At the rattling end of the Copperhead course at Innisbrook Resort is the appropriately named Snake Pit, a 1,120-yard collection of hazards stretched over three holes. The Snake Pit holds its own against other treacherous three-hole endings such as the Green Mile at the Quail Hollow Club for the Wells Fargo Championship or the Gauntlet at the TPC Sawgrass for the Players Championship.
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Tournament Info:
TOURNAMENT: Transitions Championship
DATE: March 15 - March 18, 2012
LOCATION: Innisbrook Resort & Golf Club, Palm Harbor, FL
DEFENDING CHAMP: Gary Woodland
PURSE: $5,500,000
And it certainly can alter the course of a tournament such as the Transitions Championship that starts today.
"I think it's as good a finish as we have on the PGA Tour," defending champion Gary Woodland said. "You have to get the holes before you get to 16 if you want to shoot a good score. If you have to make three pars coming in, you have your work cut out for you.
"There is not a birdie hole the last three holes. If you're two back and have signed your scorecard and the leaders are still out there, you're definitely hanging around to see what happens."
Last year, a lot happened — try 141 birdies and 251 bogeys, 27 double bogeys and 10 of those dreaded "others" on the three holes. The final three holes played 0.455 strokes over par, ranking as the fifth-toughest closing stretch on the PGA Tour, not counting the four majors.
"You can never relax at the Snake Pit," Woodland said.
The stretch's toughness is evident as you reach No. 16, a bruising 460-yard par-4 with water stretching the entire right side and trees everywhere on the left side. It ranked as the toughest hole in last year's tournament.
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"There really aren't any water hazards until you get to the 16th. And that adds an element to the difficulty. That water wakes you up in a hurry," Mark Wilson said. "If you get into the water, you're looking at 6 or 7 real quickly. And that green has so many pins that are hard to get to. If you have a lead on 16 and you par in, you should feel very comfortable about winning."
Very few people feel comfortable at the par-3, 215-yard 17th, which ranked as the second-toughest hole last year. A narrow green is guarded by trees and bunkers on both sides. A hollow in the back of the green adds to the trouble. In last year's final round, Woodland, one of the longest hitters on Tour, used a 5-iron from 220 yards to get within 16 feet, then holed the putt.
But very few golfers have that shot in their repertoire.
"You're hitting a 3-iron or 4-iron, depending on the wind and the green there, and basically all the greens, are always hard and firm," Day said. "If you're on the wrong side of the hole, you have a very difficult chip or putt. Your touch has to be very good on that three-hole stretch. If you have a chance to win the tournament, it's hard to handle how amped up or pumped up you are when you have to have some very good touch."
And then there is 18, a 445-yard par-4 that is home to one of the toughest greens on Tour. The uphill hole to an elevated green ranked as the fifth-toughest hole last year. Woodland had the misfortune of hitting his approach long but holed an 11-foot, uphill par putt to win by one.
"If you're over the pin, you face one of the toughest putts, or chips, on the PGA Tour," said Woodland, who went bogey-birdie-par at the Snake Pit in the last round. "There are so many spots on the green that can create problems. And the green is so fast. You have to get the ball below the hole.
