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THE PLAYERS Championship

Alanna Salussolia

Updated: Jan 14

On my birthday one year, I had the opportunity to attend a HYPE HYPE HYPE event that is a major part of Jacksonville’s culture and the worldwide golfing community. I went to watch a bit of golf on May 13th, 2017, in Ponte Vedra.


Golf Jargon

The fascinating event is known as THE PLAYERS Championship, part of the PGA TOUR, and takes place at the Tournament Players Club Sawgrass (TPC Sawgrass). So, that's PLAYERS, PGA, and TPC. Got it?


Prior to this event, my only golfing exposure consisted of mini-golf adventures and hitting some balls on a snowy, shutdown neighborhood golf course in Kansas. I don’t watch golf on TV, and I still have the inclination to ask who is going to win the game? I’m learning to replace game with match, but, again this is very outside my realm. About a year attending , web.com had me writing about some of the golfers which includes bios and some basic intro page copy. Those were some rough waters, let me tell you. It was one thing to work on Leonard Fournette's site, but something completely different to reference Jordan Spieth or Xander Schauffele. May the adventures in writing continue!

Seek cover and cuisine in the tents.

Ponte Vedra Golf Fashion Flash Mob

These were the days of the web.com TPC partnership. Working for Web.com's Agency team came with the fantastic perk of free tickets to this event as well as entrance into the fancy tent, complete with a catered meal and refreshing beverages. My friend Megan agreed to join me, so we headed out that Saturday to brave the traffic.


We spent a little over an hour inching down A1A toward the parking lot. Not too shabby considering that locals say this tournament totally takes over the entire coastal area. Residents tend to get frustrated and avoid this area as much as possible - if they aren't attending themselves. I suppose Orlando locals could compare this to avoiding I-drive year round. Or maybe getting stuck by SR 50 and I-4 during the Florida Classic weekend (while Bethune-Cookman University and Florida A&M face off, there's an unofficial car show that gets a bit bananas).


Alanna & Megan’s first tournament.

We finally arrived for The Players Championship and I had my snappy new hat ready to provide some shade for the bright North Florida afternoon. The sun was doing a little of it’s Florida hide and seek dance with light showers and bright sunbeams back and forth.


One of the things about golf that has always intrigued me is the attire of both the players and onlookers. I totally die for those old school looks with argyle socks, curious hats, slacks of all sorts of lengths, khakis covered with tiny boats or seersucker pants. It’s also a fabulous juxtaposition of glamorous and practical clothing choices. It’s going to be hot. You’re walking for miles. But people still dress all the way up with wide-brimmed hats and floor-length dresses. So many men shuffle around dripping sweat in polos. It’s like a prep school got out of class and headed straight to Disney.


TPC Sawgrass Providing a Regal Vantage Point

It is such a beautiful course. The tents were set up high with some stadium seating so you could take a large view in. The little hills rippled over the landscapes. Pretty trees stretched over the sidewalks and provided cool shade. For all I knew, I was a queen of Cair Paravel.


I only spent part of the day interloping on this occasion. I got to stay hushed and watch a few players make very studied decisions, while people held their breath. Even the facial composure of the players was so different than so many other athletes.


Replace the high fives and hugs celebrating after basketball hoops with a simple tightening of the jawline. I also had no earthly idea where the balls landed with every swing, so it reminded me of how soccer games inch forth and back in the middle of the field and can go hours with no score change. Of course each athlete is on their own here, but would watching one play straight through be a constant game of chasing them across the course? I wonder. Perhaps I’ll learn more about watching golf with the next tournament I attend.



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