Cards & Clubs Invitational Introduces Bear Trap Challenge at PGA National Resort
Founding Teams will face a dedicated three-hole competition across The Champion’s famed 15th, 16th and 17th holes, with custom Bear Trap keepsake and a return PGA National golf experience awaiting the inaugural winners.
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Cards & Clubs Invitational will introduce the Bear Trap Challenge as part of its inaugural event January 11–13, 2027 at PGA National Resort, adding a distinct competition across one of the most recognizable three-hole stretches in golf.
Every Cards & Clubs Founding Team will take on holes 15, 16 and 17 of The Champion during the Invitational’s 18-hole scramble, with the best team performance across those three holes determining the inaugural Bear Trap Challenge winner.
The famed stretch has tested the world’s best players for decades as part of the PGA TOUR’s Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches. Its name is a nod to Jack Nicklaus — the “Golden Bear” — who redesigned The Champion and created the demanding three-hole sequence.
No. 15 opens The Bear Trap with a par 3 heavily protected by water and a diagonal green that puts immediate pressure on club selection and commitment.
No. 16 changes the challenge with a demanding par 4, where the farther players push their drives, the tighter the landing area becomes before an approach that again brings water into play.
Then comes No. 17, a dramatic par 3 over water that closes the stretch and leaves little room for indecision.
“The Bear Trap has an identity all its own,” said Tom Wheaton, founder of Cards & Clubs Invitational. “You get to 15 and everybody knows what’s coming. Three holes later, there are going to be stories. We wanted to lean into that and create something fun and competitive that feels completely authentic to playing The Champion.”
WHAT’S AT STAKE
The Bear Trap Challenge will operate as a separate contest within the golf portion of Cards & Clubs and will not determine the overall Invitational champion.
Each of the four players on the winning team will receive a custom commemorative Cards & Clubs Bear Trap keepsake, created specifically for the winners, along with a return golf experience at PGA National Resort.
Additional Bear Trap prizes and experiences will be announced as the Invitational approaches, with awards provided by Cards & Clubs and participating event partners.
THE CARDS & CLUBS INVITATIONAL
The overall Cards & Clubs Invitational champion will be determined by the combined results of the full 18-hole golf competition and the evening’s social tag-team poker tournament.
The winning four-person team will raise the Cards & Clubs Cup, while each team member will receive an individual Cards & Clubs championship belt.
The inaugural champions will also receive a complimentary four-person team invitation to the second Cards & Clubs Invitational, giving them the opportunity to return and defend their title.
Additional prizes, gifts and experiences for the overall champions will be announced leading into the event, with contributions from Cards & Clubs and participating partners.
THE INAUGURAL FIELD
The Bear Trap Challenge is being introduced as Cards & Clubs continues assembling the inaugural field for its January debut at PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens.
The invitation-only experience will bring together a curated group of senior executives, clients, strategic partners, entrepreneurs, golf talent, poker personalities, creators and other invited guests for two nights of competition and hospitality.
Since formally launching the Invitational, Cards & Clubs has entered active Founding Team and partnership discussions with notable companies across gaming, sports, technology, financial services and other categories.
The inaugural field is intentionally limited. Founding Teams give select organizations four flexible participant positions that can be used for the executives, clients, strategic partners, ambassadors, creators or other guests who matter most to their business.
“We’ve been encouraged by the conversations that have started since the launch,” Wheaton said. “We’re talking with a really interesting mix of companies and people, and that’s exactly how we hoped the field would come together. The objective isn’t to put as many teams into the event as possible. It’s to build the right environment.”
Founding Teams, partners, golf and poker personalities and other members of the inaugural field will be announced as they are finalized.
With discussions underway across multiple categories, companies interested in exploring one of the remaining Founding Team positions are encouraged to begin the conversation while the inaugural field is being assembled.
The inaugural Cards & Clubs Invitational will take place January 11–13, 2027 at PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
ABOUT CARDS & CLUBS INVITATIONAL
Cards & Clubs Invitational is a private, invitation-only destination experience bringing together golf, poker, business and hospitality through a combined team competition. Built around a limited field of Founding Teams and invited participants, Cards & Clubs gives executives, clients, partners, talent and guests the opportunity to compete and connect from the fairway to the final table.
The inaugural Invitational will take place January 11–13, 2027 at PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Cards & Clubs Invitational is produced by Above the Felt Entertainment, the poker marketing, partnerships and talent agency founded by Tom Wheaton.
