GOLF

Daily Fantasy Golf Course Primer: ​Fortinet Championship

The PGA Tour season kicks off at Silverado Resort and Spa's North Course. What do you need to know about it?

I'll try not to make a comment on how long the PGA offseason was (one week), but it's hard not to lead with that.

PGA Tour golf is right back on the menu for this week's Fortinet Championship at Silverado Resort and Spa (North) in Napa, California.

Silverado has hosted this event since 2007 under a litany of other names (Fry's Electronics Open, Frys.com Open, and the Safeway Open), so we have plenty of data on the course overall.

Silverado Resort and Spa (North) Course Information

Par: 72
Distance: 7,123
Average Green Size: N/A
Green Type: Poa annua & bentgrass
Stimpmeter: N/A
Past 5 Winning Scores: -21, -17, -14, -15, -18
Past 5 Cut Lines: -4, -1, -2, 0, -2

Silverado Resort and Spa's North course is a long-time member of the usual PGA Tour rotation.

It totals 7,123 yards, putting it around 220 yards shorter than the typical par 72. That is partly why winning scores trend upwards of 15-under and cutlines are generally below par.

The greens are a mix of poa and bentgrass for the week.

Silverado Resort and Spa (North) Club Hole-by-Hole Breakdown

Silverado Resort
and Spa (North)
Par Yards vs Median
PGA Tour
1 4 436 99%
2 3 197 95%
3 4 424 94%
4 4 407 93%
5 5 538 96%
6 4 417 96%
7 3 212 99%
8 4 360 77%
9 5 557 102%
10 4 422 94%
11 3 182 80%
12 4 391 88%
13 4 458 104%
14 4 412 91%
15 3 189 83%
16 5 571 102%
17 4 375 83%
18 5 575 101%
72 7,123 97%


Across the 18 holes, we have none that rate out as at least 110% the length of your average hole at the same par. We do, however, get five holes that are abnormally short, and that includes three short par 4s and two short par 3s.

This can elevate golfers who are not super long, as more of the par 4s become scorable for even the shorter hitters. However, past data shows an emphasis on distance here.

Key Stats for Fortinet Championship at Silverado Resort and Spa (North)

- Strokes Gained: Approach
- Strokes Gained: Off the Tee
- Driving Distance
- Birdie or Better Rate
- Strokes Gained: Putting on Poa/Bentgrass

The stats that matter at Silverado are pretty basic. Accurate drivers get a slight boost here than at the average course, but that'll be rolled up well enough with strokes gained: off the tee. Distance paired with some short holes can still lead to an edge.

Approach is always vital and leads to the biggest possible spikes in strokes gained, so we're going to be keeping that at the top of the list.

With the winning scores trending higher and higher the past few years, we'll be wanting to prioritize birdie-or-better rate to absorb the most fantasy points we can grab.

Courses Similar to Silverado Resort and Spa (North)

Some other courses with poa and/or bentgrass greens and short overall lengths include:

- TPC River Highlands (Travelers Championship)
- Sherwood Country Club (ZOZO Championship)
- Pebble Beach Golf Links (AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am)
- Spyglass Hill (AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am)

Golfers With Great Course History at Silverado Resort and Spa (North)

These golfers have gained at least 1.5 strokes per round at Silverado since 2012 among golfers with at least eight rounds played at the course.

- Harry Higgs (2.0)
- Kevin Na (1.7)
- Dylan Frittelli (1.6)
- Hideki Matsuyama (1.6)
- Cameron Percy (1.6)
- Ryan Moore (1.6)
- Phil Mickelson (1.5)
- Brendan Steele (1.5)
- Cameron Champ (1.5)
- Marc Leishman (1.5)

Past winners in the field include Cameron Champ (2019), Kevin Tway (2018), Brendan Steele (2016, 2017), Emiliano Grillo (2015), and Jonas Blixt (2012).