Inside the course: TPC Deere Run

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TPC Deere Run isn't quite like an other course on TOUR.

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TPC Deere Run isn't quite like any other course on TOUR.

Jul. 5, 2011
By PGA TOUR Staff

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

Course Superintendent	Paul F. Grogan
Original architect	D.A. Weibring (1999)
Course remodel	PGA TOUR Design (2007)
Number of TOUR events as host venue	12 (including 2011)
Course ranking	Ranked 43rd (out of 52 courses) in difficulty on the PGA TOUR in 2010
Yardage history	7,183 yards (2000-2002)
	7,193 yards (2003-2006)
	7,268 yards (2007-2008)
	7,257 (2009)
	7,258 (2010)
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

Player	Hole	Year
Troy Matteson	7	2010
Rocco Mediate	7	2010
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

2010 Rankings

Most Difficult Hole

	This brawny hole is the longest par 4 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. 2010: 0 eagles, 40 birdies, 325 pars, 84 bogeys, 6 double bogeys, 0 others.
Easiest Hole
	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. 2010: 18 eagles, 259 birdies, 151 pars, 21 bogeys, 5 double bogeys and 1 other.

TPC Deere Run			2010 rankings		Last 26 years
Hole	Par	Yards	Avg. Score	Rank	Avg. Score	Rank
1	4	395	3.809	15	3.886	14
2	5	561	4.426	18	4.537	18
3	3	186	3.112	2	3.119	4
4	4	454	3.84	13	3.987	9
5	4	433	3.991	7	3.994	8
6	4	367	4.007	5	3.957	11
7	3	226	2.914	11	2.979	10
8	4	428	3.993	6	4.008	7
9	4	503	4.123	1	4.217	1
10	5	596	4.831	14	4.755	16
11	4	432	3.958	10	4.052	5
12	3	215	2.98	8	3.049	6
13	4	424	3.98	8	3.937	13
14	4	361	3.756	16	3.775	15
15	4	484	4.073	4	4.124	3
16	3	158	2.844	12	2.938	12
17	5	569	4.716	17	4.672	17
18	4	476	4.101	3	4.181	2

Course origins

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. John Deere history, Quad City history, and the property's history all intersect on this 385-acre parcel of land. Erskine Wilson was building his stone house on this land at the very same time a man living 70 miles upstream named John Deere was starting his plow company, at the very same time the communities that would become the Quad Cities were incorporating. The signature hole at the TPC Deere Run is the 16th and is named "Mother Earth." Views like the ones from the 16th tee represent the types of features that have drawn people to the property for centuries. Archeological evidence indicates Native Americans settled and lived on the property 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 early inhabitants enjoyed many sporting activities. Games ranged from lacrosse, which was played in the summer on the large grassy expanses on the property, to snow snake races in the winter where a crooked stick called the "snake" was thrown down a steep hill as each player attempted to send his snake the farthest. The 16th hole is dedicated to these early inhabitants, to pay tribute to the spirit of respect and competition they first brought there. -- Source: Golf Course Superintendents Association of America

Tournament course history

Course	Location	Years
Crow Valley CC	Bettendorf, Iowa	1972-1974
Oakwood CC	Coal Valley, Ill.	1975-1999
TPC Deere Run	Silvis, Ill.	2000-present

This week's Kodak Challenge hole

HOLE: The par-5, 557-yard 17th at TPC Deere Run
LAST YEAR: The 17th played to a stroke average of 4.716, with players recording 10 eagles, 158 birdies, 242 pars, 41 bogeys and 4 double bogeys.
DESCRIPTION: It's reachable in two for big hitters, but they will have to perfectly place a tee ball on this slight dogleg left to do it. The fairway is tight, tree-lined and canted in the landing area. The green is guarded in front by bunkers, some quite short of the green to throw off your perspective. The green is elevated slightly with Pinehurst No. 2-style bentgrass collection areas all around. Miss the green, and you will have a very tough up-and-down. (Click here for TPC Deere Run tour)