Inside PGA National and Sentosa Golf Club: Two Epic Tests for Golf’s Best

The professional golf world turns its attention to two distinctly different championship venues this week, as the PGA and LPGA Tours showcase courses synonymous with world-class competition and unforgettable moments.

PGA National Resort’s Champion Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, once again hosts the Cognizant Classic from February 26 through March 1. This 7,223-yard layout has earned its reputation as one of the toughest tests on the PGA Tour, and for good reason.

Director of Agronomy Keith Einwag, who joined PGA National in February 2024, brings 40 years of superintendent experience to the property. His resume includes hosting 12 Valspar Championships, making this week his 14th professional tournament overall. Working alongside Champion Course superintendent Andrew Wilson, the agronomy team of 19 has prepared the course with meticulous attention to detail.

The course setup features TifEagle bermudagrass greens cut to .110 inches, while fairways and tees have been overseeded with perennial ryegrass for the first time since 2014. This marks a significant change from previous years, when only the rough received overseed treatment. The rough itself has been raised to 3 inches, up from 2.5 inches last year, creating an extra layer of difficulty.

Recent modifications include a 20-yard extension to the No. 2 tee and a new tee on No. 18 that adds 30 yards to the closing hole. Perhaps most notably, fairway lines were narrowed in July 2024, reducing fairway and approach turf by 4 acres. The result is an average fairway width of just 28 yards.

What truly sets The Champion apart is the infamous Bear Trap, a three-hole stretch spanning holes 15 through 17. Designed by Jack Nicklaus during his 1990 total redesign of the Champion Course, this sequence has become one of the most feared stretches in professional golf. The par-3 15th plays 179 yards, followed by the 434-yard par-4 16th, and concluding with the 172-yard par-3 17th. Water lurks throughout, and South Florida winds can turn any of these holes into a card-wrecker.

The New York Times once described The Champion as “7,045 yards of venom, a king cobra of a course that rises without warning to strike down the world’s best golfers.” Originally designed by Tom and George Fazio in 1981, the course has hosted the 1983 Ryder Cup, the 1987 PGA Championship won by Larry Nelson, and 19 consecutive Senior PGA Championships from 1982 to 2000.

The course plays as a par 71 for the tournament, with hole No. 6 converting from its regular par 5 to a par 4. With 60 bunkers and water in play on 15 holes, players face constant decision-making challenges even with generous landing areas and spacious TifEagle greens.

Halfway around the world, Sentosa Golf Club’s Tanjong Course hosts the HSBC Women’s World Championship, also running February 26 through March 1. This venue offers a completely different aesthetic, set against the Singapore Straits with views of the metropolitan skyline.

Andrew Johnston serves as general manager, director of agronomy and resident course designer at Sentosa. With 24 years as a GCSAA member and 15 years at the property, Johnston has become recognized as one of the most innovative people in golf, particularly for his sustainability initiatives. This marks his 13th HSBC Women’s World Championship and his 30th overall professional event at Sentosa.

The Tanjong Course measures 6,779 yards and plays to a par 72. Superintendent Rodney McKeown, who has been at Sentosa for 14 years, leads a 75-person agronomy team in caring for the course. The greens feature TifEagle bermudagrass cut to .100 inches, while fairways and rough utilize zoysiagrass. Platinum paspalum covers the collars and tees.

What makes this week particularly demanding for Sentosa’s staff is the compressed tournament schedule. The property will host multiple professional events in an eight-week span including this week’s HSBC, and the Singapore Open on April 23. Some events take place on the Serapong Course, meaning the agronomy team is simultaneously preparing two courses for professional competition.

Recent course modifications include a new tee complex on tournament hole No. 3 and fairways narrowed to 30 yards. Prior to the 2024 tournament, Johnston added a bunker in the No. 18 fairway landing area to challenge players in the landing zone.

The Tanjong Course, originally designed by Frank Pennink in 1974, underwent renovation by Johnston and Matt Swanson in 2016. With 54 bunkers and water in play on 12 holes, the course calls for precision while presenting stunning coastal vistas.

Both courses represent the pinnacle of championship golf design and maintenance, providing worthy tests for the world’s best players while showcasing the dedication of the agronomy teams who bring them to tournament condition.