The Mount Washington Course Earned Golfweek’s #1 Rating for New Hampshire Public Courses (March 2009)
BRETTON WOODS, NH, May 18, 2009 – Mount Washington Resort is pleased to announce the opening of the18-hole Mount Washington Course, the Resort’s signature golf course on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, 2009. The classic Course was closed for nearly two seasons while undergoing a complete restoration, and had a preview opening last August. The newly restored 18-hole Mount Washington Golf Course recently earned the #1 rating for public golf courses in New Hampshire by Golfweek (March 2009), and last fall was named one of the most notable redesigns by Travel & Leisure Golf (Sept/Oct 2008). This summer marks the first full season of play on the new layout, based upon the original plans.
The Mount Washington Course was designed by legendary golf course architect Donald Ross, originally from Scotland, and opened in 1915. Brian Silva of Brian Silva Design, an award-winning golf course architect based in Dover, New Hampshire, lead the restoration project, rebuilding the golf course based on the original design plans of Donald Ross which had been preserved over the years at the Resort.
Ross was known for designing golf courses according to the natural contours and terrain of the land, and for placing challenging bunkers perpendicular to the required shots. According to Silva, who has won numerous awards for his work and renovated many of America’s most revered courses, including Seminole in North Palm Beach, Florida, Biltmore Forest in Asheville, North Carolina, and Georgia’s Augusta Country Club, the Mount Washington Course “is mountain golf at its best” because it has all the advantages of a mountain course, being in a spectacular setting with interesting routing tailored to the terrain along the Ammonoosuc River Valley, but none of the disadvantages, such as dramatic changes in elevation and tight target shots. The Mount
Washington Course is built on an ancient river bed, completely surrounded by the majesty of the Northeast’s highest peaks and pristine forests, with the added bonus of magnificent views of the grand Mount Washington Hotel.
With the original Ross plans for the Mount Washington Course in hand, Silva discovered the 18-hole Course was not simply the “flat thing” that he recalled during earlier visits to the
Resort in the early 1970’s and late 1980’s. By comparing the original Ross plans to those of the Course in 2007, Silva skillfully unveiled the original intent of Ross, which had been lost or
buried over the years. Fairway bunkers crafted with classic Ross flair, perpendicular to the line of play, were unearthed, including the discovery of Ross’ signature “Principal’s Nose” bunker on the 4th hole. In keeping with Ross’ “meadowland” design, which features expansive views, Silva significantly enhanced the Course’s wide open vistas by strategically removing trees. Silva also made use of the natural rolls and swells of the ancient riverbed upon which the Course was built when placing tees, fairways, bunkers, and greens, as did Ross in his original plans.
Matt Massei, the Resort’s General Manager, came to Mount Washington Resort after a fifteen year career at Pinehurst, in North Carolina, where he oversaw PGA National Club Professional Championships in 1997 and 1998, and the US Open in 2005. Massei noted how impressed he was with the way the entire project was executed, and the significance of the new layout. “The Mount Washington Course is an original Donald Ross design that has been impeccably restored by Brian Silva. We are absolutely thrilled with the result, and we would love the opportunity to host one of the USGA amateur championships here at Mount Washington Resort within the next five years or so,” he said. The Mount Washington Course restoration was part of a $50 million investment in refurbishment and restoration at the Resort which includes the addition of the new Presidential Wing on the 100-year old Mount Washington Hotel that houses a stunning new Spa, Conference Center and outdoor pool complex that opened in January 2009.
Michael Carroll, Mount Washington Resort’s Director of Golf and Club Operations, joined Mount Washington Resort a year ago having spent the previous thirteen years at the New Seabury Country Club in Mashpee, Massachusetts. Carroll is responsible for the daily operations of the Golf Club, which also includes the nine-hole Mount Pleasant Course, TreeTop Golf Pro Shop and The Grille restaurant. Carroll is a Class A Member of the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA).
Mount Washington Resort offers overnight packages that combine accommodations and golf, as well as other interesting choices including treatments in the Resort’s new 25,000 square-foot Spa or adventures on the new Bretton Woods Canopy Tour, a thrilling three-and-a-half-hour zip line tour from treetop to treetop, descending over 1000 feet to the base of the mountain. Packages start at $115 per person, based on double occupancy, dates and availability.
For more information about Mount Washington Resort, and to make reservations, please visit www.MountWashingtonResort.com or call 1-877-873-0626. The Mount Washington Resort Golf Club, which also offers a season pass program this summer, can be reached directly by calling
About Mount Washington Resort
Located at the base of Mount Washington and surrounded by the White Mountain National Forest, Mount Washington Resort is a four-season vacation destination. It is home to The Mount Washington Hotel, site of the International Monetary Conference of 1944, and Bretton Woods, New Hampshire’s largest ski area. With the completion of a $50 million refurbishment and expansion in 2009, the Resort unveiled the restored 18-hole Mount Washington Course, a new 25,000-square-foot Spa, a 20,000-square-foot Conference Center, outdoor pool complex and renovated guestrooms, lobby and public spaces. The new Bretton Woods Canopy Tour, also has been added to the Resort’s list of amenities, which includes top-rated alpine and Nordic skiing, 27 holes of championship golf and a full slate of additional seasonal activities. A variety of lodging, dining and activities is offered year-round, along with many traditional and cultural events. As part of a proposed master planned community spanning the next decade, Mount Washington Resort has initiated the development of approximately 1,000 new homes and homesites, with the first offerings now available in the Dartmouth Brook neighborhood. For more information, please visit www.MountWashingtonResort.com or call 1-877-873-0626.
Contact:
Mount Washington Resort
Irene Donnell
Director of Public Relations
idonnell@mountwashingtonresort.com
t 603.278.3366
Golf
Dove Jones
DoveJ77@aol.com
Golf Ink, LLC
t 843.817.
Conventures / Boston
Sheila Green
Director of Public Relations
sgreen@conventures.com
t 617.204.
Kayla Kayla Gorski
Gorsk kgorski@conventures.com
Work t 617.204.4263
Lou Hammond & Associates / NYC
Katie Barr Cornish
katieb@louhammond.com
t 212.891.0215
Nora McGeough
nmcgeough@louhammond.com
t 212.891.0222
