Curiosity strikes every Wednesday: where are the best golfers in the world teeing it up this week? Staying on top of the PGA Tour schedule not only fuels your fandom but also gives you a fantastic opportunity to learn course strategy from the masters. This guide is your definitive resource for tracking the Tour, breaking down the weekly course, and using what you see to improve your own game.
Your Quick Guide to the PGA Tour Schedule
Finding the weekly PGA Tour location is simple when you know where to look. Instead of searching aimlessly each week, just bookmark these reliable sources. They are your one-stop shops for a full season's schedule, tournament details, leaderboards, and broadcast times.
- The Official Source: The best place to start is PGATOUR.com. The schedule page is clear, up-to-date, and provides deep dives into each tournament, a full list of players in the field, and course information.
- Major Sports Networks: Websites like ESPN and CBS Sports have dedicated golf sections that are excellent resources. They not only list the weekly schedule but also provide expert analysis and fantasy golf insights.
- Your Favorite Sports App: Whether you use the ESPN app, theScore, or another sports-focused app, you can typically customize your settings to get alerts and updates for all PGA Tour events.
Using these resources, you can always be in the know about the current tournament, its location, the prize money, and which players are competing.
Featured Course Breakdown: TPC Sawgrass – A Strategic Masterpiece
To show you how to look at a golf course beyond just its name and location, let’s use one of the most famous stops on Tour as an example: THE PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass (THE PLAYERS Stadium Course) in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. This event, often called the "fifth major," is a perfect case study in strategic golf course design.
Designed by the legendary Pete Dye, the Stadium Course was built to test every facet of a professional’s game. It doesn't favor one type of player, you can't just be a long bomber or a short-game wizard to win here. You have to be a master strategist. As a coach, this is one of my favorite courses to watch with students because it teaches you that golf is a game of chess, not checkers.
Signature Hole: The Infamous 17th Island Green
Let's get the obvious one out of the way. The 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass is arguably the most famous golf hole in the world. On the scorecard, it's nothing to be afraid of - just a short pitch of around 137 yards for the pros. But it isn't the yardage that makes it difficult.
The Pro Challenge: The green is a true island, surrounded by water on all sides, with just a tiny sliver of a walkway to get there. The green itself is sloped and is subjected to swirling winds that can change in an instant. The real challenge here is mental. After 16 grueling holes, players must stand on that tee with a tournament on the line and execute a shot where there is no bailout. There's no aiming 20 feet left to be safe. It's the green or the water. It’s an examination of nerve, club selection, and commitment.
The Lesson for Your Game: You might not have an island green at your home course, but you definitely have holes that intimidate you. Maybe it’s a tight, tree-lined driving hole or an approach shot over a deep bunker. The 17th teaches us the importance of a pre-shot routine under pressure. Watch the pros. They won’t rush. They’ll talk with their caddie, pick a specific landing spot (not just "the green"), and commit 100% to the shot. Take that same deliberate approach to your personal “scary shot.” Breathe, commit to your target, and make a confident swing.
Course Design: What Makes TPC Sawgrass So Tough?
Beyond the 17th, the genius and difficulty of Pete dye's design are present on every hole. Dye was famous for what is often called "visual intimidation." He uses clever angles, oddly shaped bunkers, and large waste areas to play tricks on your eyes and mind.
The Pro Challenge: Sawgrass demands precision. It requires players to shape shots both ways - a draw on one hole, a fade on the next. The finishing stretch is a brilliant example of risk versus reward.
- The Par-5 16th is reachable in two, but the green is surrounded by water on the right and trees on the left. Going for it can lead to eagle, but a tiny mistake can lead to a splash and a big number.
- The Par-4 18th has water all the way down the left side. The more you "bail out" to the right, the more difficult and longer your approach shot becomes. It forces you to confront the danger head-on.
This constant decision-making wears players down physically and mentally over four days.
The Lesson for Your Game: TPC Sawgrass teaches course management better than any other course on Tour. When you watch the pros play these risk/reward holes, you’ll notice they aren’t always taking the most aggressive line. They're playing the percentages. Ask yourself how this applies to your game.
- Understand Your Miss: If your common miss with the driver is a slice to the right, a hole with water all down the right side is not the time to be a hero. It's smart to aim down the left a bit and accept a longer shot in from the light rough.
- Know When to Lay Up: Think about that long Par-5 you always struggle with. Watching the pros here shows there is zero shame in laying up. A well-executed layup to a comfortable yardage (like 100 yards) gives you a much better chance at par than a low-percentage hero shot over water.
Watching TPC Sawgrass is ultimately a lesson in knowing your limits and playing the smart shot, not just the spectacular one. This mindset will save you more strokes than any swing tip.
How to Watch and Learn Like a Coach
Watching the PGA Tour on TV can be passive entertainment, or it can be an active learning session. Here’s how to get the most out of your screen time.
Television and Streaming
You can typically catch early-round coverage on the Golf Channel. Weekend coverage usually shifts to a major network like CBS or NBC. For a more comprehensive viewing experience, streaming services like ESPN+ (for PGA Tour Live) and Peacock (for NBC events) are fantastic. They offer featured group coverage and featured hole coverage, allowing you to follow a specific player or watch every group come through a hole like the 17th at Sawgrass.
What to Look For
To truly learn, shift your focus from the results of the shots to the process that creates them.
- Study the Setup: Forget the swing for a moment and just look at their setup. Watch their ball position for different clubs. Notice how their feet are shoulder-width apart for irons, giving them a stable base for rotation, and wider for the driver to maximize power. This reinforces the core fundamentals.
- Watch Their Finishes: Pay attention to their finish position. You'll see nearly every pro holds their finish in a balanced, athletic pose, with their weight on their front foot and their chest facing the target. This indicates a full, unrestricted body rotation - something every amateur should strive for. If you are off-balance at the finish, it's often a sign that you used your arms too much instead of rotating your body.
- Listen to the Analysts: The on-course analysts and commentators are often accomplished players and coaches themselves. They offer amazing insight into why a player chose a specific club, what challenge the green presents, or what the wind is doing. It’s a free lesson in high-level course management.
Final Thoughts
Following along with "what golf course is the PGA playing this week?" is a great way to deepen your passion for the sport. By treating each tournament as a chance to study course architecture and professional strategy, you can turn a weekend on the couch into a valuable learning experience.
Watching the pros gives you a fantastic template for course management, but translating that strategy to your unique game on your home course is the next step. Our goal with Caddie AI is to give you that same professional-level insight, personalized for every shot you face. When you’re staring down a difficult tee shot or facing a tricky lie in the rough, we can analyze the situation and give you a smart, simple strategy, taking the guesswork out of your game so you can play with more confidence and enjoyment.