Largest Collection of World-Class Golf Courses and Luxury Amenities Charts Aggressive PR Program
(SHENZHEN, China) – Mission Hills Golf Club – the largest collection of world-class golf courses with 12 layouts designed by many of the greatest golfers and golf-course architects – has retained Buffalo Communications to provide media relations and publicity services.
Buffalo Communications will create and execute a comprehensive PR program for the world’s grandest member club and golf resort located just north of the China/Hong Kong border. As a result, Mission Hills will consistently receive editorial coverage about its award-winning championship golf courses, luxury accommodations, swimming pools, spa, tennis, and lifestyle amenities.
Via the program, Buffalo Communications will regularly convey to the media the sheer magnitude and quality of Mission Hills, its enviable location in a land where ancient culture and cutting-edge technology co-exist and flourish, and its emerging position as the world leader in upscale golf courses, amenities and international golf competitions.
"The partnership with Buffalo Communications extends our commitment to introduce our world-class golf club to a wider audience," says Dr.
David Chu, Chairman of the Mission Hills Group. "There is truly something for every golfer and non-golfer at Mission Hills, and we are eager to further get the word out among avid and recreational players that Mission Hills is a ‘must see, must play’ golf experience."
"We are excited to raise the Mission Hills profile in vital markets,"
says Brian Curley, whose firm, Schmidt-Curley Design (Scottsdale, Ariz.), developed the resort’s master plan, oversaw construction and was heavily involved in the design of each course. "We’ve only scratched the surface of the impact that Mission Hills can have on not only the game, but the global travel and leisure market overall."
Mission Hills is the brainchild of Dr. Chu, who in 1992 had a vision of building the largest, most opulent golf resort in the world. The first course at Mission Hills – the World Cup Course by Jack Nicklaus – opened in 1994 and was immediately hailed as one of Asia’s best. It was the first course inChina to receive PGA accreditation and was the venue for the 41st World Cup in 1995.
Ken Chu, Vice Chairman of the Mission Hills Group, was the driving force behind the completion of Mission Hills’ signature courses from Ernie Els, Nick Faldo, Jumbo Ozaki and Vijay Singh, and spearheaded the 16-month expansion program from 2002 to 2004 that lead to the David Duval, David Leadbetter, Annika Sorenstam, Greg Norman and Jose Maria Olazabal courses opening on the nearby rolling terrain of Dongguan.
Adding to Mission Hills’ standing at the largest golf club in the world (Guinness Book of World Records), two new courses opened in the summer of 2007: the 18-hole regulation Pete Dye Course, the first Dye design in Asia, and the par-3 Zhang Lian Wei course, the first par-3 course in China. Both courses were designed in conjunction with Schmidt-Curley.
Encompassing more than 3,000 acres (15 square kilometers) – roughly the equivalent of five Central Parks – and developed on southern China’s most breathtaking terrain, Mission Hills is a surreal vision, a golfer’s paradise that must be seen to be believed.
The original five golf courses emanate from the palatial Shenzhen Clubhouse, a 300,000 square-foot masterpiece of Far-Eastern architecture with fine dining, a full-service spa and swimming pools.
Five of the remaining seven courses are accessed from the Dongguan Clubhouse, a staggering 600,000 square-feet building that houses the "World’s Largest" golf shop and is also the largest clubhouse in the world. A third clubhouse to serve the Faldo and Dye courses is under construction and is scheduled to open soon. Upwards of 1,800 female caddies clad in imperial red uniforms attend to the need of every member and guest.
Mission Hills also offers members and guests access to a diverse set of practice ranges: The Golf Academy Range, located at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy, features two floors, 58 bays, 64 fairways and floodlighting at night; The Shenzhen Club Driving Range includes bunkering and lakes flanking practice greens; and the Faldo Driving Hole is a three-hole simulated course with a par 3, 4 and 5.
For golfers arriving late, or who desire to play as much golf as possible, Mission Hills provides state-of-the-art floodlighting on several courses for night golf. In addition to the renowned Leadbetter school, golfers can also acquire instruction at the Mission Hills Golf Academy by LPGA legend Cindy Reid. Reid relocated to Mission Hills after spending 18 years at TPC Sawgrass where her clients included Vijay Singh, Jim Furyk and Davis Love III.
With its proximity to Hong Kong and Shenzhen, Mission Hills has rapidly evolved as China’s most exclusive address for high-end golf real estate. "Mission Hills Golf Mansions" and "Golden Green," both located at the center of the World Cup Course, feature sandstone-clad facades, neo-traditional interiors, arches, columns, spacious balconies, private gardens and lavish swimming pools. Residents of Golden Green have access to a private putting green and driving range accessible through individual passageways.
Getting There: Mission Hills Golf Club is a short drive north of Hong Kong International Airport, www.hongkongairport.com. Flights on most major airlines from most major cities are available into Hong Kong.
From the airport, Mission Hills transports golfers in luxury shuttles across the border to the resort hotel.
For more information about Mission Hills Golf Club, visit www.missionhillsgroup.com, email info@missionhillsgroup.com, or call
(852) 2122 1616 (Hong Kong) – (86 755) 2802 0888 (Shenzhen) —
(86-769) 8728 8888 (Dongguan).
About Mission Hills Golf Club
Stretching across the lush, rolling hills of Shenzhen and Dongguan in southern China, Mission Hills is China’s highest rated golf club, and the largest golf club in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records. The property is home to 12 resort and championship courses designed by Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, Pete Dye and Brian Curley and Lee Schmidt (Schmidt-Curley Design) in conjunction with the many of the world’s greatest golfers including: Vijay Singh, Ernie Els, Jose Maria Olazabal, Nick Faldo, David Duval, and Annika Sorenstam. Mission Hills is a full-service, luxury resort, featuring four spas, a 315-room, five-star hotel, 51 tennis courts and numerous fine dining establishments serving cuisine from around the world. It has hosted more than 50 international tournaments, including the 1995 World Cup of Golf and the Tiger Woods China Challenge. The Olazabal Course will host the Omega Mission Hills World Cup beginning in 2007 and extending through 2018.
Mission Hills awards and accolades include:
IAGTO Golf Resort of the Year-Rest of World Category Best Golf Development and Best Development China by Bentley International Property Awards 5-Star Mobile Travel Guide "The Most Favorite Golf Club to Millionaires in China by Euromoney China The golf club in China most frequently visited by PGA TOUR players The "Most Preferred Golf Club" in the 2005 Survey of the Preferred Brands of China’s Richest (Hurun Report) Destination of Tiger Woods’ first visit to China
About Buffalo Communications
Based in Vienna, VA (U.S.A.), Buffalo Communications – a division of Billy Casper Golf – is a golf-lifestyle media relations, publicity and marketing-communications firm. It uses an extensive network of media contacts to secure editorial coverage about many of the top places and products in golf. Via Buffalo’s creation and implementation of communications programs, clients’ brand awareness and sales substantially increase. For more information, visit www.buffalocommunications.com.
Mission Hills Golf Club Course Capsules
Annika Course
Annika Sorenstam’s first designer course worldwide, the layout features spectacular views of the natural terrain and mountains which rise more than 300 feet above the golf course. The dramatic elevations throughout the course provide numerous panoramic tee shots perched high above spacious fairways that meander through the valleys. Well-manicured landscaping dominates the perimeters of both tee and green, creating an aesthetically appealing "botanical " type atmosphere. The 465-yard 18th hole, located next to a large natural lake, provides a classic signature-finishing hole.
Duval Course
The David Duval Course features numerous water hazards, deep groundcover and a mixture of long, short and multi-angled dogleg holes. The front nine climbs to a secluded natural valley in the northeastern part of the site, and the finishing holes tumble down to the spacious, clubhouse setting. A stream meanders throughout many holes, forcing players to accurately place shots to avoid the natural water hazard. Deep, flat-bottom abound, collecting errant tee and approach shots to the green. Deep green groundcovers and large leafy trees mirror the natural setting of a tropical lush environment.
Dye Course
The Pete Dye Course at Mission Hills Golf Club, the first Dye design in Asian, offers a marked departure from the property’s other 11 designs, presenting the golfer with a unique look and playing surface. At just over 6,800 yards and playing to par 72, it is short by today’s standards. But Dye and collaborating architect Brian Curley regularly refer to the layout as "sporty," a nod to the shot- making it demands. Easily walked, golfers encounter many elements long-associated with Dye Courses: small pot bunkers, long tee to green waste areas, railroad ties used as sleepers and walkway steps framed by tall native grasses to provide a sharp, visual contrast.
The greens are wildly undulating, especially on the numerous short par 4s. Overall, the emphasis is on creative shot-making, a refreshing respite from the bomb-it, find-it, wedge-it courses built over the past decade.
Els Course
The theme of the Els Course is to create a lush backdrop of dense tree growth juxtaposed against wide swaths of manicured turf, thus evoking a "maintained garden" aesthetic reminiscent of Els’ South African homeland. Measuring more than 7,000 yards, the Els Course follows a unique "core" layout in which no two holes run parallel.
The signature fourth hole features a tee box atop the highest point of the course, providing golfers with panoramic views of Mission Hills Resort and the surrounding region.
Faldo Course
Opened in early 1999 to great critical acclaim from the international media, the Faldo Course is destined to become one of Asia’s premier tournament venues. The 163-yard par-3 16th hole features the region’s only island green, reachable via elevated tee boxes, above. Nick Faldo has used his outstanding shot-making skills to design an extremely challenging course for professional championships, as well as recreational golfers. Every hole is highly strategic yet eminently playable.
Leadbetter Course
The first signature David Leadbetter course in the world, the Leadbetter Course mirrors the world-renown instructor’s teaching
philosophy: precision over power. The course demands laser-like approach shots to large undulating greens in order to score.
Meticulously manicured landscapes and ground covers mesh with Leadbetter’s traditional, sand-flashed bunkers that frame its well- contoured fairways. Tees are strategically located on each hole to assure the golfing experience will be both enjoyable, yet challenging for golfers of all levels.
Olazabal Course
Jose Maria Olazabal’s inaugural signature course is one of the resort’s strongest tests. It plays to 7,400 yards from the tips (the resort’s longest), and boasts 155 bunkers (including 26 on No. 15) – reflective of Olazabal’s reputation as one of the game’s great short game and sand savers. Numerous majestic vistas of untouched jungle and natural flowing streams create outstanding backdrops throughout the golf course. The signature square tees, along with undulating concave Paspalum fairways, are two distinguishing features of this true championship course. The Olazabal Course hosts the OMEGA MISSION HILLS -WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS beginning in 2007 and extending through 2018
Norman Course
Greg Norman built a reputation designing challenging golf courses wrought in the traditional stylings of his native Australian Sand Belt. His 7,214 offering at Mission Hills follows suit, as narrow fairways surrounded by long, native grasses and dense forest vegetation contribute to the layout’s 140 slope rating (one of the highest in Asia). The front nine meanders through dramatic mountain ridges and hillsides, while the back nine lays gingerly in one of the property’s many lush valleys.
Ozaki Course
The Ozaki Course takes advantage of its dramatic terrain by playing largely through single corridors offering elevated tees and fairways flanked by naturally occurring slopes. Like the Faldo Course, the intent was to leave as much native vegetation as possible to create a mature look when the course opened. Large areas of turf and wide fairways, punctuated by strategic bunkering, contrast with tall slopes of native plants and trees. Dramatic long views into valley corridors, often include serene lakes, and end at the course’s small, challenging green complexes.
World Cup Course by Jack Nicklaus
Site of the 41st World Cup of Golf in 1995, this masterpiece by legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus is revered throughout the world as one of most magnificent golfing challenges in Asia. "It is a really great course," claimed Jesper Parnevik, who made a hole-in-one on the 15th hole during the World Cup. This famous course was the first in China to be accredited by the PGA for major professional competitions. The redesigned, 539-yard par-5 16th hole, now demanding two shots over water, has quickly emerged as one of the better three-shotters in all of Asia.
Vijay Course
Three-time major winner Vijay Singh has created a layout with a number of innovative design techniques, including the 150-yard beach bunker on the 605-yard par-5 third hole, and the 553-yard par-5 10th hole, which features a green complex literally perched on a rock wall. In creating the course, Singh drew skillfully from famous designs around the world (including Pebble Beach), making the course one of the most spectacular in Asia.
Zhang Lian Wei Course
An innovative executive course – the first par-3 course in China — designed by Schmidt-Curley in conjunction with one of China’s true golfing legends, the Zhang Lian Wei Course features design elements and green complexes borrowed from many of the world’s most famous golf venues. Architecture aficionados will discover replicas of a Charles B. MacDonald Redan style green, the Postage Stamp green from Royal Troon, the Road Hole at St. Andrews and Donald Ross-style "turtle back" green complexes.
Contact:
Shane Sharp
Buffalo Communications
704.519.8381 (cell)
ssharp@billycaspergolf.com
Rich Katz
Buffalo Communications
703.761.1444
rkatz@billycaspergolf.com