The Seminole Golf Club: Exploring the Venue for Tiger Woods’s Return

Every Monday after the Cognizant Classic concludes, the Seminole Golf Club gathers the greats from different fields to play at the club. And this time, the Seminole Golf Club Pro-Member tournament will become the returning ground for Tiger Woods. The 82-time PGA Tour winner will be playing the event for the first time in his life.

Furthermore, Woods will be making his first appearance after he abruptly withdrew from the Genesis Invitational, citing influenza. The tournament has been played on the same GC since 1929, and it has been one of America’s most iconic and historic golf courses. Before the game starts on March 4th, let’s explore the dynamics of Seminole Golf Club.

When did the Seminole Golf Club open? 

Donald Ross originally designed the Seminole Golf Club. He also designed Pinehurst No. 2. The Golf Club is known as one of the best and most majestic work by Ross. It is located against the Atlantic Ocean, near Juno Beach, in Florida. The club was opened in 1930 and has had two revamps till now, once by Dick Wilson in 1957 and the second by Coore and Ben Crenshaw, who carried out a three-year renovation.

The course spans 18 holes over 6,836 yards, and every hole is surrounded by sand dunes that will mesmerize any golf lover. It has consistently been ranked among the 100 greatest golf courses in the United States by Golf Digest. The course, though beautiful, is quite challenging for any player. It has a sand ridge parallel to the beach where the 13th and 18th greens lie.

Moreover, the west side of the course has a basin with many bunkers and lakes, and it surrounds eight other holes. Then comes another ridge, 40 feet higher than the basin, which has three more holes around it. The flight from the tee to the fairway may become easy as they are wide, but the surrounding 70 or more bunkers will scare anyone. Even after making it all the way from the tee to the fairways and then to the greens, the challenge does not stop there.

The greens at Seminole GC look deceptive as a flat surface but will not let any pro putt easily. They have a gentle slope towards the deep bunkers that surround most greens at June Beach. While the course attracts a ton of compliments, there are two holes that have the heart of its designer.

Crenshaw’s favorite holes at Seminole Golf Club

Though every hole is classic and artistic in itself, Crenshaw’s favorites are the sixth and the fifteenth. Hole number six is a par-4 that spans 390 yards, and though it is straight, there is a diagonal string of bunkers that makes it challenging. On the other hand, the 15th hole has alternate fairways that are separated by two sand bunkers, a water hazard, and a few palm trees. It is also a back-to-back par-5, which is a rarity in Donald Ross-designed courses. However, the two revamps can be blamed for that.

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Aside from the course, it also has a clubhouse. The clubhouse has pink stucco and has a Spanish American vibe to it. Moreover, on the sea face, there are no windows on the club’s walls. When Ross was asked about the reason, he gave a vague reply, “This is a golf club, not a beach club,” because, apparently, it was not designed by him.

The event will start in just a few hours. Are you excited to watch the legendary Tiger Woods tee it up at one of the finest golf courses to ever exist?

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