With the FedEx St. Jude Championship coming up, everyone is looking forward to TPC Southwind. This Memphis treasure has been a favorite for spectators since 1989, and this is where the FedExCup Playoffs get real. Being home to the top 70 players from the FedExCup standings, TPC Southwind will not just be a stage but the arena where champions are born and legends are created.

TPC Southwind is located in Memphis, and the par-70, 7,244-yard course is much more than just a test of a golfer’s ability; it is a shot at history and challenge. This course was designed by Ron Prichard with input from two legends of the PGA Tour, Hubert Green, and Fuzzy Zoeller, and it is a thinking man’s course. Some of the challenges that players will have to overcome include the 165-yard 11th hole, a replica of TPC Sawgrass’s 17th, and the 231-yard 14th hole. These features, along with the beautiful, rolling zoysia fairways and the champion Bermuda greens, make every shot a victory and a failure at the same time.

Ben Crane, a TOUR player with a lot of experience, gives insight into TPC Southwind. Ben Crane says, “The greens are as good as we have putted all year,” a statement that points towards Augusta National. This is not just an endorsement but a confirmation that the course is well known to be one of the best. TPC Southwind’s greens are not just mere areas to put the ball on; they represent a true talent that plays with the player.

The narrative of the course dates back to 1958 when it was included in PGA TOUR events. TPC Southwind has been the permanent home since 1989 after moving from Colonial Country Club. The sponsorship by FedEx since 1986 has turned the event into a symbol of charity, with over $38 million being raised for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This connection superimposes the essence of the contest with a genuine concern for people and their well-being.

How did TPC Southwind evolve?

Apart from the challenging design, TPC Southwind is rich in history and has many stories to tell. Golf World magazine ranked it 23rd in its Exclusive PGA Tour Course Rankings in 2012. The course has two-grain silos and a windmill that reflect its past history as a dairy farm. These relics give a feeling of the past to the present-day golfing experience.

TPC Southwind’s commitment to environmental stewardship adds even more to the narrative. It also has the distinction of being one of Tennessee’s first golf courses to receive Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary status, which speaks to its sustainability. This environmental stewardship augments its function in golf, thereby presenting a balance between the conventional and the contemporary, the demanding and the sustainable.

Will this year’s players be able to perform well under the scrutiny of TPC Southwind? Will the course meet the hype that has been created around it?