Special Places - TPC Boston

After four days of glorious weather at Ridgewood Country Club, the first leg of the Fedex Cup playoffs went off without a hitch and saw the top 100 move on to the Tournament Players Club (TPC) Boston, for the Deutsche Bank Championship.

TPC Boston is a private club established in 2002 in Norton, Massachusetts, about 40 kms south of Boston itself. The golf course is set in a typically scenic New England landscape and was designed by Arnold Palmer with whose name it will always be linked, as the street address is 400 Arnold Palmer Boulevard. The layout was updated and remodelled in 2007 by award-winning traditional architect Gil Hanse, with eight time PGA Tour winner Brad Faxon acting as player consultant.

Whilst studying at Cornell University Hanse spent a yearlong internship in Scotland that profoundly influenced his design philosophy. His distinctive style focuses on preserving and protecting the integrity of the land whilst maximising the natural characteristics of the terrain. The result produced here is a masterful design that fits seamlessly through the gently rolling hills. Numerous wetland areas, mature trees, and native grasses and fescues frame the lush fairways and bentgrass greens of this superbly challenging layout that was named as the Best Private Remodel by Golf Digest in 2007.

TPC Boston has a mature look beyond its years, giving the illusion that it has been around a lot longer than what it actually has. The course itself is a par 71 playing 6600 metres long. The round begins with a 330m par 4 that provides a variety of playing options, with the longest hitters being tempted to go for the well-protected green. The second hole is a 500m par 5 reachable in two shots but fraught with danger lurking around the small undulating green, creating a classic risk and reward situation.

At 265m the par 4 fourth is driveable for most of the field, but a range of other options are less risky. The final three holes provide an exciting and entertaining home stretch. The short par 3 16th has water guarding the two tiered green front and left, with the pin always close to the water’s edge. Seventeen is a quirky short par 4 featuring the smallest green on the course. The reachable 480m par 5 eighteenth will provide a lot of birdies but a lot of heartache too. The Monday finish on the long Labour Day weekend is sure to attract a full house.