When architect Bobby Weed first surveyed the property for the design of TPC Tampa Bay, he chose a horse to be his all terrain vehicle across wetlands and open flats of native grasses. After moving hundreds of thousands of yards of dirt and adding 17 years of maturity for the native cypress, oaks and pines surrounding the wetlands and bunkers, TPC Tampa Bay has evolved into one of the most beautiful and exciting courses in Florida.

TPC course at Tampa Bay features 81 bunkers, many of which are deep and difficult to avoid. The greens are larger than most greens in the area, averaging over 6,400 square feet in size and offer enough tiers and ridges to ensure that putting truly seems like half the battle. Miss a green and you will likely find one of the many greenside bunkers or fall into one of the collection areas surrounding the elevated putting surfaces. Tee shots must be precise and well thought out to avoid the water hazards that populate every hole. Avoiding the hazards may not be enough however as bordering each fairway is a carpet of 2-3” rough. Finally, with TPC trademarked Stadium Design element in mind, plateaus and steep mounding surround the finishing holes, providing guests with a unique tournament experience as they wrap up their round.

Course Maintenance

TPC Tampa Bay is generally a well maintained golf course, even manicured to PGA TOUR tournament conditions for several months of the year. The golf course is grassed with 419 Bermuda on the tees, fairways and roughs and St.Augustine along the lake banks provides a run-off buffer for the lakes and wetlands. The greens are Tifdwarf Bermuda that’s overseeded with Poa Trivialis November through May. The tees, fairways and roughs are also overseeded November through May with perennial ryegrass.

Overseeding takes place in early November and the grow-in process takes about three weeks before the course is back to normal playing conditions. During this time, the course is wetter than usual (to help the grass grow) and as a result, carts are required to remain on the paths. Although tee times are not available the third week of April while the club hosts the Champions Tour’s Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am, course conditions are at their best the week before and the week after the event. For the remainder of the spring season, the course maintains tournament like conditions.

Regular course maintenance for greens conditioning requires light topdressing and frequent vertical mowing to maintain green speeds and firmness for playability. These procedures are done throughout the year and have very little impact on short term playing conditions (they are very beneficial to the long term health of the turf).

Through the summer months the greens are aerated monthly. The June and August aerifications use larger tines and require approximately ten days recovery time. While the club is open during these times, the putting surfaces will be a little inconsistent due to the aerification holes and extra sand on the greens. The tees and fairways are also aerified twice per year, once in May and again in August. This process usually heals much faster and doesn’t seem to have a negative impact on the guest’s experience.

Weather is one of the more challenging variables that can control the condition of the golf course. Since it is generally unpredictable, the weather can cause the need for unexpected changes in the timing of the club’s maintenance procedures and conditioning efforts. For the latest updates on the major programs at the club, please contact the Golf Shop staff.

Course will be closed April 11-20, 2008 for the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am Scheduled greens aerifications: June 16 & August 11, 2008 Course will be closed for curfew application: June 2 & 3, 2008 Scheduled overseeding of greens and tees only:
November 3- 7th, 2008.