Only 36-hole golf facility in California to have both golf courses in top 20
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. – In the 11th annual Golfweek’s Best Courses, 2008 issue, the editors of Golfweek magazine named both golf courses at Indian Wells Golf Resort to its list of California’s top 20 public-access golf courses. California’s only 36-hole facility with both golf courses ranked in the top 20, the Clive Clark-designed Celebrity Course came in at No. 15, and the John Fought-designed Players Course came in at No. 20. The distinction is made that much more special considering the Celebrity Course opened in 2006 and the Players Course a year later in 2007. In a relatively short period of time, both golf courses have earned their spot on this prestigious list.
“We are thrilled and honored to receive recognition from Golfweek,” said Phil Green, President of OB Sports, management firm for Indian Wells Golf Resort. “We knew we had something special right away. The City of Indian Wells set the stage for the architects and our golf construction team to create two new golf courses that can hold their own against the heavy hitters of California golf.”
And heavy hitter they are: Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill, Pasatiempo hold the one through three spots, respectively, and other notable clubs that made the list include PGA West, Torrey Pines and Links at Spanish Bay. The golf courses are judged based upon ten rating criteria including ease and intimacy of routing, natural setting and overall land plan, basic conditioning and more.
“It is extremely gratifying to receive this award,” said Mary Roche, Mayor of Indian Wells. “We’ve come a long way since breaking ground: congratulations to the entire team on a job well done. One only needs to take a look at these two new beautiful golf courses to see that we have something special here. This award validates their efforts.”
Indian Wells Golf Resort is on the verge of completing an ambitious enhancement project designed to further elevate the world-class Indian Wells golf experience. The Celebrity Course opened to rave reviews in November of 2006 and the Players Course followed in November of 2007. The new 53,000 square foot Douglas Fredrikson-designed IW Club will open later this year.
About the Players Course at Indian Wells Golf Resort
Conceived in the spirit of a classic American design style, The Players Course features wide playing corridors, traditional rectangular tee boxes and sculpted bunkers. Most of the holes are oriented to take full advantage of jaw-dropping views of the surrounding mountain ranges and majestic Eisenhower Mountain to the south. As a “core golf” layout, no roads or homes intrude into the golf course, and each hole is designed to be somewhat sheltered from the others to elicit a feeling of solitude. Uniquely, Fought was able to utilize many of the mature trees found on the original East Course property to impart the feel of a venerable facility while at the same time delivering a modern approach to golf course design. But to be clear, the mature tree cover and geographical location are about the only two things that the original East Course (opened in 1986) and the new Players Course have in common. By design, the Players Course is completely different than the original golf course.
About the Celebrity Course at Indian Wells Golf Resort
Clive Clark’s much anticipated new Celebrity Course opened November 1, 2006 to rave reviews. In addition to spectacular mountain views, the new Par-72 Celebrity Course features undulating fairways, and flowing water in the form of streams, brooks, and split-level lakes connected by striking waterfalls, with vibrant floral detail.
From start to finish, the new Celebrity Course offers an unmatched golf experience that will have players returning again and again. The golf world was tuned into the Celebrity Course, as it played host to the 2007 LG SKINS GAME featuring Fred Couples, Stephen Ames, Brett Wetterich and Zach Johnson. Stephen Ames took top honors with a birdie on the last hole to capture the 2007 LG Skins Game title with $650,000 of “Skins”. For more information about the LG SKINS GAME, visit www.indianwells.com/lgskinsgame.
About Indian Wells Golf Resort
The Indian Wells Golf Resort has been a popular golf travel destination for nearly 20 years, offering two golf courses and four hotel/resorts. The City of Indian Wells, owner of the golf resort, decided to bolster the golf experience at the resort by embarking on an ambitious facility-wide project that has already yielded two new golf courses. Plus the spectacular Douglas Fredrikson-designed clubhouse, nine-hole putting course, sprawling practice facility and a host of other amenities will soon follow June of 2008. For more information about Indian Wells Golf Resort call 760.346.4653 or visit www.indianwellsgolfresort.com.
Indian Wells Golf Resort is professionally managed by OB Sports Golf Management, a diversified, golf-oriented company with a long history of success. OB Sports currently manages 30 premier golf courses and country clubs throughout the United States and Mexico. Known for its comprehensive and personalized services since 1972, OB Sports has become widely acclaimed as the leader in boutique-style golf course management. For more information on OB Sports, visit www.obsports.com or call (480) 948-1300.
Contact:
Nancy Samuelson, City of Indian Wells,
(760) 346-2489 nsamuelson@indianwells.com
Kris Strauss, OB Sports
(480) 518-5003 kstrauss@obsports.com
