Blue Monster, 2007 World Golf Championship Venue And One Of Five Championship Courses
On Property At Doral Golf Resort & Spa, Re-Opens Following 4-Month Renovation Project; Refinements Designed To Enhance The Playing Experience At One Of The World’s Premier Golf Destinations
Doral, Fla., September 25, 2006 â?¦ Doral Golf Resort & Spa, A Marriott Resort, one of the world’s premier golf destinations, today announced that the famed Blue Monster Golf Course, a 2007 World Golf Championship venue, has re-opened following a 4-month renovation project. One of five championship golf courses on property at Doral, the Blue Monster underwent a series of refinements designed to enhance the overall golf experience at Doral, as well as prepare the course for the CA Championship, a World Golf Championship event that attracts the world’s best golfers, taking place March 20-25, 2007.
"As with any golf course that is considered a world-class property, the Blue Monster needs constant refreshing to ensure consistent playing conditions year-round, while continually providing a memorable experience to the tens of thousands of golfers that play the course each year," said Darrin Helfrick, General Manager of Golf, Doral Golf Resort & Spa. "Equally important, many of the projects that took place during this refinement phase will enable our team to provide a stellar venue when golf’s best players compete on the Blue Monster during the 2007 CA Championship."
Highlighting the refinements to the Blue Monster was the re-grassing of all 18 greens, as well as the practice putting green, with TifEagle Bermuda. This will provide more consistent turf conditions on the greens year-round, and create firmer, faster putting conditions.
Additionally, the Blue Monster underwent a course-wide landscape renovation, as well as a complete bunker make-over to all bunkers on the course. The project included a complete cart path replacement, featuring new concrete to help improve overall course management. This was highlighted by the installation of special 10′ wide paths, with extra re-enforcement, which were added to a few strategic areas of the course to help in CA Championship tournament set-up.
Adds Helfrick, "Anyone who has played the Blue Monster, including the PGA TOUR professionals who compete here annually, know that this is a course defined by character and competitiveness. As such, this refinement has enabled us to maintain the Blue Monster’s identity, while at the same time enhancing the overall playing conditions, aesthetics and maneuverability of the golf course."
The 693-room Doral Resort, which is managed by Marriott International and is officially named the Doral Golf Resort & Spa, A Marriott Resort, joined Marriott’s first-class portfolio of 60 resorts worldwide in August of 2004. In managing the golf business operations at Doral, Marriott International enlisted its in-house golf management arm, Marriott Golf, the world’s largest resort golf management company, and the first in-house golf management team ever established by a lodging company. Currently, Marriott Golf oversees more than 150,000 rounds of golf per year on Doral’s five championship golf courses, managing more than 500 corporate and group outings per year.
MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, INC. (NYSE: MAR) is a leading lodging company with nearly 2,800 lodging properties in the United States and 67 other countries and territories. Marriott International operates and franchises hotels under the Marriott, JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance, Residence Inn, Courtyard, TownePlace Suites, Fairfield Inn, SpringHill Suites and Bulgari brand names; develops and operates vacation ownership resorts under the Marriott Vacation Club International, Horizons, The Ritz-Carlton Club and Grand Residences by Marriott brands; operates Marriott Executive Apartments; provides furnished corporate housing through its Marriott ExecuStay division; and operates conference centers and golf courses. The company is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and had approximately 143,000 employees at 2005 year-end. It is ranked as the lodging industry’s most admired company and one of the best places to work for by FORTUNE®. The company is also a 2006 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ENERGY STAR® Partner. In fiscal year 2005, Marriott International reported sales from continuing operations of $11.6 billion. For more information or reservations, please visit our web site at www.marriott.com.
Contact:
Michele Kruchkowski
mkruchkowski@mastrocomm.com
Ari Edelman
aedelman@mastrocomm.com
Mastro Communications, Inc.
732-469-5700
