What Does TPC Stand For In Golf?

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last updated 12 August 2024

From TPC Colorado to TPC Scottsdale and TPC Wisconsin, nearly every golf fan in the world has likely heard of at least one of these prestigious places. But what does the TPC part stand for?

WHAT DOES TPC STAND FOR?

TPC stands for 'Tournament Players Club' and is used to signify courses that uphold the PGA Tour's highest standards in terms of being technically challenging but also staggeringly beautiful. As a result, many amateur golfers one day dream of teeing it up on at least one of them.

They are designed by some of the best golf-course architects in the world, with all the properties aiming to have a minimal effect on the natural environment during their construction and operation.

What Is A TPC Golf Course?

A TPC course is a location owned and operated by the PGA Tour for its biggest and most important tournaments.

Opened in 1980 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, Sawgrass is the original course in the TPC network and is the site of The Players Championship as well as the PGA Tour's headquarters.

Each TPC golf course has either already hosted or been designed in such a way that it could potentially host a top-tier event on the men's or women's game in the future.

Despite that, the first year a TPC location held a men's Major championship was not until 2020 - when Harding Park in California played host to PGA Championship, which was won by Collin Morikawa.

HOW MANY TPC GOLF COURSES ARE THERE?

Across the world, there are 31 different TPC sites - including TPC Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Canada, and TPC Dorado Beach in Puerto Rico. A handful of the locations offer several courses, with TPC Toronto and TPC Sugarloaf in Georgia holding three different layouts each - the most of any individual site.

Of the 31, 17 are totally private courses - such as Boston, River Highlands, and Summerlin - while the other 14 are part of a resort and can be played for a daily fee.

LIST OF TPC LOCATIONS

PRIVATE

TPC Boston, Norton, Massachusetts
TPC Craig Ranch, McKinney, Texas
TPC Jasna Polana, Princeton, New Jersey
TPC Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
TPC Michigan, Dearborn, Michigan
TPC Piper Glen, Charlotte, North Carolina
TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm, Potomac, Maryland
TPC Prestancia, Sarasota, Florida - (Stadium Course, Club Course)
TPC River Highlands, Cromwell, Connecticut
TPC River's Bend, Cincinnati, Ohio
TPC Southwind, Memphis, Tennessee
TPC Stonebrae, Hayward, California
TPC Sugarloaf, Duluth, Georgia - (Meadows, Stables, Pines)
TPC Summerlin, Las Vegas, Nevada
TPC Treviso Bay, Naples, Florida
TPC Twin Cities, Blaine, Minnesota
TPC Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin

The ninth green at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota

RESORT/DAILY FEE

TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley, Ontario, Canada - (Heathlands Course, Hoot Course, North Course)
TPC Colorado at Heron Lakes, Berthoud, Colorado
TPC Deere Run, Silvis, Illinois
TPC Danzante Bay, Loreto, Mexico
TPC Dorado Beach, Dorado, Puerto Rico
TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas, Irving, Texas
TPC Harding Park, San Francisco, California
TPC Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada
TPC Louisiana, New Orleans, Louisiana
TPC Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
TPC San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas - (AT&T Canyons Course, AT&T Oaks Course)
TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida - (The Players Stadium Course, Dye's Valley Course)
TPC Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Arizona - (Stadium Course, Champions Course)
TPC Tampa Bay, Lutz, Florida

A general view from behind the crowd of the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass' Stadium Course — A view of the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass' Stadium Course from behind the crowd

HOW CAN I PLAY A TPC GOLF COURSE?

If you want to play one of the private courses listed above, you will have to qualify for a PGA Tour event as they are not open to the public. However, all is not lost as the 14 resort locations do offer tee times for a fee - some a lot higher than others.

TPC Sawgrass has the highest fee of the lot - a figure that was recently announced as having increased. The most expensive green fee alone at the Ponte Vedre beach site is now $900, up from $840. And that's without taking into account the tip for your forecaddie.

However, it is possible to play at the home of the richest individual purse anywhere in tournament golf during peak season (September to May) for only $650 - but these are known to be snapped up very quickly.

On the other end of the scale, golfers can let it fly at TPC Louisiana - site of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans - for upwards of $169 for non-residents and just $79 for locals. And it gets better. TPC Harding Park has rates starting as low as $52 while Deere Run's fees begin at $89.

Jonny Leighfield is our Staff News Writer who joined Golf Monthly just in time for the 2023 Solheim Cup and Ryder Cup. He graduated from the University of Brighton with a degree in Sport Journalism in 2017 and spent almost five years as the sole sports reporter at his local newspaper. During his time with Golf Monthly, Jonny has interviewed several stars of the game, including Robert MacIntyre, Ian Poulter, and Lee Westwood. An improving golfer himself, Jonny enjoys learning as much about the game as he can and is hoping to reach his Handicap goal of 18 at some stage. He attended both the 150th and 151st Open Championships and dreams of attending The Masters one day.