TPC TAMPA BAY ( 813-949-0090)
Florida Golf Course Review
The TPC Tampa Bay is a Bobby Weed championship design that is considered to be one of the most beautiful
and rewarding experiences on the PGA Champions Tour. Home to the Champions Tour's Outback Steakhouse
Pro AM since 1992, this exquisitely manicured golf course features cypress lined fairways that are extremely
undulating in sections, plus ponds and wetlands that create aesthetic beauty as well as challenge. Many of the
raised green complexes demand accurate approaches, as grass swales and mounding create depressions and collection areas that require the best of short games to maneuver.
The putting surfaces themselves are undulating with ridges and tiers, and are usually protected by soft white
sand bunkers. Players will encounter generous fairways on most holes, with plentiful sand traps sculpted into
perimeter mounding located near the landing zones. In total there are 91 bunkers in play (some conventional and some soft white sand) and water hazards figure into the design on 13 of the holes.
The ponds and wetlands help to create some exacting approaches, as the hazards squeeze the landing areas
near the oversized greens. This is the case on the par five 14th and the par four 15th - both of which dogleg to
the left around a lake, with the hazards also coming into play immediately to the left of the putting complexes. The
tee shots on both of these holes present risk/reward scenarios, as golfers are tempted to cut off as much as is possible, leaving a reasonable second shot to well protected greens.
The property meanders through an upscale residential community, with the woods and wetlands providing
habitats for abundant forms of waterfowl and indigenous wildlife. The TPC Tampa Bay is certified in the
Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program, which works to address environmental issues and to provide habitats
for native wildlife in urban settings. The rolling terrain, mature forests and natural marshlands all contribute to the
beauty and serenity of an experience here. The fine landscaping and conditioning from tee to green also help make the TPC Tampa Bay special.
The area around the clubhouse is adorned with plants and flowers, and the facilities themselves include a golf
shop stocked with logo attire and golf accessories, beautifully appointed locker rooms with showers for men and
women, and a wonderful restaurant/lounge with outdoor patio. A spacious targeted grass range is
supplemented with a short game area with sand bunkers plus a huge putting green. The carts are equipped with
rear weather covers, and on course yardages are provided on sprinkler heads that are measured to the front,
middle and back of the greens - nice info to have on these sloping putting surfaces. Cart paths also have
permanent markers at 100, 150 and 200 yards, 150 yard stakes are posted along the sides of fairways on par
fours and fives, and pin placement info is available on each scorecard, which also provide diagrams of every hole.
Four sets of tee areas play to distances and slopes measuring 6898 yards/135 slope, 6610 yards/132 slope,
6008 yards/125 slope and 4990 yards with a slope of 119 from the forward tees. This facility will continue to host
the Champions Tour's Outback Steakhouse Pro AM through 2011 at least. On our visit following the final day of
the tournament (won by Ben Oglivie - previous winner was Hale Irwin and Jack Nicklaus won the event in 1996) ,
workers were busy dismantling the facilities that were set up for the tournament which included 4 huge
restaurants...this has developed into quite a production. With the gorgeous golf course and great facilities, we
can understand why the pros love their visit here each year. This course is open for public play (memberships are available - click here) - with rates including cart during prime time in 2006 topping out at $155. It is well worth
it!For more info, visit our page for the TPC Tampa Bay, with direct link to their website by clicking here.
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