When writing an article on a golf course, there is a degree of bias; I don’t care what anyone says! To some degree, an article is directly influenced by how well you play the course. Allow me to be completely honest and share my summary with you from the start… I, freaking love this course!
Course Facts
The Dye Course was designed by…. you guessed it, Pete Dye! If you haven’t heard of Pete Dye amongst other great designs, his most recognized work is the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass. The Dye course at PGA Golf Club was built in 2000 with a renovation completed within the last few years. The playing surface consists of Bermuda grass fairways and Tifdwarf grass greens.
The Dye Course was our second round at the PGA Golf Club, we’d already played the Ryder Course, and to be honest we were ready for something a bit more challenging.
As a foursome, we always take the time to talk about tee selection; selecting the wrong tee box to play from is a common mistake and can be the difference between having a good time or a nightmare experience. With our “diverse” group of golfers, we typically aire on the side of caution and did so in this case. We chose the Standard Tees – par 72, 6252 yards with a USGA course rating of 70.7 and 133 slope. One tip in selecting the correct tee is always comparing the rating and slope against that of your home course; if you’re making a big jump, you can expect a much tougher experience than you’re accustomed too.
In our foursome, half of us had played the course before, and half hadn’t, however, it would be fair to say no one “knew” the course. The funny thing was almost every hole we’d look at it and ask each other “what’s the play here?” Following each tee shot, the typical conversation sounded like, “Is that in the bunker?”.
One of the most noticeable features of this course is the bunkers. They are everywhere, and almost impossible to avoid – if anyone plays this course and never ends up in one, well, I guess miracles do happen!
And then there are the waste areas, not to be confused with the bunkers but just as plentiful and menacing. While 6252 yards may not seem long, the course does play longer; almost every green is raised and hard to reach and hold in regulation.
When you do get on to the greens, we’ll go with “they undulate” to quote Gary Player from the Master’s this year “if you can’t read a green, you should be selling beans” … this course is sure to help you with any career decision! Before we get into the specific details, it’s important to know; the Dye Course is very much about strategy and course management – accuracy and a good short game will reward you much more than a long drive, especially a wayward one.
Front 9 Highlights
The first hole is a relatively short par 4, waste area on the right and a cart path running both sides and “only” 8 bunkers – 4 of which protect the left-hand side of the green and one reasonable size one on the right. Something easy then to get you settled in, “yeah right”!
Hole 2 – par 3, features a waste area ready to catch any miss-hit off the tee, bunkers to the left and right of the green. Approaching the green, golfers beware! Don’t be long, the slope at the back of the green runs off to the third tee box, any longer than that, and you’ll be wet.
Hole 3 – a very picturesque hole, waste area down nearly the entire right-hand side, and water to the right of that and 7 bunkers in all, one of which will catch your tee shot if you stray too far left, a good lofted club will put you onto a raised green but good luck reading the putt, this green is a tough one!
The 6th, a par 3, is, for me, is the signature hole on the course and one I’d never get tired of playing. I can’t say the same for the rest of my foursome! It’s hard to describe the bunkers that run the entire left-hand side of the hole, with water to the left of them you’ll need to look up an aerial view of the hole, and it’ll make more sense. What an aerial view won’t show is just how elevated the green is, nor will it show the ravine on the right of the green. Miss this green and you’re in big trouble; it’s possible to chip or play a good bunker shot that ends up on the other side of the green, make life easy on yourself and put it on the green from the tee.
There’s a refreshment hut on the turn, and your only chance to get anything while on the course, one of the few negatives about our trip to PGA Golf Club. Plan accordingly and stock up on refreshments before the first tee!
Back 9 Highlights
Hole 11 – a gentle dogleg right, a great looking hole with only a mere 14 bunkers around the green… what could go wrong?
Hole 14 – a good tee shot is required to clear the wetlands, but a fairly open fairway awaits. If you can stay left of center off the tee it makes for a fairly simple, short approach into the green.
Hole 18 the finisher! A drive over a small wetland area, bunkers on the right of the fairway catch either a fading drive or something too long, as you approach the green you’re in luck; it’s only protected by bunkers on the left – if your still counting at this point, well done – you’re likely well above your average score!
Dye Course @ PGA Golf Club Course Rating 4.4 out of 5
The course was in immaculate condition. The bunkers were as good as I’ve ever seen, fairways near perfect considering the play they get, each hole had a very natural flow to them, and the greens were fast, smooth and test even the best reader of greens – If I were to build a golf course, Pete Dye would be the man I’d chose to design it!!
If the words above don’t give you an idea of how much fun, strategic, and punishing this course can be. To provide a little more color; here’s a few stats from our four-ball – 10 GIR’s between us (our handicaps range from 7 to 17), nine penalties, 25 double bogeys or worse, with zero birdies. For myself a 14 handicap, I made 2 GIR’s, had 29 putts and shot 11 over with three doubles. To be fair to my playing partners, who know my game well; they called it before we started, this course suited my game the best. I don’t carry a driver in my golf bag, and what I lack in distance I more than makeup for in my short game! Bottom line, we had a hell of a time playing the Dye Course, and I’m sure you will too. It’s not often that you find a course that presents so many challenges while still being enjoyable regardless of how well you score.