Payne’s Valley’s island finish leaves a year of lost balls to count

Big Cedar Golf has turned the water around Payne’s Valley’s bonus 19th hole into a guessing challenge. In an October 1 post, the course operator said every golf ball recovered from the pond after one year had been counted and invited golfers to guess the total for a chance at a foursome.

The operator’s post does not state the recovered-ball total. The count concerns balls recovered over that period; it does not establish how many golfers played the hole or what share of their shots found the water.

The hole is the par-three finish known as “The Big Rock.” Big Cedar describes it as an extra hole at the base of a limestone wall with flowing waterfalls, a place for groups to settle a closest-to-the-pin contest after the round.

Although Payne’s Valley is Tiger Woods’ first public TGR Design course in the United States, the design firm credits Johnny Morris with the 19th hole. TGR’s course overview describes an island green surrounded by streams and waterfalls beneath exposed rock walls. That setting makes the accumulated lost-ball count an unusually tangible measure of the challenge golfers encounter at the finish.

The larger course was named for Payne Stewart. Its design emphasizes wide fairways, strategic approach angles and options around the greens, according to TGR. The island-green bonus hole adds a different final target after the championship layout.

Big Cedar’s giveaway page advertises a foursome, with prizes subject to terms, conditions and blackout dates. The visible form requests a guess, name, email and ZIP code, and says submitting an email agrees to ongoing communications and offers from the resort. It does not display a closing date or a complete set of eligibility rules.