On paper, there’s simplicity to the Bear Trap. Essentially, players find themselves with three consecutive iron shots, and they theoretically get easier as you move throughout the course. But that’s on paper. Or in a vacuum. Without conditions, without nerves, without the stakes of the moment setting in.
The Bear Trap has two par 3s, kicking off on the 15th. It's a 179-yard hole that requires a slight draw from the tee over the water up the right side to the green. There are two bunkers beyond the green. The smart play is to aim for the bottom tier on the left and hope for a two putt to a back pin.
At The Honda Classic, the famed three-hole stretch called the Bear Trap tests the mettle of the game’s best. This weekend, some players will survive, and others will not.
With rolling land, trees, lakes, streams, fruit orchards, and a variety of wildlife, The Bear features a mixture of different elements golfers rarely see on one course. This is northern Michigan golf at its finest.
It's one of the most treacherous stretches of holes all season long. Nicknamed for Jack Nicklaus, the Golden Bear, who redesigned the Championship Course at PGA National, the Bear Trap is inclusive of the 15th, 16th and 17th holes, a pair of par-3s sandwiching a tough par-4.
“It can get away from you pretty quick.” According to the PGA Tour, The Bear Trap rank as the fourth-toughest stretch among regular Tour stops, playing at an average of +0.644 shots over par since 2007.
About “The Bear Trap” Name Its moniker was coined as a tribute to the “Golden Bear” Jack Nicklaus. At its entrance, on No. 15, a plaque and bear statue welcome golfers to what has come to be recognized as one of the ultimate tests in all of golf.
Palm Beach Gardens, FloridaThe PGA Tour is traveling to Palm Beach Gardens, Florida for the 2022 The Honda Classic. This year the event is taking place at PGA National. Don't miss a moment of the excitement starting Thursday, February 24, 2022.
The Bear Trap at the Honda Classic: A look at all three holes at PGA National. At The Honda Classic, you can't go 5 minutes without hearing the phrase "Bear Trap." It's the defining stretch at PGA National's Champion Course, the host course for the Palm Beach-area portion of the PGA Tour's Florida Swing.
The fearsome par-3 17th on the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island. Once described as “the hardest hole in the history of the universe” by David Feherty, this 223-yard brute bared its teeth once again during the US PGA Championship in May.
The closing three holes of Innisbrook Resort's Copperhead Course make up a stretch that is as difficult as any in golf. Known as the "Snake Pit," the par-4 16th (Moccasin), par-3 17th (Rattler) and par-4 18th (Copperhead) come at the end of pleasurable design and demand golfers' full attention.
Jack NicklausThis 27-hole strategic masterpiece is also a visual delight. Experience unrivaled fun at Bear Trap Dunes! A former associate of Jack Nicklaus, course architect Rick Jacobson has won acclaim for his course designs.
1:172:36YOU'RE SCREWED: How to Free Yourself from a Bear Trap - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd Step five is pretty obvious. Pull out your leg. Once the jaws are loose slip your foot out ofMoreAnd Step five is pretty obvious. Pull out your leg. Once the jaws are loose slip your foot out of the trap. And release the springs.
RegistrationBegins:Dec 29, 2017 at 12:01 AM ESTEntry Deadline:Feb 9, 2018 at 5:00 PM ESTEntry Fee: Fee PGA National $200 Indian Spring $200 Wellington National $200Field Size:360 players
PGA Tour players are showing their support for family member Jarrod Lyle. Tiger Woods, Jason Day and other golfers at WGC-Bridgestone are wearing yellow ribbons as a sign of support for Lyle, who is fighting leukemia.
$1.44 millionSepp Straka wins Honda Classic for his first PGA Tour victory, taking the first prize of $1.44 million from a purse of $8 million.
The final hole on the Bear Trap is another par 3, the 17th. This is easily the scariest of the three holes. It's a tee shot pretty much all over water to a thin-ish green that runs long. Miss on the right? Splash. Bail out left? You'll be fortunate to find a bunker or you might go further left into grass. Either way, a poor second shot could send your ball to a watery grave.
The Bear Trap has two par 3s, kicking off on the 15th. It's a 179-yard hole that requires a slight draw from the tee over the water up the right side to the green. There are two bunkers beyond the green. The smart play is to aim for the bottom tier on the left and hope for a two putt to a back pin. If the hole location is on that portion of the green, more birdies can be had.
At The Honda Classic, you can't go 5 minutes without hearing the phrase "Bear Trap." It's the defining stretch at PGA National's Champion Course, the host course for the Palm Beach-area portion of the PGA Tour's Florida Swing.
The 16th hole is a dogleg-right par 4 which measures 434 yards off the tee. There's water up along the right-hand side, with fairway bunkers to protect an overly aggressive or overly cautious drive. The green shape runs diagonally to the right of the approach shot from the fairway. Again, bunkering beyond the green is a piece of visual intimidation. A bad approach shot, especially after an aggressive drive, could get wet.
Golf: With 54 holes of championship golf, Grand Traverse Resort is one of northern Michigan’s largest, most expansive, and most revered destinations for golfers from all around the world. Collectively, the Resort’s three golf courses — Spruce Run (its first, opened in 1979), The Wolverine (designed by Gary Player), ...
Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, spectators were not allowed to attend in 2020. The 2021 edition is scheduled for June 9-27. In December 2019, officials from the casino announced they had purchased naming rights for the 4,660-seat baseball park of the Traverse City Pit Spitters of the collegiate Northwoods League.
The Bear’s name is a tribute to its designer, Jack Nicklaus, whose trademark blonde hair earned him the nickname “the Golden Bear.” Born in 1940, Jack Nicklaus is a legend both as a player and a course designer. His competitive career spanned five decades, including 18 professional major championship titles. He is the only player in history to have won each of the game’s majors at least three times, and is the only player to have completed the career “Grand Slam” on both the regular and senior tours.
Off-property adventures: Grand Traverse Resort and Spa is located in proximity to some of the best hiking, biking, running, and cross-country skiing that northern Michigan has to offer. Popular draws like the TART (Traverse Area Recreational Trail), the Vasa Pathway, and the Maple Bay Natural Area are just minutes away.
At Grand Traverse Resort, you’re never cooped up indoors — no matter the season.
Originally designed by Tom and George Fazio for major tournament play, The Champion was redesigned by Jack Nicklaus in 2014 and hosts the PGA TOUR’s Honda Classic each spring. It features The Bear Trap, which spans three demanding holes designed by Nicklaus, and is called “one of the toughest stretches in golf.”.
According to a story by The New York Times, “The Champion’s layout at PGA National is 7,045 yards of venom, a king cobra of a course that rises without warning to strike down the world’s best golfers. Snake charmers may have a better chance of taming it than the players at The Honda Classic.”.
A lake comes into play on a straight line 310 yards off the tee and a second lagoon stretches the length of the fairway beyond the rough on the left. Approach shots, usually played from 150 to 190 yards, must carry over water to a crescent shaped green with no room for errors short.
The most effective defense is one they can’t control: The wind. The links courses of Great Britain and Ireland, for instance, can be the world’s sternest and sometimes unforgiving tests when the wind is up, but when it’s down they generally offer little resistance to skilled players. The other, long rough, is controllable. In last year’s U.S. Open, Bryson DeChambeau made Winged Foot, where penalizing rough is inseparable from the club’s championship reputation, look mortal. But no one else in the field broke 280.
A lake comes into play on a straight line 310 yards off the tee and a second lagoon stretches the length of the fairway beyond the rough on the left. Approach shots, usually played from 150 to 190 yards, must carry over water to a crescent shaped green with no room for errors short.