In 2023, it was announced that Honda would bow out as a PGA Tour sponsor after 42 years. That left one of the circuit's big Florida Swing events, the Honda Classic, needing a new backer, and it found one in time for the 2024 season, when it was renamed the Cognizant Classic.
One thing that didn't change during that transition was the venue for the tournament - PGA National's Champion Course, which has been its permanent home since 2007.
In fact, the Champion Course is one of five 18-hole layouts at PGA National, the others being The Fazio, The Palmer, The Estates and The Match, while there is also a nine-hole course, The Staple. However, for several reasons, the Champion Course is the most revered.
As well as regularly welcoming the best the world has to offer for the tournament it hosts, it is also one of the hardest courses on the PGA Tour. But how hard? Well, per Data Golf, which offers a statistical breakdown of each Shotlink-equipped PGA Tour course since the 2015 season, it had a scoring average of +1.41 between 2015 and 2025. Blue Golf, also states the course also has a slope rating of 144 and a course rating of 75.4, further emphasizing just how difficult a challenge it presents.
Partly, that's down to players regularly facing windy conditions, making club selection difficult. Even on a still day, accuracy off the tee is also paramount for finding its narrow fairways, while there is water to be found throughout.
Perhaps the biggest draw of the Champion Course is that it's also home to one of the golf's most treacherous stretches – The Bear Trap, comprising holes 15, 16 and 17.
TV viewers will be reminded throughout the coverage of how hard ‘The Bear Trap’ is, which is named after Golden Bear Jack Nicklaus, who redesigned the Champion Course in 1990.
As if to accentuate its perilous nature, a plaque reading, "It should be won or lost right here" sits next to a huge statue of a bear to mark its beginning. The Bear Trap features a pair of par 3s between a brutally tough par 4 featuring a carry over water.
Previous winners of the PGA event the Champions Course hosts have included Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, Adam Scott, Padraig Harrington and Rory McIlroy. Going back further you'll find the names of Ernie Els, Tom Kite, and 18-time Major winner Nicklaus on the trophy.
The good news is you can follow in their footsteps, although booking a tee time requires some planning. That's because PGA National is reserved for members and resort guests.
The easiest way to play the Champion Course is to book a getaway at the resort, where a stay will cost anywhere from around $280 to over $1,500 per person per night, depending on the time of the year you visit. Group options are also available.
There are also membership packages for PGA National, ranging from those that offer access to all six courses to more limited options. Anyone interested can inquire via an online form on the official website.
Green fees for guests, meanwhile, can reportedly reach around $450 in high season, as well as a $70 forecaddie fee.
PGA National Location
Can The Public Play PGA National?
The public can play all six courses at PGA National, including the Champion Course, but to do so requires either being a guest at the resort, a member of a guest of a member.
What Is The Best Course At PGA National?
Of the resort's six courses, the Champion Course is the most celebrated thanks to it having hosted the PGA Tour's Cognizant Classic since 2007. It is also one of the hardest courses on the PGA Tour and contains famous three-hole stretch The Bear Trap.
