BEDFORD, Pa.-March 6, 2008-The successful restoration of the Bedford Springs Old Course continues to receive accolades, most recently 2007 Renovation of the Year by Golf Inc. magazine.
In its fifth annual golf course awards competition, Golf Inc. named the Old Course, which reopened last July, as the winner in the daily fee/resort division. Bedford Springs Resort is operated by Benchmark Hospitality International. Forse Design of Hopwood, Pa. was the architect and Frontier Golf of Jones Mills, Pa. was the contractor.
The honor follows Golf Course Industry magazine awarding the Old Course its annual Affinity Award for Best Environmental Project. Part of the Old Course project included the restoration of 6,200 linear feet of a seriously declining waterway, stabilizing Shobers Run, a tributary to the Juniata River, and reviving the ecological balance of this special section of southern Pennsylvania.
The meticulously renovated Old Course returned to its original luster following completion of a project that retraced the footsteps of three revolutionary American golf course architects — Spencer Oldham (1895), A.W. Tillinghast (1912) and Donald Ross (1923). Select golf holes at Bedford Springs are thought to be some of the first golf holes in America.
This unique and historic collaboration of golf holes stretches across the foot of the Allegheny Mountains along Shobers Run creek, weaving amid the 200-year-old oaks, serene meadows and marshes of picturesque Bedford Springs Valley. The par 72, which ranges from 5,050 to a maximum of 6,785 yards, features bent grass greens, fairways and tees, with rough consisting of bluegrass and fescue.
“We are pleased to honor the industry’s leaders in what is a very active, but often overlooked segment of this industry,” said Chase Peckham, associate publisher of Golf Inc., which bestowed awards in several categories. “The quality of entries was exceptionally high.”
The winners and finalists in the Golf Inc. competition are to be honored at the annual Awards Gala at the Golf Inc. Conference, April 21 at the Doral Resort in Miami.
Entrants were evaluated anonymously on four criteria: how well the renovation achieved the overall project goal, course routing, improvement of the course aesthetics, and improvement in playability and maintainability.
The Bedford Springs Old Course is open to the public, with preferred tee times reserved for VIP Club individuals and families, and resort guests. For information or tee times call (866) 623-8168 or visit www.bedfordspringsresort.com.
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Bedford Springs Resort re-opened in July 2007 following a $120-million restoration and expansion. Long heralded for its healing waters and restorative environs, Bedford Springs origins date back to 1796 when its seven original mineral springs lured guests for a healing cure. A classic “springs resort” with many of the original buildings and architectural elements still in place, the restored and expanded Bedford Springs Resort features the 30,000 square foot Springs Eternal Spa, five restaurants, meeting and banquet space, retail shops and a variety of recreational activities.
Bedford Resort Partners, Ltd. is the owner and developer of the Bedford Springs Resort project.
Benchmark Hospitality International, an independent hospitality management company based in The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, operates resorts, conference centers, hotels and condominium resorts both domestically and internationally. For locations of Benchmark Hospitality properties and for additional information, visit Benchmark’s Website at www.benchmarkhospitality.com.
The property is a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, the ultimate luxury collection featuring more than 165 exceptional hotels and resorts in the most desirable locations around the world.
Contact:
Karen Moraghan
Hunter Public Relations ? East
908/876-5100
908/963-6013 (cell)
kmoraghan@hunter-pr.com
www.hunter-pr.com
