Honored for Work on the Canyon River Golf Club, Donald Ross Course at French Lick
(SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.) – Schmidt-Curley Design – the full-service golf-course architecture, master-planning and construction-management firm – today announces that Golf Digest named Canyon River Golf Club a "Best New Public Course Under $75," and the Donald Ross Course at French Lick a "Best New Public Remodel" in its 2007 rankings of "America’s Best New Courses."
Canyon River is a par-72, 6,966-yard layout located in East Missoula, Montana on the banks of the Clark Fork River. Set among towering pines and tall native grasses, it features dramatic elevation changes on several holes, and offers stunning vistas of the surrounding mountains. Though lakes and marshes come into play on nearly half of the holes, it offers ample room for the mid and high handicapper to navigate its lush fairways. A round at Canyon River can be enjoyed for an exceptionally reasonable fee of $48.
"Canyon River was a particularly memorable project," says Brian Curley. "The varied terrain and presence of numerous natural hazards meant that we did not have to move a great deal of earth. This allowed us to craft a layout that melds seamlessly with the breathtaking surroundings. It’s a must-play."
The Donald Ross Course at French Lick (Ind.) is a remodel of the Hill Course at French Lick Springs C.C., a 1917 Donald Ross design and site of Walter Hagen’s 1924 PGA Championship victory. Known for its wildly undulating greens, French Lick is considered an iconic Ross course by many.
Schmidt-Curley managed a $4.6 million restoration, reclaiming more than 20 original bunkers after examining old photographs and drawings of the course. They also added new sand and tiling to existing bunkers, installed a state-of-the-art irrigation system, lengthened the course to over 7,000 yards, replaced an old cart path system and re-routed paths to make them less conspicuous.
Says Lee Schmidt: "We were very cognizant of French Lick’s storied past. Our goal was to adapt the course for the modern game and better its aesthetics while maintaining, and in some cases reestablishing, Ross’ influence."
Schmidt-Curley’s remodel of the Ross course was an integral part of a larger facelift and expansion of the French Lick Resort and Casino. The $400 million project has once again made it a premier Midwestern vacation destination.
Schmidt-Curley is presently engaged with projects in the United States, South Korea, China, Thailand, and Vietnam, the latter of which is located near the famous Cu Chi tunnels on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The firm recently was recognized by Asian Golf Monthly for its work at China’s Mission Hills Golf Club, naming it the "Best Golf Resort in Asia." The club’s Pete Dye and Olazabal Courses also received accolades as the "Best New Course in Asia" and "No. 2 Course in China," respectively, and the publication named Schmidt-Curley the "No. 2 Golf Course Architecture Firm" in Asia.
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For more information, visit www.schmidt-curley.com or call 480.483.1994.
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About Schmidt-Curley Design, Inc.
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Founded by partners Lee Schmidt and Brian Curley and based in Scottsdale, Arizona, Schmidt-Curley is a full-service, international golf-course architecture and master-planning firm with more than 100 layouts in 24 countries, including the U.S., Thailand, China, Sweden, Vietnam, Mexico, Egypt, Sweden, and Korea. The tandem is responsible for crafting 10 of the 12 courses at storied Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen, China – the largest golf complex in the world.
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At Mission Hills, Schmidt-Curley teamed with long-time partner Nick Faldo, as well as Ernie Els, Jose Maria Olazabal, David Duval, Annika Sorenstam, Vijay Singh, David Ledbetter and Jumbo Ozaki to create a golf experience unlike any other globally. Other high profile, award-winning projects from Schmidt-Curley include Bali Hai and Siena Golf Clubs (Las Vegas), Amata Spring Golf Club (Chonburi, Thailand, host of The Royal Trophy), Terra Lago Golf Club (Indio, California, site of the Skins Game for four years) Twin Creeks Golf Club (Cedar Park, Texas), and Crosby National Golf Club (Rancho Santa Fe, California).
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Schmidt-Curley has also worked extensively with golf’s biggest names – including Jack Nicklaus, Pete Dye, Fred Couples and Faldo on numerous high-profile projects. Producing demanding yet beautiful and enjoyable courses, Schmidt-Curley strives to create golf experiences that stir the senses and elevate golfers’ appreciations for the land and the game. By balancing classic golf course architecture with ever-changing contemporary technology, Schmidt-Curley places an emphasis on site-adaptive courses, memorable and enjoyable for all levels of play and always designed for cost-efficient maintenance and operations.
Contact:
Shane Sharp
Buffalo Communications
704.519.8381 (cell)
ssharp@billycaspergolf.com
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Stephen Reynolds
Buffalo Communications
703.761.1444
sreynolds@billycaspergolf.com
