by Jeff Skinner
The very deep field at the PGA Tour’s Honda Classic boasts Rory and Tiger and plenty of the best golfers in the world. The draw is partly the course as the Champions Course at PGA National fits the bill with professionals that “want to beat the best on the best courses.”
Also, dozens of PGA Tour pros make their home in and around the Palm Beach area. The original Palm Beach Professional, Jack Nicklaus has spent most of his professional life there and his community involvement and reworking of The Champions Course all contribute to the very elite status of the Honda Classic.
Plenty of talk surrounds the water laden stretch called the Bear Trap. Holes fifteen, sixteen and seventeen prove to be one of the toughest stretches on the PGA Tour. But it’s just two par threes sandwiched around a par four. How bad can it be?
Well according to Jack the trap loses its bite without the wind. “If you take those three holes without wind, they are not really particularly difficult holes. It didn’t turn out at all what I intended it to. I thought it would be nice little speedy holes and it turned out to be a Bear Trap.”
Listen to Jack describe these “benign” holes and you would think that the pros have nothing to worry about when they enter the Bear Trap. But history shows that’s not the case as this stretch always takes a toll on the players.
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