Photos courtesy of the PGA Tour
The Players Championship will be contested March 11-14, 2021, on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
The grass
Greens: TifEagle bermudagrass overseeded with Poa trivialis/velvet bentgrass, maintained at .100 inch
Tees: Celebration bermudagrass overseeded with Champion fine ryegrass, maintained at .275 inch
Fairways: Celebration bermudagrass overseeded Champion fine ryegrass, maintained at .325 inch
Rough: Celebration bermudagrass overseeded with Champion fine ryegrass, maintained at 2.5 inches
Watch: Volunteers at The Players Championship — many of whom were present when 2020’s event was cut short because of COVID-19 — share thoughts on this year’s experience and a peek behind the tournament-prep curtain:
The course
Year built: 1980
Architect: Pete Dye
Renovation: Pete Dye and Steve Wenzloff in 2016
Average green size: 5,500 square feet
Acres of fairway: 26
Acres of rough: 120
Number of sand bunkers: 88
Number of water hazards: 17
Number of holes on which water is in play: 17
Fairway width: 30 yards
Soil conditions: Sandy loam
Water sources: Reclaimed
Par: 36-36—72
Yardage: 7,189
The staff
Jeff Plotts, a 27-year GCSAA member, is the director of golf course operations at TPC Sawgrass. Plotts has worked at TPC Sawgrass for six years and has been a golf course superintendent for 28 years, previously working at courses such as TPC Scottsdale and TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tenn. The 2021 Players Championship will be the 26th professional event and the sixth Players for Plotts, who has hosted PGA, Korn Ferry and LPGA events at previous stops.
Other key golf personnel:
Lucas Andrews, assistant director of golf operations
Kyle Elliott, Stadium Course superintendent
Paul Vermeulen, PGA Tour agronomy
Cash Galko, equipment manager
Brian Riddle, PGA professional
Number of employees: 115 for the facility
Number of tournament volunteers: 100
Watch: TPC Sawgrass equipment manager Cash Galko shares a look inside prep for the 2021 Players Championship:
Mike Strauss is GCSAA’s media relations manager.