Laguna National's 17th hole is Singapore's answer to TPC Sawgrass

Singapore's answer to the iconic 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass has undergone some subtle changes ahead of the 2024 Porsche Singapore Classic.

One of the most interesting facts about Laguna National Golf Resort Club, is that its 17th island green is a replica of the iconic 17th at TPC Sawgrass, where The PLAYERS was contested last week. The key difference is that it is a slightly longer hole in length than it's American lookalike, playing between 180-200 yards rather than the roughly 130 yards at Sawgrass.

In preparation for this year's tournament, some subtle changes were made in order to give the option of more pin positions. In the video below, DP World Tour Referee Andrew Snoddy explains what's new for 2024.

"It's a similar design in the green, (with) the famous back shelf on the left here that they have in Sawgrass, and this right hand pin position down by the radio," he says.

"In 2023 we couldn't use this area, it was just too severe, and a ball coming down this slope just ran to the fringe. So after the tournament was over last year, we spoke to the team here and we've pushed this fringe back a yard and a half, nearly two yards. That allows us a bit more space so the ball hopefully from a safe shot, let's say, to this area can be putted down this slope.

"It's hard to see on on on camera but this is quite a severe slope down to the ball so when we're setting pin positions, you know a good shot that comes in here and then comes off this slope will go near the hole, but with a shot that's played safe into the middle of green, we still want to give the player the opportunity to be able to get down in two. That is, you know, to get it within around about a putter's length or just under that so they can so hit a putt from what we would call a safe shot here to the centre of the green and be able to get a put down there. A difficult putt, but playable nonetheless."

For similar reasons, the 16th green has also had some reshaping for this year's tournament in order to facilitate another pin position.

Motivated as a direct result of a pin position in 2023, the DP World Tour agreed with the golf club to move the fringe of the green back by roughly a yard and a half to create a fairer challenge for players.

"Back in 2023 we used a pin position just down in this bowl, and when the ball came down off this slope, if it was hit into this bowl you could get it close to the pin, but if you left the ball up here, the ball then rolled down and sort of like a couple of yards left of where Mark (Litton) is standing the fringe came further into the green and the ball ran up against the fringe.

"You couldn't really get a ball to get close if you were putting from up here. So we asked the team here at Laguna to move this fringe back about a yard. In this area here, which you can see, there's a slight difference in colour. They've actually taken the turf up, raised the ground up a bit and then flattened that out a bit so that we have access there for a better pin in 2024."