California, USA
PGA West - Stadium Course
Course Highlight
Pete Dye's ultimate test of golf, famous for its island-green par-3 17th 'Alcatraz' and 19-foot-deep bunkers, opening in 1987 with a record USGA course rating of 77.1—so brutally difficult that tour pros petitioned to remove it from tournament rotation.
Tournament History
Bob Hope Classic (1987), The American Express (2016-2023), Skins Game (1986-1991)
About the Course
When the Stadium Course debuted on the PGA Tour in 1987, it was deemed so brutally challenging that tour pros collectively signed a petition to remove it from rotation—a banishment that lasted until 2016. Today, it ranks among Golf Digest's Top 50 Toughest Courses in America and holds the 49th spot on America's 100 Greatest Public Courses, transforming from 'too difficult to play' to 'must conquer' in golf lore. The 17th hole, 'Alcatraz,' represents Pete Dye's second interpretation of an island green concept: a 168-yard par-3 played from an elevated tee to a larger island framed by rocks instead of railroad ties, blending seamlessly with the surrounding desert mountains. Lee Trevino famously made a hole-in-one here to clinch a Skins Game victory, while David Duval shot a course-record 59 in 1999. Lakes carved into desert wilderness, strategic rock formations, and undulating greens test courage and precision on every hole—which explains why it took professional golfers nearly three decades to fully embrace this uncompromising masterpiece.