PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – More than 100,000 people are expected to make their way to Ponte Vedra Beach for The Players Championship this week and that means more vehicles on the roadways and longer travel times.
"People will be anxiously looking at the clock when they're at work, waiting and anticipating to get out there," Brian Franco, chairman of the 2015 The Players Championship.
But anticipation can quickly turn to frustration if drivers don't plan ahead.
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The first thing attendees need is a parking ticket. Golf fans going Tuesday or Wednesday can enjoy free parking, but Thursday through Sunday, parking tickets range from $30 to $35.
However, visitors carpooling with at least four people in a car are treated to free parking but carpoolers need to print out a voucher that they have to bring with them.
"We're not going to be selling parking passes in the lot. We're also not even allowing '4 or more for free' if you don't print out your voucher," Matthew Rapp, executive director of The Players Championship, said.
And when you do hit the pavement, drivers are asked to practice some patience.
"Don't just think, 'I'm going to take my car and park at the front door,' because they'll be very disappointed when they get there and know that they're stuck in traffic for longer than they expected," Rapp said.
The Florida Highway Patrol is expecting that traffic to be focused A1A southbound, so it's encouraging fans along the I-95 corridor and I-295 beltway to use CR-210 and Nocatee Parkway.
This route will take drivers to the south end of the parking lot, and avoid the traffic on A1A and the JTB.
"If we have some backup on A1A, we've got an opportunity to divert the fans onto Solano Road now to get into the tournament," Franco said.
Drivers who don't want to get behind the wheel have a few new options this year:
Shuttles are available from downtown-area hotels like the Hyatt, Omni, Crowne Plaza and Wyndham. Tickets cost $10, and the shuttles operate Wednesday through Sunday and have several pickup times.
Aside from the shuttles, JTA is also offering transportation to TPC Sawgrass, and visitors can always take a cab. There are designated taxi stands outside of the Davis Love and Fred Couples Gates.
The Players executives are also working with the Florida Highway Patrol and the Florida Department of Transportation to keep traffic moving smoothly with the Road Ranger Program.
"We will be roaming and patrolling the roadways to try to clear congestion as it occurs. If we have to save a vehicle blocking the lane or a motorist that's causing people to rubberneck we're going to try to get these people off the road," Peter Vega, with FDOT, said.
FDOT also said that construction will be shut down this weekend for The Players to help alleviate some congestion, but drivers can expect some lane shifting, construction cones and limited shoulder width as while driving through the construction zones, so drivers are urged to be cautious and pay attention to posted signs.