I ’ ve played a handful of
PGA TOUR host venues in my day , but never had I ever teed it up a week before the pros were slated to get after an $ 8.1 million purse ($ 8.4 million in 2024 ) in prime tournament conditions . My fling with Copperhead , widely considered one of the toughest tracks on the pro circuit , meant airstrip-narrow fairways , 4 inches of gnarly Bermuda rough in every which direction , and greens so polished and so slick I might as well have worn bowling shoes .
Throw in the three W ’ s of Florida golf – wind , water and wiry grass , certified kryptonite to my homemade game – and it was the ideal layout for my inaugural round of the season . This is , of course , to say nothing of the Snake Pit , Copperhead ’ s infamous closing trifecta .
Since 2003 , the world ’ s best players have played the tree-lined trinity ( holes 16-18 ) more than a half-stroke over par , a final three-hole scoring average topped by just two other courses during that
Groundstaff prepare the 18th green at the Copperhead Course before the annual PGA TOUR Valspar Championship at Innisbrook Resort .
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