The BWD Tournament Hole of the Week: December 10 – 12, 2015. The 9th at Tiburón GC, Home of Franklin Templeton Shootout.

Tournament: Franklin Templeton Shootout – Tiburón Golf Club (Gold Course), Naples, FL
Hole: 9th – Par 4, 446 Yards
Architect(s): Greg Norman – 2001

Architectural Summary:

Fully surrounded by water, the 9th hole at Tiburón Golf Club is a long par 4 presenting a test in accuracy. Competitors will look to aim toward the right side of fairway on the hole, which plays 446 yards from the back tee, in order to avoid approach shots over water. Any misses from the tee will be punished as the gently contoured fairway transitions to dense native grass along the water’s edge and features an elongated bunker spanning from 220 to 275 yards off the tee. The best angle of approach will be found from the right side of the fairway, where players will be left with a wedge or short iron into a slighted elevated green. Three sod-faced bunkers guard the front and left of the medium-sized green, leaving the right-center of the green as the safe target zone.  The putting surface slopes from left to right and falls away on three sides with a small ridge on the back-left portion of the green.

Statistical Analysis:

Members and resort guests play the 9th hole as the 5th handicap hole for stroke play events. The 9th will play as one of the longer par 4s during the tournament and, as such, we anticipate it will play as one of the more difficult par 4s, but predict it will still play several tenths under par given the team format.

Fun Facts:

  • Tiburón Golf Club is also home to the LPGA’s final tournament of the season, the CME Group Tour Championship.
  • Five players have managed to win the Franklin Templeton Shootout three times. The latest was Kenny Perry (’12, ’08, ’05), who joined the likes of Steve Elkington (’93, ’95, ’98), Fred Couples (’90, ’94, ’99), Brad Faxon (’94, ’00, ’01) and Scott McCarron (’97, ’00, ’01).
  • The Gold Course at Tiburón was recently certified by Audubon International as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. Only 90 acres of the 230 acres of golf course envelope are maintained with irrigated turf.
  • Cameron Tringale, 2014 Shootout champion, became the 11th player to win the event in his first appearance.