If there was a course or 5 I was ever able to play, this one ranks right up there.
2021 Players Championship tee times, pairings: Complete field, schedule set for Round 1 at TPC Sawgrass By Kyle Porter 2 hrs ago
The Players Championship always produces one of the best fields of the golf season. This year's edition is no different as 48 of the top 50 players in the world will tee it up at TPC Sawgrass starting on Thursday at the same site where golf shut down 12 months ago.
As is often the case when the best in the world descend on a golf tournament, the featured groups are powerhouses: stars on stars on stars grouped together for what should be a compelling finale to a first big quarter of the golf calendar year.
Though Brooks Koepka and Matthew Wolff will be absent (not to mention Tiger Woods), we still get groups that include the following trios, which will all demand a ton of attention over the first 36 holes.
Viktor Hovland, Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas
Sergio Garcia, Webb Simpson, Rory McIlroy
Patrick Reed, Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth
Bryson DeChambeau, Collin Morikawa, Dustin Johnson
From those four threesomes come many of our tournament-opening storylines. And while this even has often produced some quirky winners in the past, it would be surprising right now if the 2021 champion came from outside that group of 12.
Here's a look at all the tee times and pairings for Thursday's Round 1 at TPC Sawgrass. Check out our complete 2021 Players Championship coverage guide to learn how you can watch every round live.
2021 Players Championship tee times, Thursday pairings Tee No. 1
6:45 a.m. -- Alex Noren, Xinjun Zhang, Doug Ghim 6:56 a.m. -- Louis Oosthuizen, Lee Westwood, Robert MacIntyre 7:07 a.m. -- Phil Mickelson, Charles Howell III, Tony Finau 7:18 a.m. -- Sungjae Im, Kevin Kisner, Henrik Stenson 7:29 a.m. -- Keith Mitchell, Troy Merritt, Brice Garnett 7:40 a.m. -- Brian Gay, Michael Thompson, Sebastian Munoz 7:51 a.m. -- Cameron Smith, Dylan Frittelli, Keegan Bradley 8:02 a.m. -- Kevin Na, Carlos Ortiz, Matthew Fitzpatrick 8:13 a.m. -- Max Homa, J.T. Poston, Russell Knox 8:24 a.m. -- Stewart Cink, Nick Taylor, Austin Cook 8:35 a.m. -- Ben An, Henrik Norlander, Christiaan Bezuidenhout 8:46 a.m. -- Vaughn Taylor, Jerry Kelly, Joel Dahmen 8:57 a.m. -- Scott Brown, Sam Ryder
Tee No. 10
6:45 a.m. -- Kyle Stanley, Lucas Glover, Tyler McCumber 6:56 a.m. -- Russell Henley, Tom Hoge, Scottie Scheffler 7:07 a.m. -- C.T. Pan, Graeme McDowell, Matt Kuchar 7:18 a.m. -- Gary Woodland, Billy Horschel, Ian Poulter 7:29 a.m. -- Viktor Hovland, Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas 7:40 a.m. -- Sergio Garcia, Webb Simpson, Rory McIlroy 7:51 a.m. -- Si Woo Kim, Harris English, Hideki Matsuyama 8:02 a.m. -- Tyrrell Hatton, Paul Casey, Xander Schauffele 8:13 a.m. -- Lanto Griffin, Corey Conners, Rickie Fowler 8:24 a.m. -- Brendon Todd, Adam Long, Andrew Putnam 8:35 a.m. -- Charl Schwartzel, Doc Redman, Harry Higgs 8:46 a.m. -- Sam Burns, Wyndham Clark, Victor Perez 8:57 a.m. -- Scott Stallings, Adam Schenk
Tee No. 1
12:05 p.m. -- Cameron Tringale, Denny McCarthy, Matthew NeSmith 12:16 p.m. -- Brian Harman, Cameron Percy, Bernd Wiesberger 12:27 p.m. -- Martin Laird, Tyler Duncan, Joaquin Niemann 12:38 p.m. -- Richy Werenski, Aaron Wise, Kevin Streelman 12:49 p.m. -- Patrick Reed, Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth 1 p.m. -- Bryson DeChambeau, Collin Morikawa, Dustin Johnson 1:11 p.m. -- Daniel Berger, Adam Scott, Shane Lowry 1:22 p.m. -- Andrew Landry, Cameron Champ, Brendan Steele 1:33 p.m. -- Jason Kokrak, Francesco Molinari, Jason Day 1:44 p.m. -- Charley Hoffman, Rory Sabbatini, Cameron Davis 1:55 p.m. -- Matt Jones, Maverick McNealy, Will Zalatoris 2:06 p.m. -- Chris Kirk, Luke List, Bo Hoag 2:17 p.m. -- Brian Stuard, Danny Lee, Beau Hossler
Tee No. 10
12:05 p.m. -- Peter Malnati, Emiliano Grillo, Abraham Ancer 12:16 p.m. -- Anirban Lahiri, K.H. Lee, Robby Shelton 12:27 p.m. -- Branden Grace, Sung Kang, Jimmy Walker 12:38 p.m. -- Hudson Swafford, Brandt Snedeker, Scott Piercy 12:49 p.m. -- Jim Herman, Ryan Armour, Mackenzie Hughes 1 p.m. -- Nate Lashley, Ryan Palmer, Zach Johnson 1:11 p.m. -- Robert Streb, Marc Leishman, Justin Rose 1:22 p.m. -- Chez Reavie, Bubba Watson, Pat Perez 1:33 p.m. -- Patton Kizzire, Jason Dufner, Danny Willett 1:44 p.m. -- James Hahn, Tommy Fleetwood, Harold Varner 1:55 p.m. -- Adam Hadwin, Patrick Rodgers, Mark Hubbard 2:06 p.m. -- Ryan Moore, Sepp Straka, Scott Harrington 2:17 p.m. -- Jhonattan Vegas, Talor Gooch, Tom Lewis
Funny how they came up with an imaginary out of bounds while the ball is in the air. Talk about crap, just cause ONE guy can take advantage of a hole because of his length off the tee is crazy.
Funny how they came up with an imaginary out of bounds while the ball is in the air. Talk about crap, just cause ONE guy can take advantage of a hole because of his length off the tee is crazy.
It's not quite that bad. Fans are in that area.
Other courses have had to deal with various players shortcuts. Brysons problem was he talked about it.
Other times the PGA or the course didn't know until it happened. The next year, a big tree has been transplanted or someone drove in some OB stakes that weren't there before.
Taking away a course with a neighborhood built inside and around, internal OB isn't common, but not unheard of.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn.
Nice course. It's a odd course. Wind is the primary defense to that course. If the wind isn't blowing very hard, it's really not much harder than your average country club course. I think it's slope rating from the blues was under 140...
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn.
Nice course. It's a odd course. Wind is the primary defense to that course. If the wind isn't blowing very hard, it's really not much harder than your average country club course. I think it's slope rating from the blues was under 140...
Peen? Remember that TV show "To Tell The Truth"?
Sorry man, but I gotta ask.....
Outta the 3 times you've played "the island hole", how many times were you "puttin for birdy".
On a side note, due to, over the years, double knee replacements(titanium), failed L3 and L4 back surgery, cancer compounded by a dreaded hydrocele, RCA stent and on, and on, and on.....I had to give up a traveling greater Cleveland golf league yeeears back.
The bright side? After not playing for 14, 15 years, just joined another traveling league. All Ohio courses. Some fairly close(10-15 miles) to some that(drive-time-wise, are gonna take 45 to an hour.
I'm so pumped it's stupid. For the first time in a yeeeers I went to a driving range on Wed last week. It wasn't pretty. Halfway thru the "large bucket" of balls I pulled something on my very bottom left rib cage. Still feel it.
All three. None we all that close, so 2 pars and a bogey.
Both pars were 2 putts from around 20-25 feet. The 3 putt was from maybe 60 feet or more...one of those up hill, down hill, side hill jobs. I missed the 8-10 foot par putt. The wind killed my tee shot and I was front left, barely on the green, the hole was back, towards the right but not that close to the edges. The tee shot was a balloon that looked to blow backwards.
It's a short shot and the green is of fair size. It's not a postage stamp sitting there. It is harder for pros I think because they are usually trying to score, not just trying to hit the green. The pins they fire at are usually along the edges of the green, maybe 5-6 paces from trouble.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn.
What formats do you play? Net score, lowball, match?
I'm not quitin.
Honestly, Peen, couldn't tell ya formats. When I try swinging a club again(because of the recent left lower rib thing) i'm just gonna focus on my pitching wedge for 3 days, then my 9 iron the next 3 days, then my 8, etc, etc, etc. I found the league online and E-mailed the league on my interest and "Voila:. There were guys there that I played with in the, I wanna say, mid 90's to the early 2000's.
Players names, players stats, handicaps, etc of the whole league.
Here's the website.....clicking on "About Us" might give you the formats. Seems to be a few.
I was called and was asked "what dates" would be bad for me vacationwise and/or, etc.
I've never been a fan of interior out of bounds. I mean I get it for club and rec courses because sometimes the best route is into somebody else's fairway and that really slows up play if enough people do it. But for the pros, if it's on the property I think it should be in bounds and the course should absolutely address it some other way as you mentioned, planting trees, adding bunkers, whatever.
I've never been a fan of interior out of bounds. I mean I get it for club and rec courses because sometimes the best route is into somebody else's fairway and that really slows up play if enough people do it. But for the pros, if it's on the property I think it should be in bounds and the course should absolutely address it some other way as you mentioned, planting trees, adding bunkers, whatever.
Neither am I* and am sure the PGA and course aren't either. I suspect next year we will see a few large Jacaranda trees planted to eliminate that thought.
* While not a fan, a course and or governing body has the right to dictate how a course is to be played. The way Bryson was talking about was FAR from the direction Dye intended when he designed the course. I don't think it out of bounds to stay with-in the designers intent.
Call up Pete to get his input on how best to eliminate that option. Many courses have eliminated "Short-cuts" once players and equipment have outpaced what designers could ever imagine 25 years ago let alone 75 years ago.
Something needs to be done. Already too many great courses have become obsolete because they can't be stretched out to 7600 yards.
You can't do much about training, but you can about equipment.
I'd really like to see a throw back tournament. Players with steel shafts, persimmon woods, and irons like they played in 1975. Titelist balls made to the same materials specs as 1975.
Put the players from the same basic tee positions as then, and see what happens. It probably still wouldn't work. In many cases, bunkers have been moved further down the fairways and removed from previous locations because they never came in to play. No sense keeping them to only be something else that needs to be maintained.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn.
I agree with all of that.. distance is becoming a problem because most of the older courses, you can't just keep making them longer and moving tees back. One, they don't have the real estate and two, you start to lose the design intent of the shot making.
They can only grow the rough so high, make the greens so fast, and make the other hazards so bad.. in the end it doesn't matter, most fans don't want to go watch Bryson consistently hit 5-wood off the tee 230 yards to a lay up spot because it's the smart thing to do. They want to go watch him hit it 340... so there is a disconnect.
The way golfers hit the ball today would be the equivalent of putting the aluminum bat into MLB.
I’m with Jack on this topic: dial back the ball so it doesn’t go as far. Problem solved. Don’t let technology hamper a great game.
Tennis has been derailed in part by the racket technology, it’s taken the artfulness and subtlety out of the game; there are no pure serve-and/volley players anymore because they can’t get to the net fast enough: the ball is already by them when they get to the service line.
I’m with Jack on this topic: dial back the ball so it doesn’t go as far. Problem solved. Don’t let technology hamper a great game.
Tennis has been derailed in part by the racket technology, it’s taken the artfulness and subtlety out of the game; there are no pure serve-and/volley players anymore because they can’t get to the net fast enough: the ball is already by them when they get to the service line.
Not a big tennis fan, but I understand the comparison. For the reasons you mention, when I do watch tennis, I prefer to watch the women, where they do volley, unlike the men where the ball rarely crosses the net more than 3 times, if that.
Even golf, I like watching the women. Shot making is still a part of the game. With most of the men it is driver and a short iron at most on par 4's.
For a long time I have told higher handicap golfers to watch womens golf. Watch their tempo. Pay attention to the clubs used because pro women golfers hit it about as far as the average male golfer does, and sure as heck hit it a lot straighter.
A good practice method someone taught me long ago was take your 3 wood, sand wedge, and putter, plus any 2 other clubs you want.
You will learn how to play the game doing that. I would usually go with a 5 iron and 8 iron as my extras.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn.
Now that the lower left rib ?muscle? pull is healed, I just hit the driving range. Instead of seeing how far I could hit the ball with my driver I took my PW.
Faired "fairly well". Didn't pull any muscles so..........
Gonna work tomorrow on the 9 iron, the next day the 8 iron, then 7, etc, etc.
Just a tip: the club you are using really shouldn't matter. Your driver these days doesn't weight all that much more than your short irons.
What changes is how hard you think you need to swing the driver.
Unless you are trying to take something off a wedge, you should swing your driver the same as you do a wedge.
The reason IMHO is people tend to swing their low irons at maybe 85%. In your mind you know you can always step up a club. People want to kill a driver to get max distance. In reality, if you swing your driver at 85%, that is your max normal distance.
It might be hard to tell with pro's but normally they aren't swinging at the ball as hard as they can. Even if they are, they are pro's, you're not.
This might sound foreign, but watch LPGA players and swing like most of them. 270 in the fairway is better than 310 somewhere else.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn.
Pretty much agree with all of that. I don't know if I even swing at 85%.
Whatever it is doesn't matter. The over riding point is rarely are you going to swing as hard as you can if the goal is solid, consistent contact. Not many people can do that. The problem is we watch the Honda Classic and see guys using 7 irons for 190 yard shots when in reality for us, 150-160 might be a good yardage.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn.
A man had two of the best tickets for the Masters. As he sits down, another man comes along and asks if anyone is sitting in the seat next to him. "No", he says, "the seat is empty.
"This is incredible!" said the man, "who in their right mind would have a seat like this, the biggest golfing event of the whole world, and not use it?"
He says, "Well, actually, the seat belongs to me. My wife always would come with me, but she passed away. This is the first Masters we haven't been to together since we got married."
"Oh... I'm sorry to hear that. That's terrible. I guess you couldn't find someone else? A friend or relative or even a neighbor to take the seat?"
.....ever regrip your clubs? Gonna do the "club regrip" thing. Older metal shaft clubs. Bought 12 grips. 3-9, PW, SW, and 3 metal headed "woods".(D, 3, and 5).
Below is the YouTube install by the gripmaker. I bought their kit.
Bought the below vid regrip kit at Dicks Sporting Goods.
Before the grandkids, etc came over for Easter dinner I regripped my PW, 9, 8, 7, 6, and 5 irons(metal shafts]. Gonna bang out my 3 and 4 irons + driver and 3 and 5 woods tommorow.
I don't even wanna tell you how long it took me(1st time re-gripper here) Nowhere near your speed.
Bought the below vid regrip kit at Dicks Sporting Goods.
Before the grandkids, etc came over for Easter dinner I regripped my PW, 9, 8, 7, 6, and 5 irons(metal shafts]. Gonna bang out my 3 and 4 irons + driver and 3 and 5 woods tommorow.
I don't even wanna tell you how long it took me(1st time re-gripper here) Nowhere near your speed.
I was going to add my hour was probably a little optimistic. It comes close if you regrip every year or so. If those suckers have been on there for a while, Goo-be-Gone or not, the tape remnants can take a while to clean off.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn.
Figured I'd put this in The Players TPC Sawgrass thread.....
So, the 2021 Masters, Augusta National Golf Club
By CBS Sports Staff 1 hr ago 6 min read
Jordan Spieth sent shockwaves through the PGA Tour with his first victory since 2017 last week at the Valero Texas Open. The three-time major champion will enter the 2021 Masters full of confidence, having finished in the top 10 in five of his last seven starts. Spieth has been able to secure those positive results thanks in large part to his sensational putting stroke. In fact, Spieth currently ranks fourth in overall putting average (1.551), fifth in one-putt percentage (43.81) and 13th in putting average (1.710).
Will Spieth be able to carry his momentum over into the Masters 2021, which tees off from Augusta National Golf Club on Thursday? Will Dustin Johnson become the first player since Tiger Woods (2001-02) to win back-to-back green jackets? Johnson is going off as the 9-1 favorite to repeat according to the latest 2021 Masters odds from William Hill Sportsbook, while Spieth is close behind at 10-1. Before you lock in any 2021 Masters picks or PGA Tour predictions, you have to see who Sal Johnson is backing.
A media legend and consummate golf insider, Johnson has a strong feel for what it takes to win at Augusta National. He was all over Dustin Johnson before the 2020 Masters, and even he had Woods as a shocking pick the previous year.
Before November's event, he tabbed Johnson as the top choice in his best bets. "When he gets on a roll like this, he is nearly impossible to beat," the golf guru told SportsLine. "He is a man with a purpose, and that is to win another major." Johnson simply ran away with the event, leading wire-to-wire and winning by five shots for his second major championship.
Even more stunning, Sal Johnson was on top of Woods before his emotional comeback victory in 2019. He featured Woods in his best bets despite the 15-time major winner coming off back surgery. Johnson noted Woods' tee-to-green game looked almost as sharp as it did in his prime. "And this will be the reason for him winning." The result? Woods shot 13-under to earn his fifth green jacket.
The golf expert knows these players and how they fit the courses. At the Arnold Palmer Invitational last month, he singled out DeChambeau as his top choice to win before he took his second victory of the year.
He also knows when surging players are poised for a breakthrough. He tabbed Sungjae Im as a top contender before his first Tour win at the Honda Classic last season and touted Tyrell Hatton to get his first tour victory the following week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Anyone who has followed Johnson's advice has cashed in huge.
Johnson, the first producer of "Inside the PGA Tour" and a longtime ABC Sports technician who worked with Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Greg Norman who was also the founder of the world's top golf stats database, has released his highly confident 2021 Masters picks, and they will surprise you. You can only see them here.
Top 2021 Masters expert picks Johnson is fading DeChambeau, even though the 27-year-old leads the tour in driving distance (320.8 yards) and scoring average (69.432) while being one of the top Las Vegas favorites. He also is the reigning U.S. Open champion, but DeChambeau's best finish at Augusta is a tie for 21st (as an amateur). He is more than just power, as he ranks 28th in overall putting average (1.583) and putts per round (28.5), but his accuracy is a major issue on a course like this. He ranks 81st in greens in regulation (67.4 percent) and will need an otherworldly putting week to contend.
Johnson also expects Justin Thomas to break through for his second career major championship at any time. Thomas is coming off a sensational showing at the Players Championship, securing his 14th career PGA Tour triumph at TPC Sawgrass. The Players Championship featured a major-like field, which could go a long way in helping Thomas win his first green jacket this week.
Thomas, the No. 2 player in the world, has all the tools needed to finish on top of the leaderboard at Augusta National. The 27-year-old enters the Masters Tournament 2021 ranked first in birdie average (5.18) and second in scoring average (69.645). He also ranks in the top 10 in several putting categories, including putting average (1.658) and one-putt percentage (44.44), making him a golfer to target in 2021 Masters bets, according to the model.
The golf guru has been blown away by Jordan Spieth, who fired a final-round 66 to capture the 2021 Valero Texas Open just four days before the start of the Masters 2021. The 2015 Masters winner plays Augusta as well as anybody. In seven career appearances, Spieth has only finished outside the top 25 one time and he also has three other top-three finishes on top of his outright win.
His breakthrough last week in Texas, his first PGA Tour victory since 2017, was the culmination of a red-hot run. In his last seven events, Spieth has finished outside the top 15 just once. That span includes four finishes of fourth-place or better. Spieth "has his mojo again" according to Johnson, making him a golfer to target in 2021 Masters bets. You can only see who to pick here.
How to make 2021 Masters predictions For the Masters 2021, Johnson is touting an epic long shot north of 40-1. This golfer has always been a shot-maker, and players like that are rewarded at the Masters. He could be a huge surprise this week, and anyone who backs this underdog could cash in big. He's only sharing all of his 2021 Masters bets here.
Bought the below vid regrip kit at Dicks Sporting Goods.
Before the grandkids, etc came over for Easter dinner I regripped my PW, 9, 8, 7, 6, and 5 irons(metal shafts]. Gonna bang out my 3 and 4 irons + driver and 3 and 5 woods tommorow.
I don't even wanna tell you how long it took me(1st time re-gripper here) Nowhere near your speed.
I was going to add my hour was probably a little optimistic. It comes close if you regrip every year or so. If those suckers have been on there for a while, Goo-be-Gone or not, the tape remnants can take a while to clean off.
I STRONGLY AGREE WITH AND CAN/WILL ATTEST TO THE LAST VERY LAST SENTENCE OF THE ABOVE REPLY BEING FACT.
Oye Vey. Oye Vey I Say. If that's not "hammer meets nail" then I don't know what is.
What It Costs To Play On America’s 10 Best Golf Courses
When the Masters Tournament returns on April 8th, t golf world will turn its attention to the elite Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.
Although you might be itching to hit the club’s green, many of the top-rated golf clubs are open to members only. Some, however, are open to the public. Read on to discover the costs of teeing off at some of the best private and public golf courses in the USA.
Initiation fees at some of the most exclusive golf clubs can cost well into the six-figure range — if you’re able to secure membership in the first place, that is. Here’s a look at what some of the top-rated golf clubs have to offer for members.
Augusta National Golf Club Location: Augusta, Georgia
No golf course in America is more steeped in history than Augusta National Golf Club, which hosts the Masters Tournament each year. Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and Arnold Palmer are among the golf legends who have enjoyed historic moments during the Masters at Augusta National.
Each of the 18 holes at Augusta National has a name derived from a tree, flower, or plant on the course. Some include Tea Olive, Magnolia, and Holly. The 11th, 12th, and 13th holes are collectively known as Amen Corner, due to the difficulty of the holes in combination with the wind in that location.
Augusta National is not only one of the best golf courses in America, it’s also one of the most exclusive. It is a members-only club, and any guest must be accompanied by a member at all times.
The club was restricted to white men from the time it opened in 1932 until it admitted its first black male member in 1990. In 2012, Augusta National admitted its first women members: former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and South Carolina investor Darla Moore. Augusta National’s official list of members is confidential, but Bloomberg included CEOs, billionaires, and other high earners, in its 2015 list of the club’s verified and speculated members.
As is generally the case among the most famous golf courses in the world, the cost of initiation is steep, with reported figures varying widely. Golf.com reported in April 2019 that the initiation fee is in the ballpark of $40,000 — cheap by the standards of world-class golf clubs. Just one year earlier in 2018, however, Forbes estimated that Augusta’s initiation fees range from $250,000-$500,000, which is much closer to par,
Pine Valley Golf Club Location: Pine Valley, New Jersey
Consistently ranked among the top courses in the U.S., Pine Valley is set along the edge of southern New Jersey’s Pine Barrens. ESPN once described the course as the “greatest 18 holes of golf ever created by man.”
Pine Valley is among America’s most exclusive private clubs. While the membership list is confidential, The Press of Atlantic City reported that former U.S. President George H.W. Bush, actor Sean Connery and pro golf legends Ben Crenshaw and the late Arnold Palmer were all members at one time or another.
Nonmembers must receive an invitation from a member in order to play at Pine Valley. Women cannot be members of Pine Valley Golf Club and can only be invited to play on Sundays. The club does not accept applications, according to Forbes, and the club’s board must reach out to potential members
Every year on the last Sunday in September, Pine Valley invites the general public to watch the final round of the club’s annual George Arthur Crump Memorial Tournament, named after its founder and course designer. This is the only opportunity to explore the course without a membership or invitation. No credible estimations on price are available and the club is famous for its discretion and secrecy.
Merion Golf Club Location: Ardmore, Pennsylvania
Built in 1912 by course architect Hugh Wilson, Merion Golf Club has borne witness to many golf milestones. Its storied history includes Robert Tyre Jones Jr.’s Grand Slam completion in 1930 and Ben Hogan’s stunning one-iron finish on the 72nd hole in the 1950 U.S. Open. The course itself holds a historical footnote: Merion was the first club in the nation to include two 18-hole championship layouts.
Golf legend Jack Nicklaus himself once said, “Acre for acre, [Merion] may be the best test of golf in the world.” The par-70 course covers nearly 7,000 yards for players to dominate, and offers a mellow atmosphere boosted by the surrounding tree line.
The private golf club reportedly boasts an impressive two-level locker room, and you might see it one day — if you can front the initiation fee. The cost of initiation starts at $70,000, and annual dues are at least another $6,000, Forbes reported in November 2018. Furthermore, even if you can afford all that, you’ll only be able to apply by member referral.
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club Location: Southampton, New York
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, which opened in 1891, is located near the eastern end of Long Island. It was a charter club of the organization that would later become the United States Golf Association. The course has hosted five U.S. Opens — including the second ever in 1896 — with a sixth scheduled for 2026.
The ultra-exclusive Shinnecock Hills keeps quiet about its initiation fees and dues. If you know a member, you can be invited to the course as a guest, but guest tee times usually fill up months in advance. If you ever make it to the club as a guest, you’ll pay a $350 green fee, Golf.com reported in June 2018.
Oakmont Country Club Location: Oakmont, Pennsylvania
Oakmont Country Club hosted its ninth U.S. Open in 2016, with Dustin Johnson conquering the course’s notoriously fast greens to claim his first major victory. A 10th U.S. Open is scheduled for Oakmont in 2025. The club has also hosted five U.S. Amateurs and two U.S. Women’s Opens.
In 2019, the Helen Brown Group, a development, research, consulting, and training firm, quoted Oakmont’s initiation fees as $75,000-plus. It’s hard to gauge what the “plus” comes out to because 12 years earlier in 2007, ESPN reported Oakmont’s initiation fees to be exactly $75,000.
You must be invited to become a member at Oakmont Country Club; however, members reportedly bring guests to the club often to try their hand at the infamously difficult course — but that could be because they enjoy watching their guests struggle.
America’s Best Public Golf Courses You don’t have to be a highly paid professional golfer or even a member to play at some of the best golf courses America has to offer. The following quality courses are open to the public.
Pebble Beach Golf Links Location: Pebble Beach, California
Few natural settings for golf match Pebble Beach Golf Links, located on the Monterey Peninsula, where golfers can enjoy views of the Pacific Ocean along the course. The 2019 U.S. Open marks the course’s sixth time hosting the championship. Pebble Beach is also slated to host its first U.S. Women’s Open in 2023.
Since it first opened in 1919, Pebble Beach has built a reputation as a standout golf destination. It was ranked No. 1 on Golf Digest’s 2019 list of America’s 100 greatest public courses, and it holds the No. 1 spot on Golfweek’s 2021 list of the top 200 resort golf courses.
The green fee costs $575, but golfers who are not staying at Pebble Beach as resort guests will also have to pay $45 for a cart.
Pacific Dunes Location: Bandon, Oregon
Pacific Dunes, a resort course in Bandon, Oregon, is located adjacent to waves crashing into the rocky coast.
The signature hole at Pacific Dunes is the 11th, a 148-yard, par-3 hole. While coastal winds often wreak havoc on golfers’ shots, the hole is among golf’s most picturesque. Golf Course Gurus, a website that offers course reviews, called it “the definition of a postcard hole.”
If you’re a resort guest, the green fees at the year-round course range from $105 to $295. If you’re a day guest, fees range from $135 to $345, though reduced rates are available for Oregon residents.
Pinehurst No. 2 Location: Pinehurst, North Carolina
The No. 2 course at Pinehurst Resort is steeped in history. The course, which opened in 1907, was first designed by Donald Ross, who worked on improving it until his death in 1948. The most recent renovations in 2010 by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw restored many of the original design elements.
Pinehurst No. 2 has hosted the 1936 PGA Championship, the 1999 and 2005 U.S. Opens and both the men’s and women’s 2014 U.S. Opens. It will also serve as the site of the 2024 U.S. Open.
Greens fees range from $50-$495, depending on the time of year and which of the club’s courses you play.
Whistling Straits Location: Sheboygan, Wisconsin
The Straits course has hosted three PGA Championships over a relatively short span — 2004, 2010 and 2015 — as well as the 2007 U.S. Senior Open. The Ryder Cup was supposed to be played on the course in 2020, but it was canceled. It will instead be held there in September, when Whistling Straits becomes the first public course to host the event in 25 years.
Eight of the 18 holes on the Straits course are played along Lake Michigan. Golfers who play the course have to keep an eye out for the sheep that freely roam about.
A round of golf on the Straits course will run over $410, Golf.com reported in 2017. It’s a walking-only course, and a caddie — which costs $65 with a recommended gratuity of $50 per bag — is required. Reliable information that’s more up-to-date is unavailable, but reviews on TripAdvisor roughly confirm those prices.
TPC Sawgrass Location: Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
The Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass was designed in 1982 by celebrated course architect Pete Dye.
The 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass is one of the most famous in all of golf. The 137-yard, par-3 hole features an iconic island green that is surrounded by water. A thin bridge is a golfer’s only access to the green.
The cost of playing on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass varies at different times of the year. According to Golf.com, however, playing where the pros play will run you $500-$720 per round.
62 YEAR OLG GOLFERS DRAINS TWO HOLE-IN-ONES IN 23 MINUTES!
Celebrates With $1,000 Bar Tab!!!
5/4/2021 12:42 PM PT Wanna know how a 62-year-old golfer celebrated the insane feat of hitting TWO hole-in-ones in one round???
DRINKS FOR EVERYONE, BABY!!!
That's how it all played out during a recent round of golf in California for Karen Veseth, who says she sank two aces in a span of less than half an hour back on April 18!!!
Veseth tells PGA.com she was out at Coto de Caza Golf and Racquet Club on the 8th hole of the South Course when she pulled out her driver for the 150-yard par 3.
Veseth says her tee shot went straight, took one bounce, and then plopped into the hole.
Just 23 minutes later, she says she pulled up to the par 3 10th hole ... and sank another ace -- this time with her 9-wood!!!
Veseth says the golf course rewarded her for her shots with two $500 gift cards to the club's bar ... so she went to town!
Veseth says she racked up the $1K bar tab buying drinks and food for everyone ... and couldn't believe how it all went down afterward.
"I don’t really think it’s hit me how amazing it is to make two in one round," Veseth said. "I didn’t know how rare it was until after it happened. I really couldn’t believe it after the second one went in."
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or pay whatever it takes? 
