Archive for December 2010
18. December 2010 by admin.
THE RITZ-CARLTON GOLF CLUB, DOVE MOUNTAIN
APPOINTS NEW DIRECTOR OF GROUNDS
MARANA, Arizona – Aaron Thomas, a member of the original staff that unveiled The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain in 2009, has returned to the award-winning golf course as Director of Grounds.
Thomas, 37, was assistant superintendent at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain as the Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course took shape, from Spring 2007 through Fall 2009. In that time, he supervised the grow-in process and maintenance of all 27 holes and worked on preparations for the 2009 Accenture Match Play Championship.
Thomas left Dove Mountain to become Director of Grounds at Shadow Ridge Resort, a Marriott destination in Palm Desert, Calif., where he has worked for the past year.
Now he is in charge of preparation of the golf course for the annual WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, which returns to The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain for the third time in February. Named one of the “Best New Courses” in the United States by Golfweek magazine, the course is ranked among the most desirable golf destinations in the United States and is the second golf course in the Tucson region to be designated by Audubon International as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary.
“I am very enthused and honored to be back at such a great property,” Thomas said. “From the beginning, The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain has been world-class. We have a great team here, and I am proud to again be part of it.”
Born and raised on a farm in Canandiagua, N.Y., Thomas grew up in the agriculture industry, and as a teenager also worked in landscaping. With a degree in horticulture, Thomas originally pursued a career in nursery management. But, while studying at The Ohio State University, he was assigned to work on a golf course during the summer of 1995, which prompted him to change his focus to golf.
Earning a degree at Ohio State in Agronomy, with turfgrass specialization, Thomas now is a member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, as well as Arizona’s regional “Cactus and Pine” chapter of the GCSAA. Thomas and his wife, Kelley, live in Catalina.
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain is the centerpiece of the resort, combining solid strategy, variety and fair shot values that harmonize with the high desert elevation of 2,300 to 3,000 feet. The greens are Bentgrass, while the tees, fairways and rough are Bermuda (with perennial rye overseed), ideal for the desert climate.
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain also features a 50,000-square-foot clubhouse with all of the services expected from a luxury private club including tennis courts, fitness center, steward-serviced private locker rooms, and a double-ended practice facility.
For more information, please go to ritzcarlton.com/dovemountain
Robert Trent Jones II Continues to Deliver the Gift of Golf
18. December 2010 by admin.
PALO ALTO, California — While not wanting to compete with a certain portly, red-suited gentleman who travels the world distributing gifts this time of year, the architects at Robert Trent Jones II (RTJ II) have also bestowed some great golf gifts around the globe recently. Creators of more than 270 courses in more than 40 countries, the storied firm has, in 2010, rewarded golfers who’ve been good with some of its best work in nearly 40 years of designing golf layouts. RTJ II continues to spread golf cheer in locations as varied as India, China, and Vanuatu, further cementing the company’s reputation for creating distinctive courses that fit naturally into each unique site.
Chairman and Master Architect Robert Trent Jones, Jr. explains that the firm’s continued success is due to several factors. “We’ve always delivered tremendous value to our clients and taken great care with the environment in developing our courses. As golf continues its international expansion to new markets—particularly in Asia—new clients seem to recognize the integrity that our brand brings. We’re grateful to all our clients for their confidence and continued support and look forward to delivering some fantastic new courses worldwide in 2011. And we invite golfers across the globe to enjoy these golf gifts”
Despite the recent slowdown in the golf business, and in a year when few new courses opened in the US, RTJ II was proud to unwrap several great new domestic layouts. The firm’s Seneca Hickory Stick Golf Course—built for a Native American tribe in Lewiston, New York– has already received rave reviews from the golf media. And RTJ II’s The Patriot, in Owasso, Oklahoma, has been ranked as one of the best new private courses by GOLF Magazine. Robert Trent Jones II continues to emphasize its long-term commitment to international markets, as well. The company—one of the first architecture firms to work in Asia, and creator of more than 80 courses there– recently unveiled the Alepnsia Golf and Country Club in Korea. Other new openings included the Bro Hof Slott Castle Course in Sweden; The Scandinavian in Denmark; and Riviera Maya Golf Club in Mexico.
The firm also continues to receive kudos and awards for its work. In addition to choosing The Patriot as one of the best new private courses, GOLF Magazine chose Hickory Stick as a top 10 new course you can play and The Scandinavian as one of the top 10 new international courses. The well-respected Teetime.com, in Denmark, chose three RTJ II courses (The Scandinavian #1, Lübker Golf Resort #2, and Skjoldenæsholm #5) among the best five courses in that nation; and Golf Digest awarded Bro Hof Slott Stadium Course the #1 ranking in Sweden. In 2010 Jones himself was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the European PGA. Jones said of the award, “I am very proud to receive this recognition from the European PGA for our lifetime of work around Europe. We are honored that professionals and amateurs of all nationalities have the chance to play and compete on courses of ours in more than a dozen European countries from Denmark and Wales to Spain and Portugal.”
While competition for golf course design commissions heated up this year, competition on RTJ II courses was also red hot. More than a dozen championships were played on RTJ II courses in locations as diverse as Aruba, Australia, Kansas, Malaysia, New Zealand, Portugal, and Sweden. The highest profile tournaments included the US Amateur Championship, played at Chambers Bay in University Place, Washington (which will also host the 2015 US Open); The PGA Tour’s Frys.com Open at CordeValle in California; The Nordea Scandinavian Masters at Bro Hof Slott Golf Club in Sweden; and the PGA European Tour’s Estoril Portugal Open, at Penha Longa Golf Club outside Lisbon. RTJ II courses have also continued their long history of hosting tournaments in Asia that began with the 1975 World Cup played at Thailand’s Navatanee Golf Course; 2010 saw The Mines Resort and Golf Club, in Malaysia, host the exciting Asian Pacific Golf Classic.
In 2011, Robert Trent Jones II will continue to deliver great new golf layouts near and far around the world. The firm will be working in Belize, California, Canada, China, England, Greece, Hawaii, India, Italy, New Zealand, Oregon, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Russia, Texas, and Vanuatu.
Centennial Golf Club Honored in Oregon
18. December 2010 by admin.
CENTENNIAL GOLF CLUB HONORED AS #1 BEST GOLF COURSE
IN SOUTHERN OREGON FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW!
Named #1 Best Golf Course in Medford Mail Tribune
Annual Reader’s Poll For The Third Consecutive Year
MEDFORD, OREGON – Centennial Golf Club in Medford, Oregon was named as the “Best Golf Course” in the Mail Tribune’s annual reader’s poll for the third consecutive year. One of the region’s longest running newspapers, the Medford Mail Tribune newspaper has been serving Medford, Ashland, Jacksonville and most of Southern Oregon for nearly 100 years. Annually they produce a reader’s poll that ranks many of the top businesses and attractions in the Southern Oregon and Rogue Valley region. The primary golf category for this ranking is “Best Golf Course” where Centennial maintained their position as the “#1 Best Golf Course” for 2010.
“Congratulations to Centennial Golf Club and Pacific Retirement Services for remaining at the top of this ranking of the best golf courses in the region,” stated David Goff, Vice President of Operations for OB Sports (management company overseeing operations at Centennial). “A special thank you is also extended to our team of dedicated Centennial staff members, who each day focus on delivering the best golf and guest experience for each and every one of our golfers at Centennial. Congratulations to all!”
Centennial is starting accumulate a number of awards and accolades having recently been ranked #6, amongst the “Top 50 Public Courses” in the Country by Golf World Readers in the 2010 Golf World Readers Choice Awards. Centennial boasts a challenging 7,309-yard, designed by two-time PGA Tour winner and 1977 U.S. Amateur Champion, John Fought.
For more information about Centennial Golf Club please call 541-773-GOLF or visit www.centennialgolfclub.com You can also “Like” Centennial on Facebook at www.facebook.com/centennialgolfclub or “Follow” Centennial on Twitter at www.twitter.com/centennialgc
About Centennial Golf Club
Centennial Golf Club is a daily fee facility that features a spectacular 7,309-yard layout that was designed in a classic “Donald Ross style”. The course routing takes full advantage of the spectacular views of the Rogue Valley and the surrounding mountains. The name and theme of the project is a celebration of the many classic elements of the site and the bountiful Rogue Valley region. Other amenities at Centennial include an expansive practice facility and “The Pavilion” clubhouse that is home to the popular Centennial Grille.
Located on the former site of a historic pear orchard more than 100 years old, Centennial Golf Club is an affiliate of Medford-based Pacific Retirement Services, Inc. (PRS), and is located adjacent to another PRS affiliate, Rogue Valley Manor. The Rogue Valley Manor is a premier Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) that has received numerous national awards for providing outstanding services to residents and retired seniors. The Manor’s public 9-hole Quail Point Golf Course and 18 hole natural grass putting course is also managed by OB Sports. For more information about Rogue Valley Manor, please call (541) 857-7214.
For more Oregon Golf Course Information, visit www.oregon-golfcourses.com
Waste Management Phoenix Open Recognized
10. December 2010 by admin.
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL — The Waste Management Phoenix Open Golf Tournament (
Scottsdale, AZ) was honored by the PGA TOUR at the TOUR’s Tournament Advisory Council (TAC) Meetings this week.
An event that annually produces among the biggest daily crowds on TOUR, the Waste Management Phoenix Open earned “Most Engaged Community” honors in 2010.
“On behalf of the PGA TOUR, I am pleased to acknowledge and congratulate the outstanding job and special recognition the Waste Management Phoenix Open has received for its efforts,” said PGA TOUR EVP and Chief of Operations Andy Pazder. “The tournament committee should be extremely proud for being acknowledged as the best among its peers on TOUR.”
One hole at TPC Scottsdale serves as the perfect example of the community’s involvement and participation. With 4,260 bleacher seats and more than 100 venues, the par-3 16th hole sees an average of 10,000 spectators each day. In addition to the bleacher seats and other venues, more than 130 skyboxes surround the inimitable, crowd-gathering hole. In its 75th anniversary in 2010, the Waste Management Phoenix Open crossed the $65 million mark in charitable donations thanks to the overwhelming community support of the event.
“Over the last 75 years, the Waste Management Phoenix Open has taken great pride in exposing the
Phoenix area to the outside world,” said Pat McGinley, past tournament chairman. “Our community embraces this undertaking, with 5,000 volunteers each year, a tremendous amount of corporate support and of course, our amazing fan base that helps create one of the most unique stops on the PGA TOUR. In the end, many area charities benefit from the community coming together.”
The 2011 Waste Management Phoenix Open, captured in 2010 by Hunter Mahan, will be held February 3-6 at TPC Scottsdale. About PGA TOUR
The PGA TOUR is the world’s premier membership organization for touring professional golfers, co-sanctioning more than 100 tournaments on the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour.
The PGA TOUR’s mission is to entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back, generate significant charitable and economic impact in communities in which it plays, and provide financial opportunities for TOUR players.
In 2010, the three Tours collectively have tournaments in 34 states and in 12 countries outside of the U.S. PGA TOUR tournaments are broadcast to nearly 600 million households in 231 countries and 30 languages.
Virtually all tournaments are organized as non-profit organizations in order to maximize charitable giving. In 2009, tournaments on the three
Tours generated nearly $109 million for local charitable organizations, bringing the TOUR’s all-time total of charitable contributions to nearly $1.5 billion.
