The rowdiest corner of the PGA Tour's stop in Palm Beach Gardens just got a lot easier to get into. Organizers of the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches announced on Tuesday that admission to the Bear Trap, the fan venue along holes 16 and 17 of PGA National's Champion Course, will cost less than half what it did in 2026, and that the venue will have double the capacity. The catch is the clock: the lowest prices of the season run only through Thursday, October 29.

What changed, in numbers

The 2027 tournament is set for February 24 to 28 at PGA National Resort. Starting October 13, a Bear Trap ticket is $150 for Thursday or Sunday and $165 for Friday or Saturday, plus taxes and fees, according to the tournament's ticket page. Those prices hold through October 29 or until the allotment runs out, whichever comes first. In November the venue moves to dynamic pricing, which in practice means the number moves with demand.

The other shift is what the ticket includes. For 2026 the Bear Trap bundled food and drinks into the admission price. For 2027 the tournament is going back to the older model: you pay to get in, then buy what you want once you are there. That is a big part of why the entry price fell so far, and for anyone who mostly wants a good spot by the green and a single drink, it is a better deal than the all-inclusive version was.

Tournament officials describe the change as returning the Bear Trap to its roots, and the plain reading is that they want the venue full of local fans again rather than a smaller crowd that paid a premium.

Why the Bear Trap is the place to be

Every tour stop has a signature corner, and at PGA National this is it. The Bear Trap sits beside the 16th and 17th holes, late in the round, where a tournament can turn in a few swings. The tournament's own hospitality guide calls the 17th one of the most challenging holes on the course, and the premium seating around it, the Ross Cabanas, the Flagler Tables and the CIBC Champions Club, is all built to look at that stretch.

Last season showed why it pays to be watching late. The 2026 champion, Nico Echavarria of Colombia, was three shots behind with three holes to play. He closed with a 5-under 66, finished at 17 under and won by two shots, his third PGA Tour title and his first in the United States, according to the tournament's home page. Those closing holes are exactly the ones the Bear Trap overlooks.

Parking, sorted early

Parking is sold as an add-on during checkout, and it is worth deciding now. General Parking is $10 per day, plus taxes and fees, at Dyer Park, 7301 Haverhill Road in West Palm Beach. The closer option, Lot H at BallenIsles Country Club on Ballenisles Circle in Palm Beach Gardens, is $50 per day. Both are limited to two passes per person per day and run Wednesday, February 24, through Sunday, February 28.

For residents of the Gardens, Jupiter or North Palm Beach, Lot H is the obvious choice if the budget allows. For anyone coming from farther south, Dyer Park in West Palm Beach is a fifth of the price.

Other ways in

A Bear Trap ticket is not the only path to the tournament. Volunteer registration for 2027 is already open, and it is one of the better deals in local sports. Volunteers get a polo and a hat, a credential that covers admission and parking, meals while working, a commemorative pin and a gift, plus two weekly grounds tickets to hand to friends or family.

The tournament's charity side is also gearing up. Its community page says the Birdies for Charity program opens to nonprofits on Thursday, October 15, with donations from the public starting Wednesday, November 11. The program takes no administrative fee, so every dollar a donor gives goes to the charity they pick. The tournament says it has given more than $70 million to more than 100 local nonprofits over the years, and on the final Sunday, February 28, fans and players are asked to wear yellow for Play Yellow, which supports children's hospitals.

What it means if you live here

The Cognizant Classic is the PGA Tour's annual week in Palm Beach Gardens, and the Bear Trap has been the part of it locals talk about. A price that fell by more than half, with twice the room, turns it from a splurge into something a group of friends can plan around. The window to lock in that price is two weeks long. Mark October 29 on the calendar, decide whether you want Thursday's quieter crowd or the weekend's bigger one, and buy the parking at the same time.