Robert Trent Jones II, LLC design will introduce championship golf to western New York
LEWISTON, N.Y., Oct. 24, 2007 – KemperSports today announced its selection to oversee the planning, development and operation of Seneca Hickory Stick Golf Club, situated just 20 minutes north of iconic Niagara Falls. The course, which is being developed by the Seneca Nation of Indians, will add championship-caliber golf to a growing lineup of amenities offered on the New York side of the Falls.
Steering the design of the 18-hole Seneca Hickory Stick Golf Club, named for the rare and distinct Shellbark Hickory trees found along the course, is the internationally renowned Robert Trent Jones II, LLC golf course architecture firm. The par-72 layout, featuring manicured landscapes surrounded by stunning lakes and ponds, will weave through native vegetation, wetlands and open meadows. Seneca Hickory Stick, stretching approximately 7,100 yards, will be designed for the walking golfer.
Golf course construction commenced in June 2007 with Seneca Hickory Stick’s opening scheduled for 2009. Future plans also include development of a spacious clubhouse and pavilion for hospitality functions and special events.
"We look forward to working alongside the Seneca Nation and RTJ II design firm to create a must-play destination golf course in western New York," said KemperSports President and COO Steve Skinner. "Niagara Falls and the surrounding area is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, and we plan to broaden its reputation as a must-visit locale with the debut of Seneca Hickory Stick Golf Club."
Seneca Hickory Stick Golf Club marks the first project developed by the Seneca Nation off of its sovereign territory. The property was secured with specific intentions of developing a high-end golf course to complement the Nation’s world-class gaming and entertainment facilities, including Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel, which is located in Niagara Falls, N.Y.
About The Seneca Nation of Indians
The Seneca Nation of Indians, one of the six original nations of the Iroquois Confederacy, occupies sovereign lands in western New York. The Seneca’s historically controlled trade through and protected the Western territories of the Iroquois Confederacy, represented symbolically as a Longhouse, thereby assuming the reference "Keeper of the Western Door." The Seneca Nation’s five sovereign territories are comprised of 22,011 acres along the Cattaraugus Creek, from the Lake Erie shoreline to Gowanda, known as the Cattaraugus Territory; 31,095 acres along the Allegany River and the Southern Tier Expressway, known as the Allegany Territory, one square mile parcel in Cuba, called the Oil Spring Territory, 30 acres in Niagara Falls, and 9 acres in Buffalo. The Allegany Territory has the distinction of having several congressional towns and the City of Salamanca within its boundaries. Through its wholly-owned Seneca Gaming Corporation, the Nation owns and operates Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel in Niagara Falls, N.Y., Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel in Salamanca, N.Y., and Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino in Buffalo, N.Y. In total, the Nation operates a $1.2 billion economy, the seventh largest in Western New York.
About KemperSports
Northbrook, Ill.-based KemperSports operates golf facilities as well as athletic clubs, lodging venues and major sporting events, including nationally ranked courses and tournament venues such as Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Dorado Beach Resort & Club, The Glen Club, Gillette Ridge, Harding Park, Chambers Bay and Desert Willow Golf Resort. Affiliate KemperSports Marketing & Communications, a sports marketing, events and public relations agency, has produced and managed major national and international events and communications programs, including the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational college basketball tournament and numerous PGA TOUR events. For more information, visit http://www.kempersports.com.
Contact:
Susie Chang
847.850.2471, schang@kempersports.com
Kristin Schaner
847.480.4850, kschaner@kempersports.com
