Bucket List Golf
The Sawgrass Experience - Play Where the Pros Play
Global Amateur Golf Tour | Florida, USA | December 2026
There are bucket list golf trips, and then there is Sawgrass. Standing on the tee of the 17th island green, the same stretch of turf that has broken the hearts of hundreds of PGA Tour professionals, is the kind of moment every golfer deserves to experience at least once. The Global Amateur Golf Tour gives you not just that hole - but the whole course, played three times over five days.
About the Event
The SAWGRASS EXPERIENCE, Florida - 5 nights + 5 rounds runs from 1 to 5 December 2026 and is organised by the Global Amateur Golf Tour (GAGT), one of the longest-running amateur tour operators in the world. Since its launch in 1997 the GAGT has visited five continents and more than 23 countries, bringing competitive amateur golf to some of the planet's finest championship venues. The Sawgrass Experience is firmly at the premium end of what the tour offers, and it is easy to see why it sells out year after year.
Entry is priced at £3,087 per person (twin/double share) and covers five nights at the on-site Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa, five competitive rounds of golf across three world-class venues, shared buggies, complimentary range balls, a forecaddie for each round on the Players Stadium Course, and daily and overall prizes worth more than £1,500. Flights are not included, giving you the freedom to arrange your own travel or add on additional nights if you want to explore the wider Florida Golf Coast.
All rounds count towards the 2026 GAGT Orders of Merit, meaning this is not simply a holiday with golf on the side - it is a fully competitive tour event that forms part of a global ranking season. Whether you are chasing qualification for the annual Tour Final or simply want to pit your game against great courses and like-minded opponents, this package delivers on every level.
The Courses - Five Days, Three Venues
The schedule has been crafted to make the most of everything the Ponte Vedra Beach area has to offer. The five rounds are spread across three venues, with the jewel in the crown - the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass - appearing three times.
Round 1 - Dye's Valley Course, TPC Sawgrass (1 December)
The week opens on Dye's Valley, the second of TPC Sawgrass's two Pete Dye-designed layouts. Opened in 1987, Dye's Valley winds through the natural North Florida landscape of pines, wetlands and water hazards. It is a course with genuine credentials of its own - it has hosted numerous Korn Ferry Tour events (the former Web.com Tour Championship) and is consistently rated among the top courses in Florida. Think of it as the ideal warm-up for what is to come: challenging enough to sharpen your focus, but without the full weight of expectation that arrives the following morning.
Round 2 and Round 4 - The Players Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass (2 and 4 December)
TPC Sawgrass is one of those rare places where the reputation and the reality are perfectly matched. Located in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, it is the permanent home of THE PLAYERS Championship - widely regarded as the fifth Major in golf - and the centrepiece of the entire PGA Tour schedule. The course was designed specifically to test the best players in the world while giving spectators unprecedented sightlines, and every hole feels like a stage.
But no hole commands more attention than the Par 3 17th. The island green - a patch of manicured turf surrounded entirely by water - has produced some of the most dramatic moments in professional golf. The carry is not long by professional standards, but in competition, with adrenaline running and the crowd watching, it plays considerably longer. Getting your ball safely onto that green and walking off with a par is a moment you will not forget. Competing here under GAGT rules, as part of a full five-day tour event, takes the experience to another level entirely.
You play the Stadium Course twice during the week - on Day 2 and Day 4 - giving you the chance to apply what you learned on your first visit and genuinely attack the layout with confidence second time around. A forecaddie is provided for each of these rounds, which adds a wonderful professional dimension to the day.
Round 3 - Marsh Landing Country Club (3 December)
The mid-week break from TPC Sawgrass takes the group to Marsh Landing Country Club, a challenging and beautifully presented private club also set in the Ponte Vedra Beach area. Marsh Landing offers a different character to both Dye's Valley and the Stadium Course - a members-standard layout that rewards precise iron play and thoughtful course management. Playing it mid-week gives the itinerary excellent variety and ensures five rounds that each feel distinct.
Round 5 - The Players Stadium Course, TPC Sawgrass (5 December)
The week closes as it should - back on the Stadium Course. By now you know the layout, you have your targets on the tee of 17, and you know exactly what is required. Final-day nerves, a familiar but formidable course, and your best competitive score on the line: this is what bucket list golf looks like.
Where You Stay - The Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa
Staying at the Sawgrass Marriott puts you right at the heart of the complex - within easy reach of the courses, the clubhouse and the practice facilities. The resort sits along the Atlantic coast at Ponte Vedra Beach, approximately 15 miles south of Jacksonville and around two hours from Orlando.
Spread across 15 acres, the resort combines 4-star accommodation with a wide range of on-site facilities including two swimming pools, a 25,000 square foot luxury spa with 19 treatment rooms, multiple dining options and bars, and access to the Cabana Beach Club with its oceanfront pool. After a long day on the course, the ability to walk back to your hotel, visit the spa and enjoy dinner without leaving the complex is a genuine luxury.
The Global Amateur Golf Tour - Who Can Play?
The Global Amateur Golf Tour has been running since 1997 and visits some of the most celebrated courses in the world each year. The format is individual stableford, making it accessible to golfers of all levels. Events are run professionally and in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere, meaning you will be competing seriously without the tournament feeling stuffy or overly formal.
The tour runs multiple Orders of Merit: the Global OoM, the Senior OoM for players aged 60 and over, the Ladies OoM, the Gross OoM, a UK-specific OoM and an International OoM covering events outside the UK. The Sawgrass Experience counts toward the International and Global OoMs, and qualifiers earn a place at the annual Tour Final staged at a prestigious venue over three or four rounds. For an amateur golfer with any competitive ambition, it is a meaningful result in a meaningful context.
What Is Included
- 5 nights accommodation at the 4-star Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa (twin/double share)
- 5 competitive rounds of golf: 3 x Players Stadium Course, 1 x Dye's Valley, 1 x Marsh Landing Country Club
- Shared buggy for all rounds
- Complimentary range balls
- Forecaddie for each round on the Players Stadium Course
- Daily prizes and overall prizes worth more than £1,500
- All rounds count for the 2026 GAGT Orders of Merit
Flights are not included in the package price.
Event Details at a Glance
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Dates | 1 - 5 December 2026 |
| Entry Fee | £3,087 per person |
| Format | Individual Stableford |
| Rounds | 5 rounds across 3 courses |
| Location | Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA |
| Organiser | Global Amateur Golf Tour |
| Prizes | Daily + overall prizes worth over £1,500 |
Ready to Play Where the Pros Play?
The Sawgrass Experience is one of the standout events on the entire Global Amateur Golf Tour calendar. Three rounds on the Players Stadium Course, a superb supporting programme, luxury on-site accommodation and the full GAGT competitive framework make this a trip that belongs at the very top of any serious golfer's bucket list. December is a wonderful time to visit Florida - warm, sunny and with the course in perfect condition.
