Carter Morrish Design Holds Serve in Hyper-Competitive California Market
(COPPEROPOLIS, California) – Saddle Creek Resort – the gated, 900-acre Castle & Cooke golf community in the scenic Central Sierra foothills – is rated the No. 8 golf course in California inGolfweek’s 2008 “Best You Can Play” rankings.
This marks the fifth straight year Saddle Creek has ranked among the top 10 courses in the state and the third time in three years it has held down the No. 8 spot in the hyper-competitive Californiamarket. Further solidifying its position among the elite layouts in America, Saddle Creek is positioned above such prestigious courses as the South Course at Torrey Pines, site of this year’s U.S. Open Championship, the Links at Spanish Bay (Pebble Beach) and Harding Park.
The survey, which included nearly 800 California courses, examined overall strength of routing, feature shaping, natural setting, greens, variety and memorability of holes, conditioning and maintenance, landscape management and other criteria. Golfweek, which has a readership of more than 400,000, perennially sends roughly 300 “America’s Best” raters in search of notable places the public can play.
“California is home to many of the most-scenic, most-storied courses in the U.S., and it is a great honor to be mentioned in the same breath as these outstanding bastions of the game,” says Bill Troyanoski, Saddle Creek Resort general manager.
Saddle Creek has been buoyed in Golfweek’s “Best You Can Play” rankings in recent years by an agronomy program that has the course in its best condition since opening in 1996. Troyanoski and head superintendent Scott Dickson have implemented a system that takes full advantage of Saddle Creek’s native soil and temperate climate.
“The playing surface is as good if not better than it has ever been,” adds Troyanoski.
The course and resort are coming off of an exciting 18-month period in which all 100 bunkers were renovated and re-sanded, a new practice facility with target greens, short game area and full-length par-3 were installed, and a new 1500-bottle wine cellar opened in the award-winning Copper Grille (Saddle Creek’s chef-driven restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner).
For more information about Saddle Creek Resort and real estate, visit www.saddlecreek.com or call 800.611.7722.
About Saddle Creek Resort
Situated in the rolling foothills of the Central Sierra region just two hours from the Bay area and 1.5 hours from Sacramento, Saddle Creek Resort is located in the heart of the emerging Copper Valley. Golfers will discover stunning vistas of the towering Sierra Mountains to the east, while an ethereal collection of shimmering lakes, native trees, indigenous grasses and 100 bunkers provides a challenging, thought-provoking experience from tee to green. To create an atmosphere of tranquility and isolation, golf course architect Carter Morrish devised a routing in which no two holes run parallel to each other.
Saddle Creek’s thoughtful design, challenging-yet-fair setup and sublime conditioning have led to numerous state-wide and national accolades including:
* Fairways & Greens, “Signature 36, No. 16,” 2007
* Golf Digest, “4 1/2 Stars”
* Golf Digest, “Best New Upscale” 1997
* GOLF Magazine, “One of America’s Most Underrated Courses,” 2007
* Golfweek, “Best Residential Golf Course,” 2008
* Golfweek, “Best You Can Play” No. 8 in California, 2008
* T+L Golf, “America’s Best 100 Courses for $100 or Less,” 2002
* ZAGAT Survey, “America’s Top Golf Courses,” 2007/08
About Saddle Creek Resort – a Castle & Cooke Community
Saddle Creek Resort’s diverse and award-winning real estate blends resort and residential atmospheres. Custom homesites start just under $300,000 and residential opportunities range (home and lot) from the $600s to more than $1 million. Boasting views of small lakes and oak-covered hills, these picturesque homes serve as countryside retreats and make for the ideal escape for residents in the Bay Area, San Jose and Sacramento — all between 1.5 and two hours away.
Each neighborhood at Saddle Creek is carefully planned to complement and augment the golf course. Architectural design guidelines ensure each home is unique and blends with the overall residential theme. Recent real estate releases include: Quail Creek, estate and custom homesites with beautiful views of the nearby hillsides and valleys (from just under $300,000); Luxury Custom Homes, offered by Castle & Cooke and Vista Homes with elevations available upon request (from the low $1,000,000s); and Copper Glen – The Foothill Collection of Country Homes, featuring six plans and 19 elevations (from $650,000 to just over $800,000) with club membership incentives.
Residents and guests of Saddle Creek can also enjoy the beauty of the Quail trail with miles of hiking trails and mountain biking and nearby skiing, snowmobiling, and the nearby Lake Tulloch. Also of interest are the sports club, featuring a 3,000-square-foot facility offering yoga and aerobic classes, a large pool, kids’ wading pool and a Jacuzzi spa. The Lodge at Saddle Creek features a fully-stocked bar and an extensive wine list, stunning vistas and the nationally-recognized culinary operation at the acclaimed Copper Grille.
Castle & Cooke, in their goals of enhancing the overall communities where they have ongoing developments and operating facilities, are adding to the Saddle Creek Resort experience. Currently in development, Copperopolis Town Square will bring an exciting new dimension to Copperopolis with its traditional town square, specialty shops, boutique art galleries, restaurants and businesses that will create a retail-focused, mixed-use “country town” set alongside a beautiful creek and lake. Castle & Cooke recently introduced 15 luxury “Town Lofts,” offering unique town-living overlooking the vibrant retail element of the town square. Each loft is individually designed to take advantage of sight lines and surrounding vistas. Units range from 1,000 to just over 2,000 square-feet. For more information about the Town Lofts and pricing, call 866.276.4235.
Saddle Creek Resort, as well as Coyote Creek Golf Club outside of San Jose, is owned and operated by Castle & Cooke, Inc. that, along with its affiliated companies, has operations in over 24 states and 90 countries. The company’s diversified businesses include the development and ownership of real estate, leasing of transportation equipment, manufacture of brick and ownership of public warehouses. The company’s real estate developments include master planned communities such as Mililani Town on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, Lake Sherwood in Thousand Oaks, California, and Seven Oaks in Bakersfield, California. The company also owns two of the world’s highest-rated resorts on the 98% owned island of Lana’i in Hawaii.
Contact:
Shane Sharp
Buffalo Communications
704.519.8381
ssharp@billycaspergolf.com
Resort website: www.saddlecreek.com
