us having similar dream. Mine is the tee at the 16th hole of some big tournament, but my ceiling is too low and furniture is in the way. Usually a par 3. Never have finished the hole.

[mike_malone]

Today the hole plays 410 yards so hitting less than driver is no big deal. In fact players can aim at different branches making the tee shot easier. 

[BCrosby]

At 7,352 yards, TPC Sawgrass is now more than 500 yards longer than it was when it opened (6,851).

500 yards over the 14 holes that are par 4s or par 5s is an average of 35.7 yards per hole.  In 1980 the average driving distance on tour was 256.9 yard.  In 2023 that was up to 297.2 yards, an increase of 40.3 yards.  So despite the added length the course will play shorter than it did in 1980, and that is even ignoring par 3s and second/third shots on par 4s and 5s.
Driving distance source: https://www.pga.com/story/how-driving-distance-has-changed-over-the-past-40-years-on-the-pga-tour

By my math: 257/6851 = 297/X. Solve for X.


You get about 7,917.3 yards. That's how long TPC Sawgrass needs to be today to play, more or less, at the same length it did for players in 1980. At its current length - 7,352 - in an apples to apples historic comparison, it plays like a very short course in 1980, say 6400 yards.


I can't come up with a more graphic way to see the impact of length on the Tour. 


Bob


   

[Jon Sweet]

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.

Remember a better player of the course I caddy at on weekends complaining about a certain tee box on a par 5.  He is longer and this tee box makes the dog leg to the left much sharper.  It prevents him from smashing driver over the trees as this box is also a little less elevated.  Hates the box as he says it takes driver out of the longer players hands... exactly IMO.  You are not simply entitled to hit driver every hole.  A course should ask questions of the play and make them make choices.  This tree is forcing them to hit certain types of shots or layback and have a longer club in.  I think a "clowns mouth" is probably extreme but see your point.  However, there are numerous holes that demand a draw or fade off the tee.  Greens that must be missed in the right spots.  I can assume you miss them in the wrong place or hit the wrong type of shot, the "clowns mouth" is all over the place.
My experience is, the better the player, the less agreeable to quirk or rub of the green they are.

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.

[Rick Sides]

And for a mere 850 dollars this week you can play it and see the tree

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