The 17th hole is often the highlight of rounds at TPC Sawgrass and Florida golf vacations.
Most weeks, the courses you see during the PGA Tour telecast are private. But not this week. Anyone can play the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, host site of the Players Championship, and we just love that.
Many of you must love it, too, because, for the last few years on the Monday after the Players Championship, and for weeks thereafter, we get flooded with questions about playing TPC Sawgrass on a Florida golf vacation.
This year, I thought I’d try to answer some of your questions in advance given that the editors of Golf Odyssey played TPC Sawgrass just 90 days ago. Is it possible to play TPC Sawgrass at a discount? Yes, the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass is expensive. But you can often play it for less than the $375 high-season (March-June) green fee if you take advantage of specials and discounts that are often made available…like the one we alerted you to back in January for three rounds of golf and three nights of lodging for only $387 a person ALL IN (and before it was officially made public, I might add).
When is the best time to play TPC Sawgrass? It depends if you want the course’s full fury or not. If you take your Florida golf vacation in the winter months, for example, the rough is still largely dormant and the course is more playable. By contrast, playing in spring just before or after the Players Championship is for sadists who favor U.S. Open-style rough.
Is the service commensurate with the price? TPC Sawgrass is not one of those high-profile resorts that charges you a lot of money and then makes you feel unworthy to be there. The golf staff is particularly friendly and service-minded. One day, for example, Golf Odyssey’s editors woke up to severe rain. Rather than having them wait around the pro shop indefinitely, an enterprising pro shop attendant took their cell phone number, sent them off to breakfast, and called them after he was able to sort out the revised tee sheet.
Should we take a cart or caddie? A cart is included with your green fee at TPC Sawgrass, and a forecaddie for your group will be assigned, too (suggested gratuity: $20 per player). Few people realize, however, that you can opt out of this latter service (thanks, Hugh W., for this tidbit). Double and single bag-toting caddies cost $60 and $100, respectively, plus tip. The editors of Golf Odyssey came up with a third option that is the best of both worlds: they walked the course and paid for two forecaddies to drive the carts and bags. The TPC Sawgrass is a very walkable course, and the editors recommend doing so if at all possible on your Florida golf vacation.
Any recommendations on where to eat? The new clubhouse at TPC Sawgrass is spectacular and the editors say the food served there is better than at the Marriott Sawgrass. Plus, they feature some great happy hour specials.
There you have it. Five tips for making TPC Sawgrass part of your Florida golf vacation. If you have any more you’d like to share with you fellow GVI readers, post them as a comment below.
Did you know? Golf Vacation Insider and Golf Odyssey are the world’s only golf publications that do not accept any advertising from golf courses, resorts, or restaurants and regularly travel anonymously in order to provide you with expert, unbiased, and trusted advice.
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Thank You GVI. I took your advise back in January and actually cancelled my reservation for Sawgrass through the PGA experience ,took a $50 penalty for cancelling and still made out by going through the Marriott @$129 per night with a 3 night minimum. Played the Valley Course twice in one day with fore caddies and the Stadium Course the next day using and a 2 bagger. It was a great experience. Walked the Stadium. The caddies were great and very helpful with many stories. Staff at the Club house were so nice and no one had there hand out looking for a tip. Specials in the clubhouse dining area were unbelievable. Ate appetizers two nights for dinner at a very low 1/2 price. Beers were cold and inexpensive. Hoping to get a deal next Feb again. Marriott very classy and staff very accommodating. Staff at Club house took us on a tour with history between rounds. I rate the experience up there with my trip to Carnoustie and The Old Course….Thanks again for the sound advice.
Thanks, Steve. Do us a favor and tell 100,000 of your friends about us!
Didn’t see a mention of the fact that you have to stay at the Marriott in order to play TPC Sawgrass or pay something like another $350 to become an associate member of the PGA. Given that kind of cost, it could be relevant to your otherwise find inside info.
You do not need to be a guest of the Sawgrass Marriott to make tee times on the Stadium Course. Non-guests can book within 14 days. Associate members are bound by the same 14-day limit. Only Charter, Founder, and Regular members can book farther out than that.