To prep for the Tour’s third event of the calendar year, and 10th event of the new season, here’s a hole-by-hole look at this Pete Dye gem – with playing tips from the course managers.
TPC Stadium at PGA West
Designer: Pete Dye, 1986
Stats: 7,300 Yards | Par 72 | Slope 150
Locale: PGA West Resort, La Quinta, CA
Front 9
Prelude
Par 4 | 445 Yards | Cap: 9
Great starting hole. Requires two good shots. Avoid the bunker on the right with your tee shot. There is more room on left than appears. Green slopes left to right for your approach.
Craters
Par 4 | 371 Yards | Cap: 15
Short but demanding. Challenging the bunkers on the left will leave you a short iron, which helps with this tricky, undulating green.
Crescent
Par 4 | 471 Yards | Cap: 3
Keep your tee shot down the right side. Second shot plays half-club longer back up into the mountain. A par here is better than most.
Sand Pit
Par 3 | 192 Yards | Cap: 17
Club selection is a must. Long is obviously better than short, that bunker you see is deep.
Double Trouble
Par 5 | 535 Yards | Cap: 7
Double dog-leg, double water hazard. Bring out your straight ball. The bail-out areas are well guarded by multiple bunkers.
Amen
Par 3 | 255 Yards | Cap: 5
Obviously, intimidating. The green, however, is large enough to receive most any club. Will test your lag-putting skills.
Black Hole
Par 4 | 346 Yards | Cap: 11
Another hole for straight hitters. Bail-out area on left is no bargain. Very receptive green sloping back to front.
Links
Par 5 | 559 Yards | Cap: 13
You get a break from the water, if only for one hole. Don’t let your guard down though. There are still plenty of bunkers to avoid.
Reflection
Par 4 | 452 Yards | Cap: 1
Long and strong. Keep your drive down the left. Trying to bite of more than you can chew can be dangerous. Well-guarded green breaks back to front, and left to right.
Back 9
Quarry
Par 4 | 416 Yards | Cap: 6
Precision off the tee once again the theme. There is a bail-out area right of the green, just in case you happen to push or pull one.
Eternity
Par 5 | 617 Yards | Cap: 8
Avoid the bunkers left off the tee. The farther right you go on your second shot will provide a flatter lie for this tough approach shot to a long, undulating, well guarded green.
Moat
Par 4 | 363 Yards | Cap: 18
Keep your tee shot down the right side. Should leave you a short iron to a green guarded by a bunker short, left, long of this green.
Second Thoughts
Par 3 | 214 Yards | Cap: 10
Leave your left shot in the bag for this one. There is little room right of the green over the bunkers for bail-out.
Cavern
Par 4 | 389 Yards | Cap: 12
Favor the left side off the tee. There is a greenside bunker on the left that should be avoided at all costs.
Turning Home
Par 4 | 468 Yards | Cap: 4
Try and hit a straight one here. Bunkers on both sides are not good. Grab a half club extra for approach. Long is much better than short.
San Andreas Fault
Par 5 | 600 Yards | Cap: 16
Avoid the bunker on the left off the tee. Once again avoid the bunker on the left on your second shot. Really avoid the bunker on the left on your approach shot, cause this bunker is really deep.
Alcatraz
Par 3 | 168 Yards | Cap: 14
Can’t miss right, left, short, or long. Good Luck.
Coliseum
Par 4 | 439 Yards | Cap: 2
Drive down right center of fairway leaves you a mid-iron to green guarded on the left by the last water hazard on the course and short-right by the last bunkers on course. There is room to bail out right over bunkers.
Credit: PGA West, Golf Travel
