Any time you and your friends go to tee it up for a round, there are numerous hazards that come into play on a golf course.
Sure, there are bunkers and trees and thick rough, but water hazards are some of the most pesky and troublesome.
Look no further than Rickie Fowler during the third round of the 2022 FedEx St. Jude Championship. Needing a strong finish to advance to next week’s BMW Championship, he put two consecutive shots in the water on 18 at TPC Southwind.
If you take a look at the four golf courses that swallowed up the most golf balls on the PGA Tour since 2003, one of those tracks includes a famous island green. That’s probably not a surprise.
The others may not be what you expect, but it may still be shocking how many times PGA Tour pros hit golf balls into the water.
Check out these courses below:
4 PGA National Resort (The Champion)
Shane Lowry of Ireland plays his shot on the 16th hole during the final round of The Honda Classic at PGA National Resort And Spa on February 27, 2022 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
4,730
The Champion course at PGA National Resort is host of the Honda Classic, and 4,730 golf balls have found the water here in the past 20 years. considering it’s a course in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, water wreaking havoc on golfers should come as no surprise.
3 Muirfield Village Golf Club
General view of the 16th hole during the final round of The Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club on June 5, 2016 in Dublin, Ohio. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)
4,753
Jack’s place, Muirfield Villace Golf Club, hosts The Memorial Tournament every year, and it has also hosted a Presidents Cup and two Tour events in back-to-back weeks during the 2020 season. 4,753 golf balls have found the water here on its tricky layout.
2 TPC Sawgrass (Stadium Course)
A general view of the 18th hole during practice a round prior to THE Players Championship at the TPC Sawgrass Stadium course on March 07, 2022 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
4,809
The site of the Players Championship, in Ponta Vedra Beach, Florida, should come as no surprise, considering the famous 17th hole island green, but plenty of other water lurks on the famous Pete Dye layout. 4,809 golf balls have found the water in the last two decades.
1 TPC Southwind
A general view of the 18th green during the final round of the FedEx St. Jude Classic at the TPC Southwind on June 11, 2017 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Marianna Massey/Getty Images)
5,989
Surprise! The site of the first 2022 FedEx Cup Playoff event, TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, sees more golf balls hit into the water than any other stop on the PGA Tour. Water lurks in numerous spots, including left of the 18th fairway, and it could prove pivotal in crowning a champion of the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
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