Changes create extra buzz for PLAYERS

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Phil Mickelson stood on a portico behind the new TPC Sawgrass clubhouse, Waterford crystal in hand for winning the 2007 PLAYERS Championship, thanks and gratitude pouring out for the people who helped him win yet another significant championship. He made a move to leave the podium, then suddenly stepped back and made one more comment, seemingly embarrassed with his memory lapse. "Oh ... and I love the changes," he said.

Condon/PGA TOUR

One of the big changes to TPC Sawgrass recently is the new clubhouse.

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The 2007 PLAYERS was all about change. And Mickelson's victory was a fitting exclamation point to a historical week for the tournament, the course and the PGA TOUR. THE PLAYERS, the TOUR's signature event, had moved to a new date (from late March to early May) and was played on a refurbished course with a new, larger clubhouse serving as the centerpiece to the property.

One could argue that the changes were very aggressive. After all, THE PLAYERS had been doing well enough in March, and in the consciousness of golf fans and players, producing a series of worthy winners such as Greg Norman, Nick Price, Davis Love III, Tiger Woods, Hal Sutton, Lee Janzen, David Duval and Fred Couples. Not to mention that for years THE PLAYERS had been the anchor to the TOUR's Florida Swing when most of the country was warming up to the golf season. However, the reasons for moving THE PLAYERS outweighed the tradition of maintaining the Florida Swing (which remained intact with the addition of the PODS Championship in Tampa and playing the World Golf Championships-CA Championship at Doral in Miami).

The main reason for the schedule change was to avoid the late March pattern of inconsistent weather in north Florida, which often brought tournament-halting rain. And in changing the usual March Florida schedule, the TOUR filled a gap for the season as a whole, with events that brought together the game's best players for five months in succession: the Masters in April, THE PLAYERS in May, the U.S. Open in June, the British Open in July and the PGA Championship in August before the first-ever PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup. "We've got a real nice flow to the schedule now," said Rocco Mediate, who used to live off the second fairway of the TPC Sawgrass before moving to Naples, Fla. "A big event every month from May to August."

The changes in the date also meant the TOUR could set up the TPC Sawgrass PLAYERS Stadium Course closer to designer Pete Dye's intent: firm and fast with bermudagrass rough. Previously, the course was overseeded in ryegrass for the March date. The May conditions forced players to be more accurate off the tee as off-line tee shots would bounce more readily into difficult positions, and chipping areas around the greens made the short game even more vital to good scoring. Additionally, resort guests are now treated to tournament-like conditions year-round, as there is no ryegrass overseeding during the winter months. The entire playing surface was dug up, and the soil, which had become clogged over the years with organic material that inhibited drainage, was replaced with 6 to 8 inches of water-draining sand.

The PGA TOUR also installed a SubAir subsurface mechanical drainage system under the greens in order to vacuum water in wet conditions and inject air, if necessary. The course was draining so well on its own that the maintenance staff only had to turn on the SubAir for testing purposes before the tournament. Even Woods, the longest player off the tee when he wanted to be, approved. "It's totally different," Woods said after his first practice round of the week. "It's faster. It's drier. Anyone can win here. That's the beauty of this golf course."

The date changes to drier weather and the course changes to make the surface firmer had another desired effect: more difficult scoring. Studies showed that PLAYERS conducted in weeks with more rain than usual resulted in an average winning score of around 14 under. Those weeks when the weather was dry were close to 8 under. The latter number is what the TOUR preferred as a true test, and Mickelson's winning score of 11 under was a nice compromise, especially when scoring in the first two rounds was as high as it had been since 2000. "March was a tough time for this tournament," said three-time winner Jack Nicklaus. "The golf course was never really in the condition you wanted it. You always want a fast golf course if you can. A fast golf course produces a better champion."

In addition to the course changes came the new clubhouse, designed in Mediterranean Revival-style architecture, twice the size of the previous clubhouse and visible from more than half the holes on the course. Based on player reaction, it was hard to figure out if they wanted to be outside practicing or inside the 77,000 square-foot facility enjoying their new locker room and lounge, which included video games, plasma TVs and ping-pong. "This is phenomenal," said Joe Durant. "They've thought of every possible way to take care of us."

The clubhouse went beyond player comforts. With the help of the tournament's proud partners -- UBS, PricewaterhouseCoopers and JELD-WEN -- spacious meeting rooms and banquet rooms enabled the TOUR to entertain corporate clients on a grand scale and dazzle resort guests year-round, many of whom stay at the nearby, newly renovated Sawgrass Marriott.

The rooms and hallways of the clubhouse also feature huge murals, artifacts and photos to commemorate the history of the tournament at the TPC Sawgrass and the PGA TOUR. Fans could be seen wandering the halls throughout the week and during off-tournament weeks. Woods helped unveil a large painting, of his long putt on the 17th hole in 2001, in the main entrance foyer that features a dedication to the history of the tournament and a grand staircase highlighting the accomplishments of past PLAYERS winners.

The TOUR held a grand opening the night before the tournament, honoring past PLAYERS winners, led by Nicklaus. The first formal function at the clubhouse started the week on a bright note. "It's going to be a great place for any function or party," said 1998 champion Mark McCumber. "I was really impressed."

The lawn that leads to the ninth and 18th greens was used as the site for many gatherings, most prominently Mickelson's trophy presentation, complete with a musical performance by saxophonist Kenny G.

The competition on the course was enhanced for the fans by a series of services and features. Massive Mitsubishi LED scoreboards, 22 in all, kept fans abreast of tournament developments, as did hand-held personal display devices. Finding information about the tournament on and off the course had never been easier. Food, beverages, shade and comfortable spots to eat, drink and rest were also in ample supply.

Fans around the world who watched the tournament on TV enjoyed the expanded coverage on GOLF CHANNEL and NBC, in high-definition. There were limited commercial interruptions on the weekend, resulting in almost every shot hit by the final twosome of Mickelson and Sean O'Hair airing live. Only their tee shots at No. 10 had to be replayed. NBC was also able to use a new structure -- a free-standing building called "The Perch" -- for interviews, with the clubhouse as a backdrop. Mickelson shot a 69 in the final round to get the best of a Sunday battle with O'Hair. There was even some 17th-hole drama, as O'Hair hit two balls into the water and fell into 11th place.

The PGA TOUR hopes the success of the tournament in its new date and environs will spark increased interest from golf fans, both in watching on NBC and traveling to Ponte Vedra Beach in the future. Over the past year, TPC Sawgrass has been more heavily promoted as a golf destination, with packages available by visiting pgatourexperiences.com/players.

Over the next few years, the number of tickets available to the public will increase to about 45,000. The larger number of fans will enjoy even more amenities, with improvements made to the fan village behind the 17th hole. The area featured a chance to play the UBS 17th Challenge, a mini-version of the 17th hole; PricewaterhouseCoopers' "Lessons of Golf" exhibit; JELD-WEN's TrackMan swing technology exhibit; and THE PLAYERS History Pavilion in 2007. Future features will include enhanced food and beverage service, shaded picnic areas, large-screen TVs so fans won't miss the action on the course, and more interactive attractions.

Incoming PLAYERS Championship executive director Ron Cross, who was a standard bearer during the first PLAYERS at TPC Sawgrass in 1982, said the TOUR will continue working to improve even more. "The tournament has made tremendous strides," Cross said, "and we're going to concentrate on continuing to make this the best tournament we can."

Garry Smits is the golf writer for the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville, Fla. This article is reprinted from the 2008 PGA TOUR Official Annual.