River Rock Golf Club Set to Debut in 2010
CASHIERS, North Carolina, Sept. 13, 2007 â?¦ Sharing his enduring enjoyment of the game, Phil Mickelson has designed River Rock Golf Club to be a pleasure to play, every day.
Weaving delicately along the natural contours of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the River Rock layout that is to debut in 2010 combines panoramic vistas, meandering streams and lush forests into a thrilling experience.
"My commitment to golf is to creating the highest quality courses that are challenging, engaging and always provide a truly enjoyable experience each time they are played," said Mickelson, who this week is not far from the River Rock project, playing at the Tour Championship in Atlanta. "To do that, you need to find the most beautiful landscapes available, and develop dream destinations for golfers from around the world. We’ve done that in the mountains of North Carolina."
Still in the design phase, the unique characteristics throughout the River Rock course are to appear in many forms:
The first tee is only a few steps from the back door of the majestic clubhouse, creating a "center stage" feel to the start of each round.
The second hole is a 305-yard, par 3 from the back tees, with a 65- foot drop to a green that sits on a knoll with 180-degree views of the mountains.
The 343-yard third hole is a drivable par 4. The 270-yard carry over a stream and ravine is helped considerably by the 104-foot drop from tee to green.
The 15th and fourth fairways cross one another, a feature rare to American golf courses that adds intrigue to the experience.
A thoroughly entertaining par 72 with a variety of challenges, River Rock is to measure approximately 7,100 yards at its championship maximum. But the actual "playing yardage" must take into account the dramatic downhill drops to several fairways and greens. Thanks to imaginative engineering, just six of the 18 holes will play uphill on a site that lies from 2,250 to 4,250 feet above sea level. That creates a dramatic contrast that ranges from a 114-foot descent on the fourth hole to an uphill of climb of 74 feet on the 11th hole.
River Rock encompasses close to 4,000 acres in the Blue Ridge Mountains on The Highlands-Cashiers Plateau of North Carolina, where the private course is to be a signature element of an amenity-rich, luxury planned community.
Mickelson, who launched Phil Mickelson Design in January of 2007, incorporates "redan style" green complexes and sharply sloped fairways throughout River Rock. While he entices golfers to be a bit more daring – befitting his competitive character – and presents illusions of danger along the way, River Rock consistently provides safe choices from tee to green on every hole. Mickelson also had a hand in designing River Rock’s world-class practice facility.
Although River Rock is the first project of Phil Mickelson Design, Mickelson is no stranger to golf course architecture. The Lower Course at Whisper Rock, a desert-style design in Scottsdale, Ariz., is his debut work. Opened in 2001, Whisper Rock was ranked No. 67 on Golfweek Magazine’s Top 100 Modern Courses (2006).
"I thoroughly enjoyed the creative experience at Whisper Rock and I’m really excited about continuing my work in course design on a wider scale," said Mickelson, who also will be involved with the residential master plan in and around the River Rock private course.
"The properties we’re involved with are magnificent golf development settings and the variety of locations and terrains offers a great challenge for our team. Phil Mickelson Design is ready to create communities where people can have the time of their lives."
The River Rock clubhouse is scheduled to open in 2009. The River Rock course is to be accompanied by a unique, 22-hole instructional short course, called King’s Grant, designed by Mickelson’s long-time swing consultant Rick Smith. King’s Grant also is scheduled to open in the fall of 2009.
Owned and operated by Legasus of North Carolina, LLC, River Rock is only 75 minutes from Asheville, and within three hours of Charlotte, Atlanta and Knoxville.
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About Legasus Properties
An environmentally friendly developer, Legasus Properties has evolved over the past 30 years into one of the Southeast’s most prominent creators of lifestyle communities emphasizing outdoor recreation and conservation. Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Asheville, N.C.
and Anderson, S.C., founders and principals Ted Morlok and Tony Corliss have more than 60 combined years of experience investing in and developing property. Together, they have been involved with dozens of different developments encompassing more than 20,000 acres.
About River Rock
Situated on 4,000 acres on the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau near Glenville, N.C., River Rock is the culmination of years of research, negotiation and planning. Borrowing elements from its majestic western counterparts, River Rock’s name will soon become synonymous with resort mountain living through its ability to blend rustic surroundings and luxurious amenities with classic Southern Appalachian charm.
The five gated communities which comprise River Rock are surrounded by perhaps one of the most beautiful, pristine and ecologically diverse environments east of the Mississippi. Noted for its temperate year-round climate, numerous waterfalls and lush hardwood forests, the area surrounding River Rock has been the secret retreat for America’s elite for more than a century. River Rock is a 75-minute drive from Asheville and is within a three-hour drive from Knoxville, Tenn., Charlotte, N.C., and Atlanta. River Rock will have 40 holes of golf and over $1 million in amenities when complete.
Contact:
Karen Moraghan
Hunter Public Relations
(908) 963-6013
kmoraghan@hunter-pr.com
www.hunter-pr.com
