The famous 16th tee at Regnum Carya is on top of a villa.
Where some people see a problem, others see an opportunity.
When the construction of new villas was proposed at Regnum Carya, it was initially going to result in the hole being shortened by 60 yards, taking it from 429 down to 369.
The team had another idea, however: place the tee box on top of one of the villas.
“It was a last-minute project change here at Regnum," said General Manager Hasan Ceylan. "The owners wanted to build some villas and we were not going to touch any part of the golf course but somehow we needed to make this hole 60 yards shorter.
“So we needed to build it (16th tee box) exactly like this for this golf course.
“We wanted to build a tee here to give something new to players. It’s become the icon of the tournament.”
How to get to the 16th tee...#TurkishAirlinesOpen pic.twitter.com/CV78zP6G8Z
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) May 6, 2025
This year the par-four will play 469 yards for the field once they have climbed the stairs to reach the unique vantage point but they are not the only ones who have to take on the climb.
The real grass on the tee means that it also takes several greenkeepers to carry a hand mower up the steps to give it a trim.
It is all worth it, however, for the test from one of the most famous tee boxes on the DP World Tour.
