Pete Dye's island green not even close to the best hole at the TPC Stadium Course

It is impossible to watch coverage of The Players Championship without being drowned by discussion of the infamous 17th hole: we see what every player does on the hole; we hear about the hole even when the cameras are elsewhere; and I’d bet one of my fingers that once the leaders make the turn on Sunday, a great deal of the coverage will be focused on the looming 17th.

Sure, the hole is fun to watch, but enough is enough. In terms of design, that hole isn’t even one of the top ten holes at the Stadium Course. In fact, it is rated as the thirteenth most difficult hole for amateurs on the scorecard.

I never realized until this year how spectacularly that course is laid out. There are several holes there that require two (or three)outstanding golf shots rather than just a huge drive and a short iron. The par fives aren’t long by today’s standards, but they have extremely difficult second shots, whether the player decides to go for the green or not. The finishing hole is one of the best on tour all year, as it is beautiful, unique, and intimidating. I’ll go out on a limb and say that with a tournament on the line, I’d rather try to hit an 8 or 9 iron to Gilligan’s Island than try to hit that fairway on 18.

The 17th is a great hole for this tournmant, but it is another example of something that gets overplayed in the grand scheme of things. The Stadium Course has far more to offer than a 150 yard par three that happens to be surronded by water. Look for those things over the weekend, and you’ll enjoy the tournament more.