John Deere Classic’s 4th hole will play different this year after loss of huge tree

SILIVS, Ill. — A seasoned golf viewer might notice something quite different while watching this week’s 2026 John Deere Classic.

The fourth hole at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois, has been altered significantly. The large tree that once stood in the middle of the fairway had to be removed, prompting a total overhaul of the dogleg right par-4 nicknamed “Friendship Farm.”

A pair of bunkers were added to the right side of the fairway where pros would typically try to cut the corner to avoid the tree. But they won’t be cutting that corner this year. A new tee box was installed, making No. 4 about 40-50 yards longer than it used to be and forcing a carry of more than 315 yards to clear the sand traps.

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“It’s a completely different hole as far as the difficulty. It’s a much harder hole,” said Jordan Spieth, who has won John Deere Classic twice, in 2013 and 2015. “It used to be kind of cut the corner and hit a wedge into that green. Now, you have to hit a really nice drive to be in the fairway. Then from there you’re looking at some kind of a mid-iron into that skinny green.

“It certainly changed the way the hole will be played for the week, I think, for scoring average, but it’s also a phenomenal-looking second shot. It’s still built to be able to have that kind of distant shot in. It’s not unfair by any means. It just is a lot harder.”

Even though the tree is gone, a tee shot straight down the middle could still spell trouble, especially in firm conditions. The fairway has been narrowed and another bunker sits on the left side of it, swallowing up any drives that roll through the short grass.

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“It’s definitely different off the tee and creates the second shot, which is a lot longer and you kind of have to be a little thoughtful about where your miss is, especially off the tee,” said Jackson Koivun, who is making his second start at the Deere, but his first as a pro. “For a guy like me, I can’t carry that far right bunker; not sure a ton of people can. Then you can definitely run into that left bunker, so having a good plan off that tee and try and keep the ball in the fairway all four days to attack that green.”

On a course that typically yields plenty of birdies and scores in the low-60s, the changes to No. 4 will be a welcome sight for fans who like to see the pros face more challenges. But it’s also a bitter-sweet renovation for those with ties to the golf course, because the tree that was taken out was not just any old tree.

The large oak known as the Hewitt Tree had a history that spanned generations. This piece of property was home to the leading Arabian horse breeding operation in the U.S. for more than 40 years, and its owners, William and Patricia Hewitt, were a staple of the Quad Cities community. Patricia — a renowned philanthropist and activist in the mid-20th century — was the great-great granddaughter of John Deere himself, and William was the chairman of Deere & Company from 1955-1982, helping grow it into the world’s top producer of agriculture equipment.

So, needless to say, that tree was significant to those who have spent a lot of time around TPC Deere Run, like Zach Johnson, an Iowa native who is making his 24th straight appearance at the John Deere Classic this week.

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“That tree, it’s kind of like a Dikembe Mutombo in a lot of respects,” Johnson said, likening the Hewitt Tree to one of basketball’s greatest shot-blockers. “It was placed strategically. Unfortunate, that was kind of the character of the hole, and maybe it had a little bit of — I’m not nostalgic or anything like that — sentimentality, but there’s something to be said on that tree on 4. But it’s not going to change the integrity of the golf course, by any means.”

Nick Stavas is a digital producer and commerce writer for Golfweek. Follow him on X/Twitter (@nickstavas).

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: John Deere Classic’s 4th hole will play different this year after loss of huge tree