“A birdie-fest wedge derby where the short irons decide the paycheck.”
Deere Run is a soft-scoring track: eight holes flagged opportunity and a par-71 layout where the winning number routinely dips into the 20-under range. Approach distances run short across the board (elite average just 131.4 yds/shot), so this is a wedge and short-iron proximity contest, not a bombers' bash. Target birdie-or-better machines who feed off scorable setups; the three long par 3s (4, 7, 16) are the only real place to bleed shots. Back precision iron play and a hot putter on the pure bentgrass.
Sharp iron players who convert the wedge holes and stay clean on the penalty par 3s. Distance is a minor edge here — the elite drive tier only shaves approach yardage to 131.4/shot, and that control matters more than power.
Bank birdies on the opportunity stretch (3, 6, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 17) and avoid the double at 4/7/16.
Solid all-rounders who make birdies but leave a few conversions on the table. The 10-yard bump in approach distance (141.6/shot) costs proximity on scorable looks.
Hit fairways to unlock aggressive wedge lines and keep the card bogey-free.
Shorter drivers pushed to 150.9-yard average approaches — a meaningful gap on a course that rewards close-range dart-throwing. They can hang if the putter runs hot but ceiling is capped.
Manage the long par 3s and steal a couple on the par 5s to keep pace.
| Hole | Par | Yds | Elite | Mid | Bottom | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 4 | 433 | 1189i / 8i | 1319i / 8i | 1438i / 7i | Not a birdie hole; just avoid the early mistake. |
| #2 | 4 | 465 | 1508i / 7i | 1637i / 6i | 1757i / 6i | Longest approach on the front at 150-175 yds into a 465-yard par 4. One of the tougher two-shotters — a par is a good number here. |
| #3 | 4 | 407 | 92PW / 9i | 105PW / 9i | 1179i / 8i | First real scoring chance of the round. |
| #4 | 3 | 199 | 1996i / 5i | 1996i / 5i | 1996i / 5i | Primary front-nine bogey trap. |
| #5 | 4 | 466 | 1518i / 7i | 1647i / 6i | 1767i / 6i | 466-yard par 4 with a 151-176 approach. Along with 2, the toughest neutral hole — play for the fat of the green. |
| #6 | 5 | 545 | 95PW / 9i | 108PW / 9i | 1209i / 8i | Elite tier plays this as a two-shot par 5. |
| #7 | 3 | 197 | 1976i / 5i | 1976i / 5i | 1976i / 5i | 197-yard penalty par 3. Second of the trio that can wreck a round — commit to center and bank par. |
| #8 | 4 | 384 | 69SW / PW | 82SW / PW | 94PW / 9i | One of the best scoring holes on the property. |
| #9 | 5 | 578 | 110PW / 9i | 1239i / 8i | 1359i / 8i | 578-yard par 5, opportunity flag, leaving 110-135 for the approach. Birdie or better closes the front in style. |
| #10 | 4 | 424 | 109PW / 9i | 1229i / 8i | 1349i / 8i | Momentum hole to start the back nine. |
| #11 | 3 | 174 | 1747i / 6i | 1747i / 6i | 1747i / 6i | Shortest par 3 at 174 yards, neutral flag. Very makeable — a legit birdie chance among the one-shotters. |
| #12 | 4 | 445 | 1309i / 8i | 1438i / 7i | 1558i / 7i | 445-yard par 4, mid-iron in (130-155). Neutral hole — solid par, don't force it. |
| #13 | 4 | 469 | 1548i / 7i | 1677i / 6i | 1797i / 6i | 469 yards with the longest back-nine approach (154-179). Toughest hole coming home — take par gladly. |
| #14 | 4 | 412 | 97PW / 9i | 110PW / 9i | 1229i / 8i | Prime birdie window in the closing stretch. |
| #15 | 4 | 355 | 45GW / SW | 58GW / SW | 70SW / PW | Shortest approach on the card; birdie percentage spikes here. |
| #16 | 3 | 233 | 2334i / hybrid | 2334i / hybrid | 2334i / hybrid | Toughest hole on the course and a late killer. |
| #17 | 5 | 552 | 100PW / 9i | 113PW / 9i | 1259i / 8i | 552-yard par 5, opportunity flag, wedge for the third (100-125). Get birdie in your pocket before the close. |
| #18 | 4 | 458 | 1438i / 7i | 1568i / 7i | 1687i / 6i | Longer approach makes this the hardest of the closing holes. |
Long par 4s — 200+ yard approaches for shorter hitters
Wedge approaches + par 5s — birdie targets across all tiers
With approach averages of 131-151 yds and eight opportunity flags, proximity from 100-150 yards is the single biggest edge. Prioritize elite short-iron proximity and birdie-or-better metrics over off-the-tee power.
Elite distance only trims the approach to 131.4/shot vs 141.6 for mid — a small edge that means little if the iron game and putter aren't sharp. Length without wedge control is fool's gold here.
This is a track where winners go low and stack red numbers. Lean into players in scoring form on bentgrass with high birdie-or-better rates rather than grinders who profit from carnage.
Holes 4, 7, and 16 (199/197/233 yds) are the only flagged penalty holes and everyone hits the same clubs. Player props tied to par-3 performance or bogey avoidance can find value on strong iron players who defend these.
Par-71 with this many scorable holes points to a deep winning number. Consider the under on winning score / 72-hole betting matchups favoring aggressive scorers over cautious plodders.
TPC Deere Run is a birdie machine dressed as a par 71 — half the holes wave you in with a wedge, and the field will bury it in red. Ignore the driving-distance tiers as a headline stat; the money is made on short-iron proximity, putting on true bentgrass, and simply not giving strokes back on the three long par 3s. Back the sharp-scoring wedge artists and let the bombers who can't putt drift off the board.
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