Exquisite design, outstanding conditioning and a reverence for nature are the hallmarks of truly great golf courses, and TPC Blue Monster at Doral is no exception.

Originally designed by noted architect Dick Wilson, the TPC Blue Monster Course has been modified and updated during the past 20 years to meet the demands of the PGA TOUR by three-time Doral champion and Hall of Famer Raymond Floyd and world-renowned golf instructor Jim McLean.  The result is a compelling par-72, 7,125-yard masterpiece considered among the best resort layouts in the U.S., meticulously maintained to PGA TOUR standards. 

Crafted to fit seamlessly into the Miami landscape, the course features long fairways, undulating greens, a deep Bermuda rough and a unique assortment of water hazards.  The famous 18th hole, with its signature fountain, was ranked by Golf Magazine as one of the “Top 100 Holes in the World.”  Virtually every great name in golf has tested their skills on this world-class track, which has hosted prestigious PGA TOUR events for 45 years.

Raymond Floyd

During Raymond Floyd’s competitive career, he built an impressive portfolio of titles, including every major championship on American soil on both the PGA TOUR and Champions Tour.  This includes four Majors – the 1976 Masters, the 1965 and 1982 PGA Championship, and the 1986 U.S. Open.  He has won 22 PGA TOUR victories, including three Doral Opens, the Tournament Players Championship, the Memorial and the World Open.  During his eight years as a member of the U.S. Ryder Cup Team, the squad suffered only one defeat.  Even today, Floyd remains one of the top point earners in U.S. Ryder Cup history.

Floyd uses the same determination and imagination that produced crucial shots under pressure to create unique, strategically exciting golf courses through Raymond Floyd Design.  His extensive travels, masterful shot-making and superior strategic skills provide him with a vast knowledge of the qualities that make great golf courses.  Floyd draws on these experiences to create golf courses with all the benefits of modern golf course architecture, but with a focus on traditional philosophies.  Among the many golf courses he has designed or remodeled are Raptor Bay Golf Club in Bonita Springs, FL; Arrow Head Country Club in Myrtle Beach, SC; TPC Las Vegas; Old Palm Beach Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, FL; Turnberry Isle Resort and Club in Aventura, FL; and the practice facility at Augusta National in Augusta, GA.

Jim McLean

World renowned golf instructor Jim McLean relied on his experience teaching many of the world’s top players as well as his first-hand experience as a competitive player to craft the Blue Monster Course in collaboration with Raymond Floyd.  McLean is probably best known for his research on the golf swing and his work on The X-Factor, which describes in detail body motions, body angles and body positions.  His Eight Step video is the all-time best-selling video on The Golf Channel, as well as the all-time #1 golf DVD in America. 

McLean has taught more than 100 PGA TOUR, LPGA and Champions Tour players including Hal Sutton, Brad Faxon, Tom Kite, Sergio Garcia, Curtis Strange, Cristie Kerr, Ben Crenshaw, Jerry Pate, Gary Player and Steve Elkington.  He has been an instruction editor for Golf Digest since 1997, is a PGA Master Professional, and is a member of numerous industry committees.

McLean’s playing achievements include being one of the few people to qualify for the U.S. Junior, the U.S. Amateur (four times), the U.S. Open (twice) and the U.S. Senior Open.  He has also been a contestant in the Masters, where he made the cut.  Winner of the Northwest Open and a three-time winner of the Pacific Northwest Amateur, McLean qualified for the National Club Pro Championships 10 times.  He also was an All-American at the University of Houston and has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics.

By far the most notable hole on the TPC Blue Monster Course is its par-4, 449-yard 18th, one of the most celebrated golf holes in the world.  Featuring its signature fountain, the premium is on a solid and straight tee shot with water running the length of the left side and Bermuda rough and palms protecting the right side.  The tee shot leads to a narrow landing area with the prevailing wind coming into play.  One of the most memorable tournament moments on #18 came in 1995 during the Doral Open, when Nick Faldo and Greg Norman – both in their prime – battled in a head-to-head duel.  Faldo hit his tee shot into the water left off the tee and had to drop with a penalty stroke.  He then played a slashing bold three-wood shot out over the lake, cutting it into the headwind and onto the green, making a great bogey five to beat Norman by one shot.