PONTE VEDRA, Fla. -- Golf fans around the world visit the First Coast by the thousands every May for The Players Championship.
The buzz around The Players this year is the return of Tiger Woods, who hasn't participated in the tournament since 2015, where he finished 69th.
This guide will help you get to The Players, park at The Players, and enjoy The Players. Think of it like a 'cheat-sheet.'
ADMISSION TIMES
May 7-13
- Monday - Tournament is closed to the public
- Tuesday & Wednesday - 7:30 a.m.
- Thursday & Friday - 6:15 a.m.
- Saturday & Sunday - 7:30 a.m.
TEE TIMES
May 10-13
- Thursday - 7:30 a.m. (First round)
- Friday - 7:30 a.m. (Second round)
- Saturday - 8:30 a.m. (Third round)
- Sunday - 8:30 a.m. (Final round, Championship Sunday)
TICKETS
Tickets to THE PLAYERS 2018 are for sale at THEPLAYERS.com/tickets as well as 56 Publix stores throughout the First Coast.
Prices
Daily Stadium Passes - (grants access to golf course. Stadium Passes do not include parking or into corporate hospitality or upgraded areas.)
- $25 Tuesday
- $20 Wednesday
- $60 Thursday
- $65 Friday
- $70 Saturday
- $60 Sunday
- Weekly Stadium Pass - $225
For suite tickets, military tickets, and family passes, visit THEPLAYERS.com/tickets.
*kids 18 and under get in free if accompanied by a properly credentialed adult.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Tuesday, May 8: Military Appreciation Day
- Military Appreciation Ceremony and Luke Combs Concert on Hole 17 at 5:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 13: Championship Sunday
- ALL DAY PINK OUT! Wear pink to support breast cancer research in celebration of Mothers day.
- Church service at 7 a.m., Clubhouse Lower Lawn
- Closing ceremony on Clubhouse Lawn immediately following play
PARKING
Parking at THE PLAYERS is free Tuesday and Wednesday. Parking on Thursday & Sunday is $30 plus tax (must be purchased in advance; there will be no on-site sales) Parking on Friday & Saturday is $35 plus tax (must be purchased in advance; there will be no on-site sales)
THE PLAYERS "Four for free" policy
Fans with four or more guests in a vehicle can park for FREE Thursday through Sunday with the 'Four For Free" parking voucher. Fans can go online to The Players to download the voucher, which allows free parking in the general lot off of CR210.
HOW DO I GET THERE?
Use the CR210/Nocatee Parkway route for the fastest, least congested path to tournament. General parking passes should use 5387 Palm Valley Rd Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida for GPS address.
Uber and Lyft have a designated pickup/dropoff zone at 880 A1A North, Ponte Vedra Beach shopping plaza.
Shuttles
Shuttles are available from downtown-area hotels to TPC Sawgrass for The Players Wednesday through Sunday of the tournament week. Shuttles from the Jacksonville Landing, Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Waterfront and Doubletree Riverfront will be available to hotel guests and for residents to "park and ride" providing a convenient and cost-effective way for fans to get to and from the tournament.
Pick Up Times:
- Hyatt Regency Jacksonville – 7:45 a.m., 9:50 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 12:50 p.m.
- Hogan Street side of the Jacksonville Landing – 8 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m.,12:30 p.m.
- DoubleTree Riverfront – 8:15 a.m., 9:15 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 12:15 p.m.
- Lexington Hotel – 8:20 a.m., 9:10 a.m., 11:20 a.m., 12:10 p.m.
Return Times:
- Thursday-Saturday, shuttles will return to the hotels each day leaving TPC Sawgrass at 2 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
- Sunday shuttles will return to the hotels each day leaving TPC Sawgrass at 2 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 5 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
BEST PLACES TO EAT AT THE PLAYERS
The Players Club: A private hospitality and hosting experience with private space on-site in the TPC Sawgrass Clubhouse, on 17 tee and 18 tee.
-Food from top chefs in the country
-Top-shelf cocktails prepared by award-winning bartenders
-An exclusive selection of The Players gear in a transformed golf shop
-Great views of course 17 tee and 18 green
-A $500 merchandise gift card
-Golf shop will feature private, custom fittings from luxury brands
The Wine Lounge
-Stylish and contemporary recreation of William Hill' Estate's Napa Valley tasting room complete with tables and seating.
- Brucci's Pizza
- Candy Apple Cafe
- Hawkers Asian Street Fare
- Mojo Kitchen
Wine and Dine on 9
-Fans can enjoy gourmet small plates prepared by Matthew Medure, one of Northeast Florida's most renowned chefs, in a beautiful garden setting, taking in the Players surrounding in style.
Food court: Located to the left of the Nicklaus Gate entrance, there are plenty of great, local restaurants to choose from in the food court. There's a permanent restaurant and shaded seating near the food court, so everyone can grab a bite to eat and meet up for a family picnic at the Players.
-Bono's Pit Bar-B-Q
-Daily's
-Firehouse Subs
-M Shack
-Tropical Smoothie Cafe
-Trasca & Co Eatery
Trucks on 10: Located between 10 fairway, 11 fairway, and 15 green, this public venue offers flavors from local, favorite food trucks.
-Cely's Filipino Food
-BUBBA Burger
-Mama's Food
-Pele's Wood Fire
-Up In Smoke
Tacos on 12: Located between 11 tee and 12 tee, TacoLu, Jacksonville's most popular Baja Mexicana, will be serving food and beverages. This public venue includes seating and shaded areas.
The Turn
The Turn is the perfect place for the golf-centric crowd to watch the action. The interior features a GREY GOOSE® 19th Hole Lounge with GREY GOOSE® signature drinks, including the Sawgrass Splash, and soft seating. Flat-screen televisions surround the interior lounge providing coverage of six-plus broadcasts at a time. The back wall provides a great view of No. 9 green and the front provides outdoor seating and spectator views of 18 fairway and green.
The Oasis
Open to the public (must be 21+), The Oasis features signature cocktails made with GREY GOOSE® Vodka, the official vodka of the PGA TOUR. Located between 9 and 18 tee boxes, The Oasis debuted in 2012 to expand on what had been a basic – but popular – concession area in the past. The area features an air-conditioned venue, where signature cocktails food and drink are available for purchase. The Oasis boasts a rear deck for prime views of No. 9 tee.
The Patio
A fan favorite since it debuted in 2011, The Patio offers a shaded fan zone that includes open-air seating, a videoboard to keep up with the tournament. New in 2017, The Patio features food from 4 Rivers Smokehouse, a sophisticated Texas-style smokehouse. The Patio also features permanent restroom facilities, includes the Michelob ULTRA Bar and a social media board covering THE PLAYERS Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds. The Patio is located between 10 tee and 18 green/16 tee.
The Players Course Map Front by NealBennett on Scribd
BEST PLACES TO WATCH THE TOURNAMENT
With great venues, amazing food and drink options and fun, interactive exhibits, there’s no shortage of things to do, see and experience at THE PLAYERS. But the real action, of course, takes place inside the ropes as the best field in golf takes on its truest test. Here’s a hole-by-hole guide of the best – and sometimes hidden – spots to experience all this world-class event has to offer.
Hole 1: The large grandstands to the left of No. 1 tee are popular to watch players hit their tee shots with mounds to the left and right of the green for optimal viewing.
Hole 2: Elevated mounding behind the green provides a great place to watch players decide whether or not to go for the par 5 in two or lay-up, and then you can keep an eye on them as they head to No. 3 tee to take a shot at the par-3 green.
Hole 3: Left of the tee box is a great place to view golf, as you are just on the other side of the practice tee, which means you can move back and forth to watch the 3rd hole as well as see players warm-up. This elevated area provides a great line of sight.
Hole 4: Sit on the bulkhead around the water surrounding the green and dangle your feet (hold on to those flip-flops!).
Hole 5: Find great views of this tough par 4 from the elevated left side of the fairway, where you can also catch a glimpse of players practicing on the back tee of the upgraded driving range.
Hole 6: This green isn’t very crowded and offers a great place to catch the action up close.
Hole 7: The elevated mounding behind the green allows you to see all the way back to the tee box.
Hole 8: Always a fan favorite, you can get close to the action when players hit their tee shots thanks to elevated mounding behind the green (and in the shade of nearby trees).
Hole 9: A great par 5 to watch players hit their tee shots and decide whether or not to go for the green in two.
Hole 10: The elevated mounding behind the tee provides great views of players’ tee shots, and you’re just steps away from a permanent restroom.
Hole 11: A fan favorite par 5 where players often go for the green in two, the green is surrounded by sand and water, which provides non-stop drama and excitement.
Hole 12:
-Added new tee to be set-up as a reachable par 4
-Eliminated mound left of fairway and converted it to a fairway bunker
- Eliminated fairway bunker right side and converted it into rough
- Reshaped green complex
- Added pond left of the green
- Added spectator mounding left of pond, behind green, and right of green
Hole 13: Fans directly behind the green may even see a ball or two roll through the green and end up in collection area just on the other side of the ropes from where they’re sitting.
Hole 14: A tough par 4 with great, elevated views behind the tee and the right side of the fairway. Errant tee shots to the right often end up right near fans.
Hole 15: This par 4 has elevated mounding on the left side of the green, providing good views of approach shots and putting.
Hole 16: The Fan Bleacher presented by MD Anderson Cancer Center – a public access shade zone – located behind the tee, provides a great view as players launch their tee shots.
Hole 17: This is a perfect spot to watch golf and then see players walk off the green and through the tunnel as they head to the 18th tee.
Hole 18: The elevated area around the green is known as The Bluff, where courtesy folding chairs are provided at no charge, and if you’re in your chair when the last putt drops at the end of the day, you can take it home for free!
RULES AND GUIDELINES
Mobile device policy
• Devices tablet size and below are allowed on site
• Please silence all mobile devices
• Calls are permitted away from play
• Texting/emailing is allowed anywhere
• NO photographs of play are allowed Thursday through Sunday
• NO video recording is allowed at any time, and repeated violators face device confiscation or removal from the event.
Fan Code of Conduct
Etiquette and respect for fellow competitors is one of the first things golfers learn when playing the sport. It's ingrained in the competition. Players often applaud their competitors on the golf course, call penalties on themselves, move out of their line of site to remain still and silent when other players are hitting, etc. As such, we hope that the fans at THE PLAYERS Championship will show their pride at hosting this event and their community by applying the same standards to how they act as spectators. We all have pride in hosting one of the biggest sporting events in the world in our backyard. We want to make sure that pride shines through during tournament week.
Read the entire new PGA TOUR Mobile Device Policy for the 2015-2016 season HERE
Bag Policy
• Opaque bags 6x6x6 and smaller are allowed
• Clear bags 12x6x12 and smaller are allowed
• Spectators may bring food in one-gallon clear plastic bags where food items are also wrapped in clear wrap
Prohibited Items
• NO cameras/video of competition (cameras only allowed Tues & Weds; no video anytime)
• NO radios/other noise–producing devices
• NO coolers
• NO weapons of any kind
• NO outside beverages
You must return prohibited items to your vehicle before entering the grounds. Please be prepared to submit yourself and personal items for inspection.
*2019's Players Championship will be held in March.