The 2013 Tampa Bay Championship Presented by Everbank Discussion Thread

[Rick Martin]

Golf Channel omnipresent.....

[Rick Martin]

[Rick Martin]

Johnson

Watney

[Rick Martin]

Looking up to the 18th hole Innisbrook - Copperhead Course.

[Rick Martin]

Charlie Beljan. Another fan-friendly tour player.  Sorry about the shaky video -

[Rick Martin]

Woodland - sorry about the shaky video

[Rick Martin]

Luke Donald  - defending champion.

[Rick Martin]

[Rick Martin]

[sherman51]

Originally Posted by Rick Martin

Defending champ: Luke Donald along with Adam Scott, Matt Kuchar are entered. Not the best field, but the course gets a lot of positive comments as one of the PGA tour player's favorites.

I'll be out there Tues, Thursday, Friday, and most likely Saturday - being the golf groupie. Can't get enough of watching PGA events in person.   This tournament is having sponsor problems and could be the last year if a 2014 sponsor doesn't come forward.

Innisbrook Copperhead Course.....who says Florida doesn't have hills and pine trees?

Hope the tourney finds a new sponsor. We had a concern a few years ago here in Canada with the Canadian Open possibky losing sponsors, sad when there is no local tournament to go see.

[MacDutch]

Originally Posted by Rick Martin

Still have some respectable golfers to watch this weekend.........

This field looks ok to me. If you marked the 'respectable' golfers fat, you missed a couple like Garcia, Oosthuizen, Scott, Toms etc.

Would love to play this course sometime. OT, but what would be the greenfee in october?

[Rick Martin]

Originally Posted by MacDutch

This field looks ok to me. If you marked the 'respectable' golfers fat, you missed a couple like Garcia, Oosthuizen, Scott, Toms etc.

Would love to play this course sometime. OT, but what would be the greenfee in october?

I realized this afterwards - big omissions - thanks for highlighting a couple more.

I understand that the course is used a lot for corporate outings -and gets a lot of play that way.  Last year I stopped in the pro shop and asked about green fees and I think the pro told me it was the $100-200/range.  Out of my budget, that's for sure (I will be playing TPC Tampa Bay a few times this coming summer, hopefully).

I know it ' s sacrilege and please don't ban me from the site for saying it, but I think the reason why the pros like the course is it has a few holes that are somewhat similar to Augusta National - I know that's a stretch, but with the raise/relief/elevation changes, the wind breezes through the trees, the fast greens, the adjacent fairways - the course just might be a little (very little) prep for the first week in April.  Again, please don't ban me for post that thought - I probably walked Augusta National 20-30 times and know the course like the back of my hand, and there were times yesterday while I was walking the course at Innisbrook that some of the holes reminded me of the sacred grounds (not Amen Corner,  but several of the other holes at the National (like the outward nine).

Looking forward to getting out there again for rds 1, 2. Beautiful 70-degree sunny weather expected.

[mp33 man]

$175 weekdays -$230 weekends

[Rick Martin]

Longtime course designer Larry Packard, 100, admires the condition of the 18th hole at Innisbrook’s Copperhead Course.

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/100-year-old-course-designer-larry-packard-especially-fond-of-copperhead/2108563

[Beachcomber]

Rick thanks for the post on this tournament.  It is cool to see photos like this... As there are dozens of stories that you never hear about when watching the tournament.  But to see pics like below is pretty cool.  I can't imagine being 100yrs old, and out seeing one of my creations being used by the tour.  That has to be a special feeling.

Originally Posted by Rick Martin

Longtime course designer Larry Packard, 100, admires the condition of the 18th hole at Innisbrook’s Copperhead Course.

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/100-year-old-course-designer-larry-packard-especially-fond-of-copperhead/2108563

[Rick Martin]

Looks like the link is dead - here's one that might work.

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/golf/100-year-old-course-designer-larry-packard-especially-fond-of-copperhead/2108563

Going to golf tournaments gets me hyped - more so than any other pro sport (Buc season ticket holder, go to about 20 MLB games, etc).  Looking forward to my day tomorrow out at the course. I'll likely be one of the first spectators out there. First tee time is 7 a.m. EST.

[Rick Martin]

Caught Golf channel interviews of Retief Goosen, Adam Scott, Luke Donald, and Matt Kuchar - all mentioned that Copperhead Course is among their favorites on the tour.

[joekelly]

If Larry Packard is modeling the winner's jacket for this event, it is no wonder that so few top players are entered. Who, but a centurion, would wear such a garment in public?  And what, exactly, is the problem discussing the Augusta golf course in comparison to other, similar, courses?  I have heard/read that the Houston tourney is a 'tune-up' for the Master's simply because the Houston course is set up, as far as possible, to duplicate the conditions of Augusta. Such as length of grass in all areas, green speeds, tree and bunker placements, dog-legs and colorful blooms. But of course, only Augusta has the august patrons, all the pro golf tourneys have but common  fans or spectators.