Frederick Stephen Couples, born October 3, 1959, is an professional golfer on the PGA Tour. Because of his long drives (especially when he was a younger player), he was given the nickname "Boom Boom." Couples was born in Seattle, Washington. He first played golf on Seattle's public golf courses (developing his signature loose, rhythmic swing in order to gain enough distance to keep up with the older kids), he attended O'Dea High School and later the University of Houston, where he roomed with Blaine McCallister (another future PGA Tour player) and CBS television broadcaster Jim Nantz. His first PGA Tour victory came at the 1983 Kemper Open. He has amassed 15 total PGA TOUR victories, including the Players Championship twice and The Masters Tournament in 1992, his only Major Championship victory.Couples has been named the PGA Tour Player of the Year twice, in 1991 and 1992. He also won the Vardon Trophy for lowest scoring average each of those years. He has been named to the United States Ryder Cup team five times (1989, 1991, 1993, 1995 and 1997).In 1992, Couples spent 16 weeks at the number one spot in the Official World Golf Rankings, after one of the hottest starts to a season by a PGA Tour player ever. Starting with the Nissan Los Angeles Open (where he defeated Davis Love III in a playoff), Fred won two tournaments and finished second in two others (plus broke the course record at the TPC at Sawgrass with a third-round 63 in The Players Championship) in the five weeks leading up to The Masters. At Augusta, Couples carried over his momentum, shooting in the 60s in each of the first three rounds to hold second place heading into Sunday. After a shaky start to his final round that allowed 49-year-old Raymond Floyd to claim the lead, Fred took it back with 18- and 20-foot birdie putts at the 8th and 9th holes, respectively, then saved par on a slick 6-footer at 10. At 12 (perhaps the scariest par-3 in the world), Couples barely cleared Rae's Creek in front of the green, but his ball stuck in the rough instead of rolling backwards into the hazard. Sensing that destiny was on his side, Couples held off Floyd the rest of the way, completing Augusta's treacherous back nine with eight pars and one birdie to win his first Major. The win pushed Fred past the $1 million mark in earnings on the season as well, by far the fastest any player had reached that plateau.Couples is sometimes called "Mr. Skins" because of his dominance in the Skins Game. He has won the event five times, accumulating US $3,515,000 and 77 skins in 11 appearances. He won five of the Skins Games overall (1995, 1996, 1999, 2003 and 2004). Because of his dominance at the Skins and other off-season events like the Johnnie Walker World Championship, Couples is also known as the "King of the Silly Season," referring to the exotic made-for-TV events staged in the winter that are better known as the "silly season".Couples was frequently accused of "choking" in his early career, with mistakes in the 1989 Ryder Cup and the 1990 PGA Championship at Shoal Creek often mentioned. However, he became the first American player to reach the number one position in the World Rankings in 1992. His only major, at The Masters that year, came with a stroke of good fortune at the 12th hole. Hitting an 8-iron, Fred's tee shot landed on the rough at the edge of Rae's Creek; although his ball rolled back towards the water, it incredibly remained on the bank.Fred is a frequent visitor to Great Britain, and has an excellent record in the Open Championship, where he has finished several times in the top ten. His best places are tied 3rd in 1991 at Royal Birkdale -shooting a last round 64, and tied 3rd in 2005 at St Andrews. He completed his first visit to St Andrews in 1984 on a spectacular high by holding his approach at 18 for an eagle on the final day.Back problems have, at least in part, truncated Couples' career. His swing features an extreme shoulder turn at the top, which, combined with the fact that he keeps his left foot flat on the ground throughout the backswing, puts a lot of pressure on his lower back. However, with an abbreviated schedule and a little help from swing coach Butch Harmon, Fred is still one of the best players on Tour. In 2003, at age 44, Couples finished 34th on the PGA Tour money list. That year he also won the Shell Houston Open, his first win in five years; Couples wept with joy after the win, but quickly explained the tears: "I'm always emotional when nice things happen to nice people," he quipped.In April 2006, Couples would again flash some of his old magic at Augusta, making a Sunday run at what would have been his second green jacket before finally bowing out to eventual winner Phil Mickelson, with whom he was paired in the final round. Had Fred won, he would have been the oldest player ever to win the Masters at 46 years, 6 months, and 6 days old -- supplanting Jack Nicklaus, who, coincidentally, won his final Masters 20 years earlier and also at the age of 46. Alas, though, it was not to be for Couples in 2006, but his competitiveness in the tournament was an encouraging sign for his career. "I didn't hit the ball like I was 46," Couples said.Fred's part in the USA 1993 Dunhill Cup win included victory in all five of his matches, and his overall record reads: played 16, won 12, lost 4. In 2004, Couples won the Dunhill Links Championship Team Event at St Andrews, partnered by New Zealand amateur Craig Heatley.In 2005 Fred sank a crucial putt in the Presidents Cup, securing an unlikely 1-shot victory over the International team's best player, Vijay Singh. This match proved to be pivotal in the contest. Couples has now played Vijay three times in Presidents Cup match play, and has yet to lose.Couples enjoys a reputation for being one of the most laid-back, easygoing players on the PGA Tour. His best friend on Tour, Davis Love III, confirms this: "Everybody thinks [Fred's] relaxed on the golf course, but he's more tense on the golf course than anywhere," he says. "He's a relaxed guy."Fred is an avid gardener. Couples learned gardening from his grandfather, who was a groundskeeper at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. Fred is currently lives in Santa Barbara, California. Also, Fred is rare among professional golfers in that he does not wear a glove. Fred has a charity Millie Medin Violet Sobich Couples Fund, in memory of mother and was introduced to golf by father, who worked in Seattle Parks and Recreation Department.PGA Tour wins
1983 (1) Kemper Open
1984 (1) Tournament Players Championship
1987 (1) Byron Nelson Golf Classic
1990 (1) Nissan Los Angeles Open
1991 (2) Federal Express St. Jude Classic, B.C. Open
1992 (3) Nissan Los Angeles Open, Nestle Invitational, The Masters
1993 (1) Honda Classic
1994 (1) Buick Open
1996 (1) THE PLAYERS Championship
1998 (2) Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, Memorial Tournament
2003 (1) Shell Houston Open
Major championship is shown in bold.[edit]
Other wins
1983 JC Penney Classic (with Jan Stephenson)
1990 RMCC Invitational (with Raymond Floyd), Sazale Classic
1991 Johnnie Walker World Championship
1992 World Cup (team event with Davis Love III)
1993 World Cup of Golf (individual event and team event with Davis Love III), Alfred Dunhill Cup (with John Daly and Payne Stewart)
1994 Franklin Templeton Shark Shootout (with Brad Faxon), World Cup of Golf (team event with Davis Love III)
1995 Dubai Desert Classic (European Tour), Johnnie Walker Classic (European Tour), Johnnie Walker World Championship, Skins Game, World Cup of Golf (team event with Davis Love III)
1996 Skins Game
1999 Franklin Templeton Shark Shootout (with David Duval), Skins Game
2001 Hyundai Team Matches (with Mark Calcavecchia)
2003 The ConAgra Foods Skins Game, Tylenol Par-3 Shootout at Treetops Resort
2004 Merrill Lynch Skins Game, Tylenol Par-3 Shootout at Treetops Resort
2006 ING Par-3 Shootout
Exempt Status: Winner, 1996 PLAYERS Championship through 2006 seasonGolf Course Designs
San Juan Oaks Golf Club
Highway 156 at Union Road
P.O. Box 1060
San Juan Bautista, CA 95045
United States
18 holes, par 72 [scorecard]
Informations, Tee Times;
(800) GLF-TEES
(800) 453-8337
(831) 636-6113
Chip shot: Opened in 1996
Web site quality: 9/10 (Very clear)
Heron Ridge Golf Club
2973 Heron Ridge Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 23456
United States
18 holes, par 72 [scorecard]
Informations, Tee Times;
(757) 426-3800
Chip shot: Back tees are called "Boom-Boom"
Web site quality: 9/10 (New design with a nice "hole-by-hole" section)
Talega Golf Club
990 Avenida Talega
San Clemente, CA 92673
United States
18 holes, par 72 [scorecard]
Informations, Tee Times;
(949) 369-6226
Chip shot: Huge clubhouse. Also part of the Heritage Golf Group.
Hamilton Mill Golf Club
1995 Hamilton Mill Parkway
Dacula, GA 30019
United States
18 holes, par 72 [scorecard]
Informations, Tee Times;
(770) 945-4653
Chip shot: Good rates for juniors. Also part of the Heritage Golf Group.
Hamilton Mill went private as of october 26th, 2003.
Le Maître
1430 Rue Labelle
St-Jovite, JOT 2HO
Québec, Canada
18 holes, par 72 [scorecard]
Informations, Tee Times;
1-800-787-0617
Chip shot: Fred's first golf design in Canada; opened june 27th, 2001
Kelly Plantation
Destin, FL United States
18 holes, par 72 [scorecard]
Informations, Tee Times;
850-650-7600
800-811-6757
Chip shot: Said to be "Crown Jewel Of The Emerald Coast"
Royal Oaks Country Club
11000 Richmond Avenue
Houston, TX 77042
United States
18 holes, par 72 [scorecard]
Informations, Tee Times;
713-914-0600
Chip shot: Fred attended Houston University.Westfields Golf Club
13940 Balmoral Greens Avenue
Clifton, VA 20124
United States
18 holes, par 72 [scorecard]
Informations, Tee Times;
(703) 631-3300
Chip shot: "On your next visit allow our professional staff to show you our "Couples Closet." This special room was inspired by, and dedicated to, our designer and owner Fred Couples."
Westfields Golf Club is located in Clifton Virginia and opened in 1998. The course was designed by Fred and Mr. Bates. Fred and Lynn Roach are part owners of the property. I worked there the first two years that it was opened and can testify the tremendous layout and top notch facilities. It is one of the premier courses in Northern Virginia. It is a High end daily fee course. From the "Boom Boom" tees the course stretches over 7000 yards and plays to a par 72. The course rating is 73.1 with a slope of 136.Lost Canyons Golf Club
3301 Lost Canyons Drive
Simi Valley, CA 93063
United States
36 holes
The Sky Course - Par 72 [scorecard]
The Shadow Course - Par 72 [scorecard]
Informations, Tee Times;
805-522-GOLF (4653)
Chip shot: Fred's first 36 holes design.Carolina National Golf Club
1643 Goley Hewett Road SE
Bolivia, NC 28422
United States
27 holes
18 holes - Par 72 [Scorecard]
9 holes - Par 36 [No scorecard]
Informations, Tee Times;
(888) 200-6455
(910) 755-5200
Chip shot: The first course designed by Fred Couples in the Carolinas.Stonebridge Golf Club
The Golf Club at StoneBridge
301 StoneBridge Blvd
Boissier City, LA 71111
United States
18 holes, par 72 [Scorecard]
Informations, Tee Times;
(318) 747-2004
Chip shot: Louisiana's first Fred Couples signature design!
Southwood Golf Club
3750 Grove Park Dr.
Tallahassee, FL 32311
United States
18 holes, par 72 [Scorecard]
Informations, Tee Times;
(850) 942-GOLF
(850) 942-4653
Chip shot:The course made the top 25 of the best new public courses in the US according to Golf Mag.
Good Layouts and Backgrounds
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