Est. 1981 · Tom and George Fazio (original, 1981); redesigned by Jack Nicklaus (1990, with further work in 2002, 2014 and 2018)
Why we love this place
We love the Champion for its honesty: it hides nothing and forgives little. The Bear Trap is one of golf's great gut-checks, three holes of wind and water that decide tournaments in minutes. It is a course that rewards a solved shot and punishes a lazy one, exactly our kind of test.
Via Golf Digest
About PGA National Resort
The Champion Course at PGA National opened in 1981 as the centerpiece of the PGA of America's Florida home in Palm Beach Gardens, designed by brothers Tom and George Fazio. It quickly drew major events, hosting the 1983 Ryder Cup, the 1987 PGA Championship won by Larry Nelson, and the Senior PGA Championship from 1982 through 2000. Jack Nicklaus completely redesigned the layout in 1990 and returned for further work in 2002, 2014 and 2018. His renovations created and sharpened the course's signature stretch, holes 15 through 17, nicknamed The Bear Trap in honor of the Golden Bear, a water-lined gauntlet of two par-3s bracketing a long par-4. Since 2007 the Champion has hosted the PGA Tour's annual South Florida event, known over the years as the Honda Classic and now the Cognizant Classic, cementing its reputation as one of the tour's sternest tests.
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