A REAL island green: Tour players take to boat to reach 17th green

We all know about TPC Sawgrass’s ‘island green.’

Of course, the par-3, which has always been home to drama during the Players Championship, isn’t really an island, as players walk to the putting surface via a small path.

This week on the DP World Tour, however, the 17th hole, also a par-3, really does feature an island green.

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Amata Spring Country Club, which is this week’s host venue for the Thailand Classic, opened in 2005, and it’s easy to work out where its signature hole comes.

The 17th hole will measure 152 yards on this week’s scorecard, short by modern standards, but will undoubtedly strike fear into players. The green, which is 40 yards wide and 40 yards long, can float in the water, thanks to a design inspired by the course’s major shareholder, Andrew Yau. 

According to the architect, Lee Schmidt, the process to create the green had some failed attempts, before finally being completed, with a floating piece of land anchored in place in four points, that is also equipped with an irrigation system.

Thai star Kiradech Aphibarnrat, who is in the field this week, summed it up perfectly. 

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“In Amata Spring, the most important thing in the round is the boat. Without the boat we can’t complete the round. 

“Not one of you guys are going to swim over.”