Mickelson joins defending champ Stephen Ames
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. – Phil Mickelson will join defending champion, Stephen Ames, and two other tour players (to be announced this summer) in the 2008 LG SKINS GAME. In Mickelson’s last appearance in 2003, he finished third with five skins and $170,000 behind Fred Couples and Annika Sorenstam.
In its 26th year, the 2008 LG SKINS GAME will be played November 29-30 at Indian Wells Golf Resort.
“This is simply great news for the event as well as the fans that will tune in on Thanksgiving weekend,” said Mary Roche, Mayor of Indian Wells. “He’s the No. 2 player in the world who just happens to be a huge crowd favorite, and his no-holds-barred style of play is sure to create exciting drama. We’re thrilled to have him play.”
The 2008 LG Skins Game will be hosted on the Celebrity Course at Indian Wells Golf Resort
The Clive Clark-designed Celebrity Course opened November 1, 2006 to rave reviews. The Par-72, 7,088-yard Celebrity Course features many risk/reward challenges that set up well for the distinctive Skins format. Clark’s design will require Ames, Mickelson and others to think their way around the golf course instead of simply overpowering it. On the front side, holes 4, 5 and 6 will certainly get their attention. The fourth is a reachable par 5 with an island green where last year Fred Couples holed-out for eagle and three skins worth $75,000. The fifth is a long bombs-away par 4, and the sixth is a long par 3 that plays nearly 240 yards from the back tees.
In addition to strategic challenge and spectacular mountain views, the new Par-72 Celebrity Course features colorful wildflowers that encircling the green complexes and cover the out of play areas. As a “core golf” layout roads and homes do not intrude into the playing field, and each hole is designed to be somewhat sheltered from the others to elicit a feeling of solitude. The golf course’s seven water features – waterfalls, creeks and ponds – come into play on nine holes. The water hazards are designed to have both aesthetic and strategic appeal.
“In my eyes, part of the joy of playing golf is to have fun,” said Clark. “So the reason the golf course was designed in this way was to make it fun by being playable, but equally, like a game of chess, it will ask certain questions of players as they progress around the course.”
In November of 2007, the golf world was tuned into the Celebrity Course as it hosted the 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 title with $650,000 in Skins. For more information about the LG SKINS GAME, visit www.indianwells.com/lgskinsgame.
Recently, the editors of Golfweek magazine ranked the Celebrity Course No. 7 in its list of the 30 best municipal golf courses nationwide alongside several outstanding golf clubs: The 2002 and 2009 U.S. Open host, Bethpage State Park (Black), located in Farmingdale, N.Y. came in first. The 2015 U.S. Open host, Chambers Bay G.C. located in University Place, Wash., came in second. The Celebrity’s sister course, Players Course came in third; Piñon Hills G.C., located in Farmington N.M. placed fourth. The 2008 U.S. Open host, Torrey Pines (South) located in La Jolla, California, finished fifth, and TPC Scottsdale (Stadium), home of the PGA Tour’s FBR Open came in sixth.
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 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 (IW Club), nine-hole putting course, sprawling practice facility and a host of other amenities will soon follow in August of 2008.
“Now that we are putting the finishing touches on the construction project, it’s becoming clear that the vision and investment put into the new facility by city officials has resulted in a world-class golf club,” said Greg Johnson, City Manager of Indian Wells. “A lot of people worked hard to make this happen, and I’m just thrilled to witness the fruits of our efforts.”
For more information about Indian Wells Golf Resort call 760.346.4653 or visit www.indianwellsgolfresort.com.
About OB Sports Golf Management
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:
Jeff Lessig, Indian Wells Golf Resort
(760) 346-4653, jlessig@iwgr.com
Nancy Samuelson, City of Indian Wells
(760) 346-2489 nsamuelson@indianwells.com
