Many of you will be listening to the Players Championship on the beautiful TPC course in Sawgrass, Florida this weekend.
I’ve played this course a number of times and it is, at least for me, the toughest course in the usual PGA Tour rotation. During a round with my good friend, Jacques Bernier, I even birdied the difficult hole # 18. I’m sure that count of 3 would sell for a lot on eBay!
This course is remarkable, among other things, because of hole # 17 and it is this hole that is the subject of my column this week. It is a par 3, the green of which is an island and there is only a small path at the back of the green to get there. The green is very big but when you are on the tee, it seems very small.
The distance is approximately 135 yards. It’s probably the most intimidating little hole in the world, especially since the winds are sometimes capricious and the pressure is always there.
YELLOW LINES
Some people think that since the rules overhaul in 2019, there are no more yellow stakes or lines. This is not the case. There is always the possibility of marking a yellow penalty area.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YELLOW AND RED
When the line is yellow or when there is a yellow stake, a player cannot drop a ball within 2 club lengths of the entry point. On #17, if the ball lands on the green and bounces in the water, the player cannot drop a ball on the island. But it would be possible if the line was red. However, the entry point is still on the island.
HOW IS THE CLEARANCE MADE
The player has a few options:
A) Replay from the tee box.
B) Drop a ball according to the setback on the line. We draw a line between the flag and the entry point and back off. In some cases the ball would drop either on the #16, so very far away or in the stands to the left of the hole.
C) You can also use the designated place to drop a ball (DROP ZONE).
RED AND YELLOW
You will also notice that the same lake is RED for game #16 and it is yellow for game #17.
At some golf clubs, there are also penalty areas which are yellow for back tees and red for forward tees. It depends on the type of stroke that is needed depending on the position of the tee markers in relation to the penalty area.
