Inside the course: Learn more about TPC Deere Run

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Tim Clark hits a shot at TPC Deere Run in the 2007 John Deere Classic.

Jul. 8, 2008
By Jamie Batey, Special to PGATOUR.com

TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Ill., is the host of this week's John Deere Classic. Here's all you need to know about the course.

Fast facts

Original architect	D.A. Weibring(1999)
Course remodel	PGA TOUR Design (2007)
Course Superintendents	Dustin Peterson and Josh Gibson
Number of TOUR events as host venue	9 (including 2008)
Course ranking	Ranked 42nd (out of 55 courses) in difficulty on the PGA TOUR in 2007
Yardage history	7,183 yards (2000-2002)
	7,193 yards (2003-2006)
	7,268 yards (2007-present)
Grass	Bentgrass (tees, fairways, greens); Kentucky bluegrass (rough)
Tournament Stimpmeter	11 feet
Sand bunkers	78
Water hazards	3
Course tour	Click here

Course record

Player
J.P. Hayes

Year
2002

Round
2nd

Finish
1st

Holes-in-one

There have been 10 aces recorded during John Deere Classic competition at TPC Deere Run.

Player	Hole	Year
Woody Austin	3	2000
Greg Chalmers	7	2004
Jay Delsing	7	2005
David Gossett	12	2004
Mark Hensby	3	2004
Matt Kuchar	7	2005
Brad Lardon	7	2002
Shigeki Maruyama	3	2005
John Rollins	7	2004
Willie Wood	16	2004

2007 Rankings

Most Difficult Hole in 2007

	The par-4 503-yard 9th This brawny hole is the longest par 4 on the course and a severe test of strategy and ball placement. You may just want to bite the bullet here, play it as a three-shot hole and try to make a one-putt par. A level landing area for your drive will leave you with a very long approach shot through the suddenly-tight forest and over a roller coaster fairway to a long and narrow tree-shrouded, slightly elevated green that has bunkers on both sides. Most people will play this with three shots, whether they want to or not. And course designer D.A. Weibring knows it, too -- that's why he put a fairway bunker 100 yards from the green. 2007: 0 eagles, 52 birdies, 302 pars, 88 bogeys, 11 double bogeys and 1 other.
Easiest hole in 2007
	The par-5 561-yard 2nd A downhill tee shot to a fairway some 50 feet below makes this hole play shorter than its listed length. The spectacular view from the tee box to the Rock River ahead of you looks like a postcard. A good drive down the left side close to the bunker and you'll have a shot at reaching this one in two. If you play it as a three-shotter, the secondary landing area is lay-up friendly. The entrance to the green, though, is tight and is guarded by a wetland left, bunkers and a strand of trees right. The smallish, two-tiered green was designed to make pinpoint accuracy a must. By the way, the headquarters of the John Deere Classic is the historic stone house to the right of the green. 2007: 9 eagles, 189 birdies, 213 pars, 43 bogeys, 0 double bogeys, 0 others.

TPC Deere Run			2007 rankings		Last eight years
Hole	Par	Yards	Avg. Score	Rank	Avg. score	Rank
1	4	395	3.866	14	3.90	14
2	5	561	4.639	18	4.56	18
3	3	186	3.132	2	3.12	4
4	4	454	3.907	12	4.01	7
5	4	433	4.024	6	3.99	10
6	4	367	4.002	9	3.95	12
7	3	226	3.018	7	3.00	9
8	4	428	4.002	9	4.01	8
9	4	503	4.134	1	4.23	1
10	5	596	4.767	17	4.75	16
11	4	432	4.070	5	4.08	5
12	3	215	3.015	8	3.06	6
13	4	424	3.954	11	3.93	13
14	4	361	3.813	15	3.79	15
15	4	484	4.106	4	4.13	3
16	3	158	2.877	13	2.96	11
17	5	569	4.775	16	4.67	17
18	4	476	4.128	3	4.18	2

NOTES: Of the 55 courses played on TOUR in 2007, TPC Deere Run was 42nd in difficulty.
• With a slightly elevated green and bunkers on both sides, not to mention the fairway bunker 100 yards from the green, the 9th hole is ranked the most difficult on the course.
• Although there has only been one recorded hole in one on the par-3 hole 16, it is ranked the 5th easiest hole out of all par-3's on TOUR in 2007.
• Out of all 55 courses in 2007, the 11th hole at TPC Deere Run ranked as the 19th hardest 11th hole on the PGA TOUR.

Course origins

All 18 holes at TPC Deere Run were given a special name that ties in to the history of the land and surrounding area. The idea for naming the holes and telling a story on each tee started with the understanding that this piece of property has a tremendous tale to tell. The land's past includes Native American settlements, farming operations, and, most recently, was home to one of the top horse and cattle breeding programs in the country.

The signature hole at TPC Deere Run is No. 16, which sits on a 40-foot bluff above the Rock River. From the 16th tee, TOUR golfers are treated to the spectacular views that have drawn people to this property for centuries. Archeological evidence indicates that Native Americans may have arrived and settled on this land as far back as 5,000 years ago. To Native Americans, the land is a living being called Mother Earth, who cares for all her children by providing food, shelter, beauty and a place for contest and play. The 16th hole, named "Mother Earth", is dedicated to these early inhabitants and pays tribute to the spirit of respect and competition they first brought to the area. -- Source: Golf Course Superintendents Association of America

Tournament course history