LIVERMORE, CA (January 28, 2008) – Avid golfers have several ways to participate in this spring’s Livermore Valley Wine Country Championship At Wente Vineyards, either by playing in one of two Pro-Am tournaments, or earning a complimentary pass each time they play The Course At Wente Vineyards before March 31.
Northern California’s premier golf, food and wine event returns to The Course At Wente Vineyards March 31-April 6, when the Nationwide Tour makes its only stop in the greater Bay Area. Besides hosting the best field of professional golfers to visit the Bay Area in 2008, the Wine Country Championship also will feature gourmet food and wine tasting each day at the Diablo Magazine Food & Wine Pavilion presented by Viking. The AT&T Tech pavilion presented by Logitech will host some of the latest gadgets and electronics for business and the home.
For the first time, The Course At Wente Vineyards is providing each guest with a free, four-day ticket to the tournament for every round played between February 1 and March 31, 2008.
Available again this year is the popular VIP Hospitality Pass, which provides access to the grounds and golf course, but most importantly the luxury VIP Hospitality Tent, with private food and beverage service, overlooking the 18th green. Each ticket is $125 and valid one day only. VIP passes or Hospitality packages must be purchased before March 31.
Limited spots are available in the Pro-Am team competition, which pairs four amateurs with a Nationwide Tour Professional for an 18-hole event. There are two options to participate in a Pro-Am: Monday, March 31, at 1 p.m. or Wednesday, April 1 at 7:30 a.m. Amateurs may register as individuals or as a foursome.
The Course at Wente Vineyards is a tour-tested layout that provides tour-quality conditions year round. It has been awarded top honors for Best Playing Conditions in the East Bay Region by Greenskeeper.org and ranked No. 1 on Fairways and Greens magazine’s 2008 rankings of non-resort courses in the Bay Area (No. 16 overall in the state). The past two years, the Greg Norman-designed layout, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary in June, has been No.1 on the list of toughest courses on the Nationwide Tour.
Passes for the entire week are $20 each, available only in advance; daily tickets are $5 each for the first two days of tournament play (April 3-4) and $10 each for the final two days (April 5-6). Admission is free for practice round days, March 31-April 2.
For more information about the Livermore Valley Wine Country Championship, visit www.winecountrychampionship.com , call (925) 447-2200 or fax (925) 447-2900.
About Wente Vineyards
Founded in 1883, Wente Vineyards is the country’s oldest continuously operated family-owned winery. Owned and managed today by the fourth and fifth generations of the Wente family, the winery draws from nearly 3,000 acres of estate vineyards located in the Livermore Valley and Arroyo Seco regions of California. A global wine brand, Wente Vineyards exports wines to more than 50 countries. The Wente Vineyards Estate Winery is located at 5565 Tesla Road, Livermore, CA 94550. For more information, call (925) 456-2300 or visit www.wentevineyards.com .
About The Course at Wente Vineyards
Opened in 1998, The Course at Wente Vineyards is one of California’s finest golf destinations, laid out along the Wente family estate vineyards in Livermore, 45 minutes east of San Francisco, where 18 championship holes play through the vineyards, rolling hills, and scenic valleys. Bentgrass greens, rye grass fairways, classic-style bunkers and water hazards add to the challenge of the par 72 that includes more that 200 feet of elevation change. The clubhouse is modeled after an Australian station house, reminiscent of Greg Norman’s childhood in The Outback. The Course is located at 5050 Arroyo Road, Livermore, CA 94550. Contact the golf shop at (925) 456-2475 or visit www.wentegolf.com .
About the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Foundation
The Livermore Valley Winegrowers Foundation was founded in 1994 as way for the Valley’s wine industry to give back to the community and increase awareness of this generous wine region. Though its primary activities, the Livermore Valley Wine Auction and now the Wine Country Championship, the Foundation has contributed more than $3 million dollars for local charities ranging from providing funds for the pediatric unit at ValleyCare Medical Center, to funding the Oakland East Bay Symphony’s programs for underserved children, and to supporting Camp Arroyo, a summer camp for children with life-threatening illnesses.
About the Nationwide Tour
Founded (1990), owned and operated by the PGA TOUR, the Nationwide Tour identifies those players who are ready to compete and win on golf’s greatest stage. As the official proving ground of the PGA TOUR, 67 percent of the current PGA TOUR membership played on the Nationwide Tour. Tour alumni have won more than 200 PGA TOUR titles, including a grand slam and three PLAYERS Championships. Twenty-five PGA TOUR cards and a record purse approaching $19 million will be at stake over the course of 30 events in 2008. Recognizing the Tour’s growing stature, Nationwide Insurance has renewed its umbrella sponsorship of the Nationwide Tour through 2012. The PGA TOUR, through the efforts of its three tours and their tournaments, sponsors, players and volunteers, supports over 2,000 local charities and has surpassed $1 billion in charitable giving. To learn more about the PGA TOUR and Nationwide Tour and to follow the season-long quest for a PGA TOUR card, visitwww.PGATOUR.com .
Contact:
Ed Vyeda
Hunter Public Relations ? West
(831) 375-1747
evyeda@hunter-pr.com
www.hunter-pr.com
