This week the PGA Tour visits Florida for the Cognizant Classic, formerly known as the Honda Classic. Despite the name change, the tournament will be contested once again over the PGA National Resort (The Champion course).
Previous winners include the likes of Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, Adam Scott, Padraig Harrington, and Rory McIlroy, who won the title in 2012.
A number of the game’s best-ever players have won at this famous venue before, and going back further you'll find the names of Ernie Els, Tom Kite, and 18-time Major winner Jack Nicklaus on the trophy.
Considered one of the toughest tests on the PGA Tour, and one of the best golf courses in Florida, the Champion golf course at PGA National Resort measures 7,045 yards.
However, it’s not length that’s the issue for those teeing it up here, so much as the water hazards that lurk throughout, and the South Florida winds that make club selection difficult.
Viewers will be reminded throughout the coverage of how hard ‘The Bear Trap’ is, one of golf’s most treacherous stretch of holes, which is named after Golden Bear Nicklaus, who redesigned the Champion course at PGA National in 1990.
As if to accentuate its difficulty, a plaque reading, "It should be won or lost right here" sits next to a huge statue of a bear to mark its beginning.
Despite the difficulty of the 15th, 16th and 17th holes, a pair of par 3s which sandwich a brutally tough par 4, it’s this nasty trio that will entice golf fans to come at tee it up at PGA National's Champion course.
However, securing a tee time here requires a bit of planning, as PGA National Resort, which features five championship courses, is reserved for members and resort guests.
Therefore, the easiest way to play the Champion course is to book a getaway at the resort, where a stay will cost anywhere between approximately $300 and $2,000 a night, depending on the time of the year.
Green fees, meanwhile, are reportedly in the $150-$350 range.
