TOUR Insider: A warm opener to the start of the Florida swing
By Stan Awtrey, PGATOUR.COM Contributor
Say goodbye to Pacific time, Jay Leno and poa annua greens. Say hello to Eastern time, David Letterman and Bermuda grass.
It's time for the best golfers in the world to circle the wagons and head to Florida. The annual Florida swing begins this week with The Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, the first of four events in the Sunshine State.
The yearly foray into Florida includes some great history, some extremely tough venues, and a growing international presence. (Plus, in South Florida there's always the chance to grab dinner before 4 p.m. for a special price.)
The fun starts this week at The Honda Classic, followed by the World Golf Championships-CA Championship at TPC Blue Monster at Doral, the Transitions Championship in Tampa, and the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard in Orlando. There's a huge buzz in the air, with the Masters just on the horizon and the beginning of spring helping to thaw us out.
When the TOUR comes to Florida, you can expect to see the game's legendary figures. Jack and Barbara Nicklaus are the official hosts of The Honda Classic and Arnold Palmer brings out his crown to serve as king at Bay Hill.
Nicklaus already runs the Memorial Tournament each year, but Jack has been ingrained as a part of the South Florida scene for many years and the ever-gracious Barbara is unquestionably the First Lady of Golf. Palmer is the owner of Bay Hill and visitors at the club will often find him hitting balls on the range or playing for a couple bucks in a shootout with his friends.
Golf may be the best sport at both using and optimizing its past greats. Fans enjoy seeing their heroes like Nicklaus and Palmer get between the ropes, even if it is only a pro-am. Watching them walk the fairways and acknowledge the applause can be an experience that brings goose bumps to most gallery members. It doesn't matter that Palmer is 80 and Nicklaus is 70; it's Arnie and Jack! No last names are required.
The business community responds to these legends, too. The Honda Classic generated $642,000 for charity in 2009 and has raised more than $17 million since its inception. The Arnold Palmer Invitational has been the primary source for charities such as the Arnold Palmer Medical Center, the 2009 PGA TOUR Charity of the Year.
Every stop on the Florida swing is held on a fabulous golf course, each with a different reason for its notoriety.
The Honda Classic is held at the PGA National Resort and Spa in Palm Beach Gardens. The TOUR made an inspired decision to move the event to the course that Nicklaus redesigned in 2001. The layout is ranked as the seventh toughest on the PGA TOUR and holes No. 15-17 ranked as the fourth-toughest three-hole stretch last year. That collection of holes, known as the Bear Trap, has helped determine the championship each year.
TPC Blue Monster at Doral, site of the World Golf Championships-CA Championship, has been hosting an annual event since 1962. Its impressive list of champions includes the likes of Hall of Famers such as Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Raymond Floyd, Hubert Green, Ben Crenshaw and Lanny Wadkins. The "Blue Monster" is synonymous with professional golf.
Palmer's Bay Hill Club and Lodge, which always seems to provide some drama on the 18th hole, had the third toughest three-hole stretch on TOUR last year. Players can often lose their footing as they go through holes 14-16, which gives hope to the entire field.
Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, which hosts the Transitions Championship, may not have the national cache or history of the other courses, but is a favorite among players. Hillier than most Florida courses, it squeezes the best from the best players. The tournament has been around just since 2000, but it has yet to provide a "how-did-that-guy-win?" moment. Last year, Retief Goosen won it for the second time.
This is also the time that you'll start to see the contingent of international players begin to grow, as the best from around the world start to get serious about preparing for that quest for the Green Jacket. International players in this week's field include defending champion Y.E. Yang, Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood, Paul Casey, Rory McIlroy, and Sergio Garcia. They'll all pile into Doral next week for the World Golf Championships event.
So here's a word of advice to all the players and fans who will watch or attend an event on the Florida swing. Relax. Go ahead and take in a baseball game; spring training is a wonderful time for the whole family. Just stay away from those giant T-shirt stores; you can't really get three shirts for $10.
And enjoy the weather. Pack up the thermal underwear; it's going to be in the mid-60s this week at The Honda Classic. You won't need those woolies again until the TOUR hits its next cold spot -- the Open Championship in July.
Now, where's the orange juice?
Stan Awtrey is a freelance columnist for PGATOUR.COM. His views do not necessarily reflect the views of the PGA TOUR.
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