If you’ve ever sat on your couch in late February, shivering while watching golf on TV, you’ve probably seen it. That stretch of three holes where pro golfers—the best in the world—suddenly start looking like they’ve never swung a club before. They’re hitting balls into the water. They’re making triple bogeys. They're staring at the sky in disbelief.
That place is PGA National Resort, and specifically, the Champion Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. This is where the Cognizant Classic is played, and honestly, it’s one of the meanest stretches of turf on the entire PGA Tour.
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The Champion Course: Where Is Cognizant Classic Played?
The short answer is Palm Beach Gardens. But it’s not just "Florida golf." It’s a specific kind of torture designed by Tom and George Fazio and later sharpened into a weapon by Jack Nicklaus. The course is located at 400 Avenue of the Champions, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418.
For the 2026 season, the tournament is scheduled for February 26 through March 1. If you're planning to head down there, you’re looking at the opening act of the "Florida Swing." This is when the tour moves from the west coast's grassy hills to the windy, water-heavy, "don't-miss-the-green" reality of the Sunshine State.
The Identity Crisis: From Honda to Cognizant
Most fans still accidentally call this the "Honda Classic." You can’t really blame them. Honda sponsored this thing for 42 years—the longest title sponsorship in tour history. But in late 2023, Cognizant (the IT giant) stepped in to save the day when Honda decided to bow out.
It’s basically the same tournament, the same brutal course, and the same legendary "Bear Trap." The only thing that’s really changed is the logo on the hats and the names on the leaderboard.
Why the Location Matters (The Bear Trap)
When people ask where is Cognizant Classic played, they aren't usually asking for the GPS coordinates. They want to know about the 15th, 16th, and 17th holes.
Jack Nicklaus famously said, "It should be won or lost right here." He wasn't kidding. These three holes are a gauntlet of water and wind.
- Hole 15: A par 3 that’s almost all water. If the wind is blowing (and it’s always blowing), players are just praying to find dry land.
- Hole 16: A par 4 where the water hugs the right side like a hungry alligator.
- Hole 17: Another par 3. It looks short. It looks easy. It isn't. It’s a tiny target surrounded by a lot of "wet."
Since 2007, when the tournament moved to PGA National, the Bear Trap has claimed thousands of golf balls. Seriously. It’s a graveyard for Titleists.
A History of Moving Around
The Cognizant Classic hasn't always been at PGA National. It’s had more homes than a traveling circus.
It started way back in 1972 as Jackie Gleason’s Inverrary Classic. For years, it bounced around Broward County. It went to TPC Eagle Trace, then Weston Hills, then TPC Heron Bay. It even spent a few years at Mirasol.
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But since 2007, it has stayed put at the Champion Course. Why? Because the players (and the fans) love the drama of a course that actually fights back. In an era where guys are hitting 350-yard drives and shooting 25-under par, the Cognizant Classic is a rare event where par actually means something. Joe Highsmith won in 2025 at -19, but in many years, you’re lucky to hit double digits under par.
How to Get There and What to Expect
If you’re actually going in 2026, here’s the deal. Palm Beach Gardens is about an hour and twenty minutes north of Miami. It’s the heart of "Pro Golfer Territory." Dozens of PGA Tour pros live within a 15-minute drive of the course.
- Parking: You generally can't park at the resort. You’ll be looking for off-site lots (often at Dyer Park) and taking a shuttle.
- The Vibe: It’s basically a massive outdoor party. The Bear Trap (the area between the 16th green and 17th tee) is loud. It’s rowdy. It’s the Florida version of the 16th hole at Scottsdale.
- Tickets: Daily grounds passes for 2026 started around $30 for practice rounds and jumped significantly for the weekend.
Expert Insight: Why This Course Is Different
Most Florida courses are flat and rely on water hazards for difficulty. The Champion Course does that, but it also uses "The Palm Beach Wind." Because the course is relatively close to the Atlantic, the wind swirls. A 5-iron that would normally go 200 yards might suddenly fall 20 yards short because of a gust nobody felt on the tee box.
That’s why the Cognizant Classic usually produces winners who are "grinders." You don't see many "fluke" winners here. You see guys like Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy, and Rickie Fowler—players who can control their ball flight in the wind.
Practical Steps for Fans
If you're following the tournament or planning a trip to where the Cognizant Classic is played, keep these points in mind:
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- Check the Schedule: Competition rounds for 2026 are Feb 26 – March 1.
- Study the 10th Hole: They recently turned it into a par 5 to give players a "breather" before the back-nine carnage. It changed the dynamic of the scoring significantly.
- Hydrate: It’s late February, but South Florida in the sun is no joke. The "Gardens Neighborhood" on the course offers plenty of shaded spots, but they fill up fast.
- Watch the 15th: If you can only watch one hole, sit at the 15th green. You'll see everything from holes-in-one to total collapses.
The Cognizant Classic remains the crown jewel of Palm Beach County sports. It’s a week where the quiet, manicured streets of Palm Beach Gardens turn into the center of the golfing universe, and the Champion Course reminds everyone why it’s one of the hardest tests in the game.