INDIAN WELLS, Calif. – In the annual The Desert Sun reader’s poll, 2008 Best of the Valley, Indian Wells Golf Resort placed first in the “Best Public Golf Course” category. The poll was open to readers who visited The Desert Sun’s website to take part in the voting.
“We proudly accept this honor as a distinguished award from the people who matter the most – the local Valley residents,” said Greg Johnson, City Manager for the City of Indian Wells. “Certainly we cater to the golf vacationer, but it’s the locals who truly lie at the foundation of our golf resort. It’s very gratifying to earn their support. Thank you to all who have put in the hard work to make an honor like this possible.”
For more than a decade, The Desert Sun has been conducting the Best of the Valley reader’s poll ranking various establishments ranging from Best Dining to Best Fitness Center. In the 2008 Best Public Golf Course category, Indian Wells Golf Resort finished ahead of Desert Willow Golf Resort and Classic Club.
The opening of the two new golf courses at Indian Wells Golf Resort has attracted the attention of the golf world outside of the Coachella Valley as well. In fact both golf courses, Celebrity and Players, made Golfweek magazine’s list of California’s top 20 public-access golf courses – the only 36-hole facility to have both golf courses on the list. And on February 4, 2008, the John Fought-designed Players Course and the Clive Clark-designed Celebrity Course were ranked first and second respectively in a Top 25 ranking conducted by the popular golf social networking site www.greenskeeper.org .
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 so! litude. 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:
Kris Strauss, OB Sports
(480) 518-5003 kstrauss@obsports.com
