The Bear Trap Has Bigger Bite on PGA National's Champion Course

By: David Wood

With the strongest field of the PGA Tour schedule so far, the players, including world No. 1 Rory McIlroy who's making his 2015 U.S. debut this week, will discover a tough test of golf is even more difficult. PGA National Resort & Spa's mighty Champion Course is, of course, known for its diabolical Bear Trap (Nos. 15-17), which can strike fear into many a golfer's heart when coming down the stretch.

"Probably some of the toughest three holes in world golf, really," says 2010 U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell. "You kind of just have to man up and hit the shot. You start bailing out, and you're in trouble."

Sergio Garcia adds, "They're very challenging holes, all of them. Without hitting terrible shots, you can make a double, a par and a bogey, and you leave those holes shooting 3-over and you don't feel like you hit bad shots."

Now the players are going to have to deal with a beefed-up 14th as well before they even get to the evil trio. PGA National brought in Jack Nicklaus, for whom the stretch is named after, for a series of renovations.

Most notably, Nicklaus relocated the 14th green 17 yards to the right, bringing water into play on the approach. The tee was also moved back 10 yards, and bunkers were built in front and behind the green to further strengthen the already challenging 465-yard par-4.

"It seemed a shame not to have the water nearer to the green," says Nicklaus, who redesigned the original George and Tom Fazio design in 1990. "It produces a little more freedom and it produces a very strong par-4 going into the Bear Trap. I honestly believe it will be more exciting."

2014 U.S. Open champ Martin Kaymer said in his Wednesday pre-tournament press conference, "I think it became a lot better hole. They brought the water a little more into play. So it's a very tough finish now."

The course will also play faster and firmer as Nicklaus re-grassed the fairways, greens surrounds and tees with Celebration Bermuda.

"The Celebration Bermuda will provide us with 'major'-like conditions," says Lukus Harvey, PGA National Resort & Spa's director of agronomy. "The Honda Classic field is perennially on par with golf's four majors, and now we have the turf to provide similar conditions."

The new turf has been a big hit with the resort's guests as well as solid drives travel a bit farther. "We can all use an extra 20 yards of roll," says Harvey.

Beside the "Champion Course, PGA National has the Palmer, Fazio, Squire and Estate courses for 90 holes of golf. It also has the unique distinction of being home to both the David Leadbetter Golf Academy and Dave Pelz Scoring Game School, along with offering a PGA Tour-level fitting experience at the PGA National Club Fitting Lab. The resort offers Every Ball Counts - the world's first science-based, statistics-driven training system for golf improvement.

For golf nuts like me, few destinations approach PGA National Resort & Spa.

For more information, visit www.pgaresort.com or call 561/627-2000.

In addition to writing about golf and travel, author and noted speaker David Wood has made several appearances on "Late Night with David Letterman" as well as dozens of other television shows. His book - "Around the World in 80 Rounds" - can be found at www.Amazon.com. Currently he works in public relations with Buffalo Communications in Vienna, Va. His website www.authordavidwood.com.

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