The Match course may only be booked as part of a "Stay & Play" package. Please see the "PGA National Resort & Spa - Stay & Play" listing on the lodging page for details.

Perhaps the most highly-anticipated new golf course opening in the U.S. this year, Andy Staples’ “The Match” is a golf course is a truly distinct golf experience that is destined to generate spirited conversation among golf course design enthusiasts for years to come, while also providing a canvas for players of all abilities to enjoy all the thrills of golf — albeit in a non-traditional setting.

The Match Course combines classic golf course design principles with a radical take on format. Here you’ll get to experience a modern twist on the “Template” holes that inspired golden age golf architecture’s foremost names including Seth Raynor, C.B. MacDonald and Donald Ross. As far as competitive format, the intention is for you and your playing partners to engage in some type of match play, be it best ball, foursomes, skins, whatever. The hole’s winner (or loser — again, you decide) gets to choose the tee location for the next hole, introducing a strategic element to the competition you won’t find anywhere else. And if you’re on a bit of a time crunch, not to worry. House rules dictate that players who are “out of the hole” are expected to pick up, meaning you can count on a fast round at 3 hours or less.

The Match’s turfgrass is cut to fairway height across the entire playing area to place an emphasis on the ground game. Creative approaches and strategic chipping areas present multiple options for trajectory and strategy around the green. Hazards are minimal, with fewer than 20 natural rough-hewn, irregular-edged bunkers in play to keep things fun!