What Is 'The Bear Trap' At PGA National?

A lot of golf courses have a standout stretch of holes, including one of the most famous of all, Amen Corner at Augusta National, or the daunting Snake Pit of the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook.

PGA National's Champion Course is no different, as it's home to The Bear Trap - a three-hole stretch between the 15th and 17th that some of the best players in the world tackle each year during the PGA Tour's Cognizant Classic.

The event has been won by some of the most famous players ever to grace a fairway, with the likes of Justin Thomas, Adam Scott, Padraig Harrington and Rory McIlroy all lifting the trophy in recent years. Further back, greats including Ernie Els, Tom Kite, and 18-time Major winner Jack Nicklaus all won the tournament, too.

In the case of the latter, he didn't just lift the trophy (albeit at Inverrary Country Club rather than PGA National), he’s also left his mark on the course, which was originally designed by Tom and George Fazio.

Nicklaus gave the course a makeover in 1990, and The Bear Trap, which goes a long way to contributing to the Champion Course's status as one of the hardest on the PGA Tour, is named after him. Here's why the reputation of the treacherous stretch of holes goes before it.

Par-3 15th (179 yards)

The Bear Trap begins at the 15th, but not before players pass a plaque reading, “It should be won or lost right here” sitting next to a huge statue of a bear to mark its entrance.

Having digested that, it's onto the task at hand, although it's certainly not the 15th's length that leaves players wary, as it's a par-3 measuring a decidedly unremarkable 179 yards. What will cause concern is it requires a full carry over water. Not one for the fainthearted, particularly if the title is on the line or it's touch-and-go whether a player will make the cut.

Nicklaus’ intention when he made his changes here was to reward those golfers who have both the bottle and the skill to hit small targets. “It’s not about length,” Nicklaus once said of the 15th. “It’s about precision. It’s about guts.”

The pin is typically placed back-right on a Sunday, and precision is the word that will no doubt pop into the players’ minds as they commence their pre-shot routine.

Par-4 16th (434 yards)

The par-4 16th, at 434 yards, is hardly an easy proposition either, as a similar carry over water to the green is required. It’s normally no more than a wedge for the pros, but for the weekend golfer playing a round here, that could mean having to strike a hybrid or long iron over it.

Players would do well to avoid falling into the trap of thinking they've mastered the hole by reaching the green unscathed too. That's because the two-tiered putting surface is notoriously difficult to read.

Par-3 17th (175 yards)

The 175-yard par-3 17th closes out The Bear Trap, but any hopes of respite can be put to one side with players facing another treacherous layout that has the potential to severely damage your scorecard.

Come up short and you’ll likely find a watery grave, go long and left and you’ll be faced with a tricky bunker shot. Potentially as bad is to fail to commit and produce a weak fade causing your ball to pop up in the South Florida wind.