Well this is the week we get to see lots of professional gofers hit their balls into the water and miss the green. What is it about the “island” green that makes it so intimidating? It’s a piece of land with water surrounding it. Is it because the water is a different color than the land? Is it because you can’t just focus on the hole with all the distractions? Most island greens are actually peninsulas. Actually the island green at Sawgrass was created by a mistake. It was Alice Dye who actually suggested the concept. Pete was not thrilled with the idea but went along with it There are 100,000 balls retrieved from around this green on an annual basis. Let’s take a look at the yardage on the iconic hole:
The Players – 137 yards
Blue – 128 yards
Blended – 128 yards
White – 115 yards
Seems like a doable shot. The green is 78 yards long. In May of 2007 of the gusty opening round of the PGA there was a record of 50 balls that went into the water. This is the week the Tour hits Sawgrass and the island green. The course record is 63. We are looking forward to seeing some great golf this week and especially watching some shots on the island green.
*photo courtesy of PGA Tour