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Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas and others take aim at one of the most iconic greens in golf when they compete at THE PLAYERS Championship each year – the par-3 No. 17 at TPC Sawgrass.
The island green can appear intimidating when the pressure is on, but there’s more room than meets the eye. And the size of the landing area at No. 17 should look familiar to TGL players and those who have tuned in to watch matches at SoFi Center.
The green at SoFi Center measures 3,818 square feet, while the 17th at TPC Sawgrass is 3,912 square feet. TGL’s green features changing undulations and different angles thanks to a fully-rotating putting surface, but the square footage is almost exactly the same.
The tech-infused green inside SoFi Center adds a completely unique element in its ability to change from hole-to-hole based on the rotation and the undulation. Yet the size of the green doesn’t change, giving us the ability to compare it to some of the most famous greens in golf.
Green to Green Size Comparison
The green in SoFi Center is a smaller target considering it’s under a roof and surrounded by grandstands, at least when compared to the size of an average PGA TOUR green (6,600 sqft). The average PGA TOUR green is around 72% larger in terms of surface area than the one in SoFi Center.
But golf is all about variety and the TGL green still swallows up one of the most famous short par-3 greens in golf - Royal Troon’s “Postage Stamp” 16th, measuring 2,635 square feet.
That hole is only 123 yards and approach shots from that yardage in TGL have been very similar to the PGA TOUR in terms of accuracy. The average proximity from 100-125 yards is 18.42 feet in TGL, compared to 20.25 feet on the PGA TOUR last season.
Players have been slightly more accurate so far on Tour when hitting from 100 yards or less, but they've been generally more accurate from 100+ yards in SoFi Center, including from 150-175 yards, where TGL players have been hitting the ball to an average proximity of 22.61 feet at SoFi Center compared to 27.92 feet on Tour.
Avg. Proximity To Hole: Regular season
NOTE: Data from week 3 of the regular season onward. TOUR shots calculated from within 30 yards of edge of green. TGL shots calculated from within 50 yards of pin.
The green is also very similar in size to the drivable par-4 10th green at Riviera Country Club (3,500 square feet) and the par-3 seventh at Pebble Beach (3,512 square feet) - each putting surface would fit on the green at SoFi Center with a bit of room to spare. The TGL green would dwarf several others around Pebble Beach, which features the smallest greens on Tour with an average size of approximately 3,500 square feet.
Players have more room to work with at three of the most nerve-racking par 3s on Tour – No. 17 at Bay Hill (4,800 square feet), No. 16 at TPC Scottsdale (5,897 square feet) and No. 17 at Quail Hollow (6,500 square feet).
Some of the bigger putting surfaces on Tour are nearly double the size of the green, including No. 16 at TPC San Antonio. The average green size is around 6,400 square feet at that venue and No. 16 is even bigger at approximately 7,600 square feet – including a large bunker in the middle.
That’s nothing compared to one of the most iconic closing holes in the world – No. 18 at the Old Course at St. Andrews, which measures a whopping 15,570 square feet. The sweeping putting surface could fit more than four of the TGL greens with some room left to spare.
The TGL green has already seen plenty of highlight-reel putts and chip-ins throughout the season, with more action coming up as the playoffs begin with the Semifinals next week. No. 1-seeded Los Angeles Golf Club will face No. 4 New York Golf Club at 7 p.m. ET March 17, while No. 2 The Bay Golf Club takes on No. 3 Atlanta Drive GC at 7 p.m. ET March 18.
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