Golf at the Players Stadium Course and the World Golf Hall of Fame is a perfect pairing. The Players Stadium course sets the standard for perfection. Designed by architects Pete and Alice Dye, it opened in 1980. Its stadium concept features large mounds where seating can be constructed for audiences to view each hole with a birds-eye view in seated comfort. This great course has Par-72 and 7,256 yards. You may recall the 18-year-old Tiger Woods defeating Trip Kuehne in the August 1994 US Amateur event.

The famous 17th hole at the TCP Sawgrass. Photo: Edward Kliszus

This week, every inch of the grounds, fairways, roughs, and greens look like they were coiffed with hand tools and combs. In 2021, I took a turn on the course and scored a single bogey on the famous Island Green 17^th hole, considered one of the most challenging holes on the course. This par 3, 137-yard favorite lies on a small lake, and those who meet the challenge receive an engraved rectangular medallion to display on their golf bag.

Thursday, March 10, I attended to catch the action. 46 of the top 50 players in the official world golf ranking tee it up this week.

Here’s the roster:

Tee No. 1

• 6:45 a.m. – Adam Schenk, Kramer Hickok, Lee Hodges
• 6:56 a.m. – Charley Hoffman, Harold Varner III, Will Zalatoris
• 7:07 a.m. – Kevin Streelman, Maverick McNealy, Roger Sloan
• 7:18 a.m. – Sungjae Im, Martin Laird, Richy Werenski
• 7:29 a.m. – Cameron Champ, Matt Jones, Francesco Molinari
• 7:40 a.m. – Erik van Rooyen, Garrick Higgo, Ryan Palmer
• 7:51 a.m. – K.H. Lee, Adam Long, Kevin Tway
• 8:02 a.m. – Sebastián Muñoz, Dylan Frittelli, Jimmy Walker
• 8:13 a.m. – Joel Dahmen, Brian Gay, Corey Conners
• 8:24 a.m. – Lanto Griffin, Gary Woodland, Keith Mitchell
• 8:35 a.m. – Ian Poulter, Pat Perez, Jhonattan Vegas
• 8:46 a.m. – Henrik Norlander, Hank Lebioda, Taylor Pendrith
• 11:50 a.m. – Brian Stuard, Harry Higgs, Brandon Hagy
• 12:01 p.m. – Keegan Bradley, Andrew Putnam, Cameron Young
• 12:12 p.m. – Russell Henley, Mackenzie Hughes, Thomas Pieters
• 12:23 p.m. – Ryan Brehm, Kevin Kisner, Jason Day
• 12:34 p.m. – Jordan Spieth, Daniel Berger, Dustin Johnson
• 12:45 p.m. – Scottie Scheffler, Brooks Koepka, Xander Schauffele
• 12:56 p.m. – Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas
• 1:07 p.m. – Max Homa, Billy Horschel, Justin Rose
• 1:18 p.m. – Marc Leishman, J.T. Poston, Zach Johnson
• 1:29 p.m. – Si Woo Kim, Matt Kuchar, Henrik Stenson
• 1:40 p.m. – Charl Schwartzel, Denny McCarthy, Tyler McCumber
• 1:51 p.m. – Brendan Steele, Emiliano Grillo, Matthew NeSmith

Tee No. 10

• 6:45 a.m. – Brian Harman, Russell Knox, Beau Hossler
• 6:56 a.m. – Kyle Stanley, Tommy Fleetwood, Wyndham Clark
• 7:07 a.m. – Aaron Wise, Doc Redman, Mito Pereira
• 7:18 a.m. – Tony Finau, Patrick Reed, Webb Simpson
• 7:29 a.m. – Sergio Garcia, Adam Scott, Louis Oosthuizen
• 7:40 a.m. – Joaquin Niemann, Hideki Matsuyama, Cameron Smith
• 7:51 a.m. – Viktor Hovland, Patrick Cantlay, Jon Rahm
• 8:02 a.m. – Sam Burns, Abraham Ancer, Paul Casey
• 8:13 a.m. – Tom Hoge, Tyrrell Hatton, Brandt Snedeker
• 8:24 a.m. – Lucas Glover, Shane Lowry, Matthew Wolff
• 8:35 a.m. – Peter Malnati, Alex Noren, Anirban Lahiri
• 8:46 a.m. – Scott Piercy, Nick Watney, Hayden Buckley
• 11:50 a.m. – Chris Kirk, Lee Westwood, Matt Fitzpatrick
• 12:01 p.m. – Cameron Tringale, Sam Ryder, Matt Wallace
• 12:12 p.m. – James Hahn, Chesson Hadley, J.J. Spaun
• 12:23 p.m. – Hudson Swafford, Talor Gooch, Jason Kokrak
• 12:34 p.m. – Cam Davis, Branden Grace, Carlos Ortiz
• 12:45 p.m. – Sepp Straka, Robert Streb, Bubba Watson
• 12:56 p.m. – Lucas Herbert, Brendon Todd, Chez Reavie
• 1:07 p.m. – Stewart Cink, C.T. Pan, Patton Kizzire
• 1:18 p.m. – Luke List, Seamus Power, Kevin Na
• 1:29 p.m. – Brice Garnett, Adam Hadwin, Danny Lee
• 1:40 p.m. – Troy Merritt, Scott Stallings, Doug Ghim
• 1:51 p.m. – Joseph Bramlett, Stephan Jaeger, Sahith Theegala

Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate. Thunderstorms and lightning ended play for a few hours, and visitors had to evacuate.

Golf Hall of Fame Tower. Photo: Edward Kliszus

We headed to the Golf World of Fame to make the most of the rest of the day. For golfers and golfing fans, the World of Fame is a unique museum on World Golf Village grounds.

Bob Hope Golf Memorabilia. Photo: Edward Kliszus

Twenty-six international golf organizations support its exhibits and purpose. Inductees include Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Sam Snead, Bobby Locke, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Ben Crenshaw, Tiger Woods, Betsy Rawls, Ayako Okamoto, and Susie Maxwell Berning, to name a few.

The main floor hosts a large exhibit dedicated to Bob Hope and his history in golf with presidents and other world leaders. Clips of his films and extensive USO service were provided.

The history of golf dates back centuries, with exhibits of original clubs and balls presenting viewers with a sense of timelessness in the sport. Here are pictures of some of the displays:

President Dwight Eisenhower’s golf cart. Photo: Edward Kliszus

The next time you’re near St. Augustine, bring your clubs to the TPC Stadium Course, and depending on the weather, you may decide to make a stop at the World Golf Hall of Fame.

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