Course Review, TPC Blue Monster

The world of golf has woken up to a new number 1 player after Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy bested Tiger Woods to win the weather-affected Honda Classic and secure the top spot in the rankings. This week brings the middle of the Florida Swing and the second of the year’s four World Golf Championship events as TPC Blue Monster at Doral Resort in Miami hosts the WGC Cadillac Championship.

The most famous of Doral’s five golf courses has been home of the event since 2007, and the quality of the 75-man no cut field is evident from the fact that, of the twelve previous winners (Tiger Woods has won on six occasions) only defending champion Nick Watney has failed to win a Major. The 6700m par 72 Blue monster was designed in 1962 by Dick Wilson and Robert von Hagge, before undergoing a Jim Mclean redesign in 2000. Originally part of the Everglades north of Miami, this celebrated world-class layout features long fairways, undulating Bermuda greens and deep rough - all framed by towering palm trees.

The round starts with a reachable 480m par 5 and a short par 4 that will give up a lot of birdies. Then things get serious with tight landing areas, strategically placed bunkers and unpredictable crosswinds placing a premium on accuracy and finesse. The signature hole is the 18th, a dramatic and instantly recognisable 430m par 4 that was ranked by Golf Magazine as one of the Top 100 Holes in the World.

Playing opposite the WGC Cadillac is the Puerto Rico Open, a full-field US PGA Tour event at the Trump International Golf Club 20kms outside the capital, San Juan. The unusual 36-hole layout was designed by golf professional Tom Kite – the 1992 US Open winner – and comprises four very different nines, the Mountain, Lakes, Ocean and Palms. These four loops come together to make two challenging 18 hole courses, the Championship and the International.

The golf club is located on 550 hectares of shimmering Atlantic Ocean frontage, and its verdant Seashore Paspalum fairways and ultra-white silica sand bunkers have drama-filled backdrops with water and wind always adding to the challenge. Hosting the Puerto Rico Open for the 5th time, the Championship Course begins among spectacular man-made lakes and winds its way to the ocean with stunning views out over the water. This 6900m par 72 layout in its lush tropical setting has already matured into a beautifully individual golfing and scenic experience.

Golfweather Editorial