The Cognizant Classic and the Bear Trap

The event

The Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches — formerly the Honda Classic — is held annually in late February at PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens. It opens the PGA Tour's Florida Swing and has been contested at PGA National since 2007.

The tournament is one of the Tour's most reliable producers of dramatic finishes, primarily because of three holes.

The Bear Trap

Jack Nicklaus redesigned the Champion Course in 1990, and again in 2014. His signature contribution is the closing stretch known as the Bear Trap — holes 15, 16, and 17.

• 15th — 179-yard par 3. Water short and right. Wind off the Intracoastal makes club selection a genuine gamble.
• 16th — 434-yard par 4. Water down the right side the entire length of the hole.
• 17th — 190-yard par 3. Water left and long. The green is shallow and slopes toward the hazard.

A plaque near the 15th tee reads, in Nicklaus's words, that the stretch should be a test of nerve. It is. In tournament conditions with wind, the Bear Trap has produced scoring averages well over par and multiple tournament-losing collapses on live television.

The 18th, a 556-yard par 5 reachable in two, offers redemption — which is precisely why the finish is so watchable.

Attending

When: Late February, annually. The Cognizant Classic opens the Florida Swing.

Tickets: Available through the tournament site. February in Palm Beach is peak season — book accommodation early.

Where to stay: PGA National Resort is on-site. Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, and North Palm Beach are all within 15 minutes. West Palm Beach is 20 minutes.

Getting there: Palm Beach International (PBI) is 20 minutes. Fort Lauderdale (FLL) is an hour, Miami (MIA) is 90 minutes.

Best viewing: The Bear Trap. Spectator positioning around the 15th and 17th greens gives you the tournament's decisive moments. The 16th fairway is more spread out.

Charity: The tournament has a long-running charitable component supporting Palm Beach County organizations, including Nicklaus Children's Health Care Foundation initiatives.

Playing PGA National

PGA National Resort is a full-service resort with five courses. The Champion Course — the tournament course — is open to resort guests and public play outside tournament week.

• Champion Course — 7,056 yards, par 72. The Bear Trap. The headline.
• The Staple Course — a genuinely fun short course (par 3s), designed for pace and variety.
• The Match Course — Andy Staples redesign, 2020.
• The Fazio Course and The Palmer Course — quality second-round options.

PGA National is also the headquarters of the PGA of America's Florida operations and has a substantial golf instruction and fitting infrastructure.

Best time to play: November through April. Summer is early-morning only.

The Nicklaus connection

Jack Nicklaus lives in nearby North Palm Beach and has been involved with PGA National's course design for decades. The Bear Trap is his most visible contribution to public-access golf in Florida, and the name is a direct reference to his nickname. The Nicklaus Children's Health Care Foundation, based in Palm Beach County, is a major beneficiary of golf philanthropy in the region.