Sawgrass Country Club
Encyclopedia
Sawgrass Country Club is a private golf and tennis club located in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
. The club is best known for hosting The Players Championship
from 1977 through 1981, one of the premier events on the PGA Tour
.
, The Players Championship
, from 1977 through 1981, where it was played on the combination East Course-West Course. In 1982, the The Players Championship moved to nearby TPC Sawgrass, where it has been played every year since the move.
In 1987, Sawgrass Country Club hosted the Senior Players Championship
, which was won by Gary Player
.
. On April 6, 2009, the Raquet Club became the host venue for the MPS Group Championships, a prestigious tennis tournament on the WTA Tour.
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
Ponte Vedra Beach is an unincorporated seaside community in St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Located eighteen miles southeast of downtown Jacksonville and north of St. Augustine, it is part of the Jacksonville Beaches area. It is an upmarket tourist resort area best known for its...
. The club is best known for hosting The Players Championship
The Players Championship
The Players Championship is an annual golf tournament on the PGA Tour.Originally known as the Tournament Players Championship, the inaugural event in 1974 was played at Atlanta Country Club in Marietta, Georgia before moving to the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas in 1975 and Inverrary...
from 1977 through 1981, one of the premier events on the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
.
Golf
Sawgrass Country Club maintains 27 holes of golf, divided into three separate 9 hole courses (South Course, East Course, and West Course). The club hosted one of the premier events on the PGA TourPGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
, The Players Championship
The Players Championship
The Players Championship is an annual golf tournament on the PGA Tour.Originally known as the Tournament Players Championship, the inaugural event in 1974 was played at Atlanta Country Club in Marietta, Georgia before moving to the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas in 1975 and Inverrary...
, from 1977 through 1981, where it was played on the combination East Course-West Course. In 1982, the The Players Championship moved to nearby TPC Sawgrass, where it has been played every year since the move.
In 1987, Sawgrass Country Club hosted the Senior Players Championship
Senior Players Championship
The Senior Players Championship is one of the five major championships on golf's Champions Tour. Unlike the U.S. Senior Open, the Senior PGA Championship and the Senior British Open, it is not recognized as a major by the European Seniors Tour, and is not part of that tour's schedule. The inaugural...
, which was won by Gary Player
Gary Player
Gary Player DMS; OIG is a South African professional golfer. With his nine major championship victories, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of golf. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. Player has won 165 tournaments on six continents over six...
.
| Winners of The Players Championship from 1977–1981 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Country | Score | 1st Prize ($ United States dollar The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies.... ) | Purse ($) |
| 1977 | Mark Hayes Mark Hayes (golfer) Mark S. Hayes is an American professional golfer.-Early years and amateur career:Hayes was born in Stillwater, Oklahoma. He played collegiately at Oklahoma State University, where he was a two-time All-American... |
289 (+1) | 60,000 | 300,000 | |
| 1978 | Jack Nicklaus Jack Nicklaus Jack William Nicklaus , nicknamed "The Golden Bear", is an American professional golfer. He won 18 career major championships on the PGA Tour over a span of 25 years and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional golfers of all time. In addition to his 18 Majors, he was runner-up a... |
289 (+1) | 60,000 | 300,000 | |
| 1979 | Lanny Wadkins Lanny Wadkins Jerry Lanston "Lanny" Wadkins, Jr. is an American professional golfer. He ranked in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings for 86 weeks from their debut in 1986 to 1988.... |
283 (-5) | 72,000 | 400,000 | |
| 1980 | Lee Trevino Lee Trevino Lee Buck Trevino is an American professional golfer. He is an icon for Mexican Americans, and is often referred to as "The Merry Mex" and "Supermex". He won six major championships over the course of his career.-Early life:... |
278 (-10) | 72,000 | 400,000 | |
| 1981 | Raymond Floyd Raymond Floyd Raymond Loran "Ray" Floyd is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour.... |
285 (-3) | 72,000 | 400,000 | |
Tennis
In addition to championship golf, Sawgrass Country Club maintains a world-class tennis facility, known as the Raquet Club. The Raquet Club at Sawgrass Country Club has been ranked among the 50 best tennis facilities in the United States by Tennis MagazineTENNIS Magazine
Tennis Magazine is an American sports magazine owned by the Miller Publishing Group, LLC. It is a monthly magazine which covers news from the world of tennis.-History:...
. On April 6, 2009, the Raquet Club became the host venue for the MPS Group Championships, a prestigious tennis tournament on the WTA Tour.