PGA Village - Ryder Course

The PGA Village is located right off Interstate 95 in Port St. Lucie, Florida PGA Village offers a Pete Dye course and two Tom Fazio courses. These three public courses are among the few that are owned and operated by the PGA of America. Each of the three courses is serviced by a single clubhouse and pro shop, making replays and all day golf very convenient.

Each course is well marked with sprinkler heads providing measurements to the front, middle and back of each green. There are also makers in the middle of the fairway that indicate 100, 150 and 200 yards to the center. Flags are color coded to indicate pin placement for the day.

A full sized, double-ended driving range is included in your daily greens fees as well as practice putting greens and practice bunkers. Nearby you will find a short course with holes ranging from 35-60 yards; everything you could possibly need to get warmed up for a round of golf at PGA Village. The clubhouse features a full service pro shop as well as the Champion's Grill which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. There is also a 150 seat banquet/outing room on the property.

of America Golf Schools and PGA Learning Center

PGA Village is also home to The PGA of America Golf Schools. Here you will find a variety of instructional programs that use the most up-to-date teaching methods as well as the latest state-of-the-art technology. These instructional programs are open to the public and vary from 2 1/2 day weekend to 4 1/2 day schools. The PGA of America Golf Schools offer a commitment to continued improvement and enhanced enjoyment of the game.

The on-site 35 acre PGA Learning Center is open to the public and is one of the most advanced practice facilities in the world. It includes an extensive short game area, over 100 full swing practice stations, specialty shot areas, a 3-hole teaching course and 6-hole short course. There are 9 variations of bunkers that simulate play from around the world as well as every type of sand imaginable. Golfers pay a flat daily fee to use the PGA Learning Center for the entire day, including unlimited range balls and use of all short game facilities. Memberships are also available.

Ryder Course Review

Designed by Tom Fazio, the Ryder Course is named in honor of Samuel Ryder, the namesake and founder of the Ryder Cup, the preeminent event in golf. With its rolling hills, majestic pine trees and challenging water hazards, the Ryder Course has a distinctive Carolina-feel. As pin locations are switched, you could play this course every day and discover a different layout. The course plays 7037 yards from the back tees with a course rating of 74.8 and a slope of 144. Five sets of tees make this an enjoyable course for all.

The driving range is located across the parking lot from the clubhouse. Pick up a bucket of balls at the gazebo between the clubhouse and cart barn and make the short cart ride over. There are plenty of targets to aim at and the range is big enough to hit every club in the bag. No limited flight balls here!
Be sure to stop at the practice green on the way to the range or on the way to the first tee. It is truly indicative of what you will find on the course - greens with subtle undulations that roll true. For many, they will be faster than usual; of course that all depends on what you're used to.
Water comes into play in the form of lakes and ponds on eleven holes; you will see plenty of waterfowl and native Florida wildlife as you wind your way around. Like most Florida courses, it is relatively flat, however the use of mounding in the fairway helps to ensure that a level lie is not a common occurrence.

Memorable Holes (All Yardage is from the White Tees)

Number 1: Par 4, 379 yards. Avoid the fairway bunkers on either side off the tee and you're bound to get off to a great start. The fairway is wide open however the bunkers on the right have been enlarged and deepened which makes a recovery shot from there a lot more challenging. A good drive will leave a shorter iron approach shot to a putting surface that slopes back to front. The green has been lowered in recent years by about 3 feet and receives approach shots much better. Miss the green left and you will be faced with a difficult pitch shot to this elevated green.

Number 4: Par 5, 449 yards. Short by most par 5 standards, it is a true risk/reward hole and sees its share of big numbers. It's a dogleg right around a huge pond leading to one of the largest greens on the course. Bite off as much of the water as you dare; knowing that there is a series of bunkers to carry on that line to well. Add in the fact that the fairway slopes to the water and you may just want to play it safe. The landing area off the tee is elevated which prompts many players to go for it in two but do your best to avoid the middle left greenside bunker. The green has a ridge which divides the front half from the back; a back left or front right pin position can also put a damper on an otherwise good score. Number four is handicapped as the most difficult hole on the course.

Number 9: Par 4, 393 yards. Handicapped number 3, this difficult uphill par four usually plays right into any winds that happen to be blowing. Leak your tee shot to the right and you are bound to encounter one of the new landscaped coquina bunkers. A deep bunker also guards the front right of this multi-level green. A front or back right pin position will prove to be the most challenging. Hit one over the green and you will be faced with a very quick, and for most unthinkable up and down. Par is a great score here.

Number 12: Par 3, 144 yards. A difference of 40 yards from the back tees and the whites, number 12 plays slightly downhill over a pond. This hole is very deceptive off the tee. Four bunkers surround the putting surface and the back bunker seems closer to the green than it actually is. Find the green off the tee and you will be faced with a much easier putt than in past years. A back right hole location is still the most difficult to get close to as the green slopes ever so slightly away.

Number 15: Par 4, 382 yards. To many players, Number 15 can be one of the most challenging holes on the course. Off the tee, bunkers guard the left side of the fairway making a tee shot down the right side the preferred tee shot. However this brings the native foliage into play. A well struck tee shot will leave a mid to short iron into a green which for the most part is relatively tame. Players will need to negotiate a subtle swale which runs through the middle and divides the surface in half, placing a premium on approach shots.

Number 18: Par 4, 387 yards. A very challenging finishing hole in that your tee shot is played uphill and the approach shot is downhill. Deep bunkers that line the fairway must be avoided if you plan on posting a good score. Hit the ball too far left off the tee and you are flirting with some very unmanageable rough. From the top of the fairway the green looks very friendly and inviting. Of the five bunkers that surround the green, the ones that guard the entire right side have been combined with a swale behind the green will make a back right hole location very difficult. Finish with a par or better and head to the 19th hole!

Last Word: PGA Village is top-notch in every way. From the moment you pull into the bag drop until the time the attendants put your clubs back in the trunk, you are sure to have a memorable experience. The staff is super-friendly and can answer any question you throw at them about the facility. The staff in the pro shop is knowledgeable and ready to assist you in every way.

As far as the course goes, how can you go wrong playing a Tom Fazio-designed course? This one is particularly player-friendly, with generously wide fairways throughout and spacious greens. Hit your tee shot offline and odds are that you are going to find it, possibly in an adjoining fairway. That said, accomplished players will still find it a challenge to shoot a low score; there are certain places to hit to on each green in order to get it close. Of the three courses at PGA Village, the Ryder Course is definitely the easiest.

To arrange a tee time at PGA Village, you can give them a call at 1-800-800-GOLF (4653). You can also visit their website at www.pgavillage.com. Be sure to check out their stay and play packages that have been created in conjunction with local hotels. And, click on the Special Offers tab to see some great deals.