Pete Dye course captures rare double honor
French Lick, IN – In an achievement rarely duplicated in the industry, the Pete Dye golf course at French Lick Resort has been selected as America’s best new course by the two leading golf publications in the country.
Days after Golf Digest magazine selected the Pete Dye course as the “Best New Public Course” in the United States, GOLF Magazine awarded the course its top honor, “Best New Course of the Year.”
The awards were announced in the annual review of the best new courses of the year published in the January 2010 issues of each magazine.
n GOLF Magazine’s annual review of the top new courses you can play, the Pete Dye course edged out other impressive finalists, including, Sequoyah National Golf Club, Cherokee, N.C.; Waldorf Astoria Golf Club, Orlando, Fl.; Ritz-Carlton GC, Dove Mountain, Marana, Ariz.; Wine Valley Golf Club, Walla Walla, Wash.; and Stone Canyon Golf Club, Blue Springs, Mo.
“This is a tremendous honor to be selected the best new course in the country by both Golf Digest and GOLF Magazine,” said Dave Harner, French Lick Resort’s director of golf. “When Bill Cook, Steve Ferguson, and Pete Dye began this journey together, they saw a vision of French Lick Resort as a premier golf resort destination, and that is exactly what they have created.”
The competition for the top prize was very close, and the French Lick course needed all of Pete Dye’s creativity to take the top award.
“Never has a winner of our Best New Course honors so polarized our panelists as the Pete Dye course at French Lick. The staggering yardage – and equally staggering price tag – has sparked considerable opposition,” GOLF Magazine stated. “The bottom line: This is a violent thrill ride with one classic Pete Dye hole after another. If you like that sort of thing, you’ll never forget Dye’s contribution to French Lick.”
The course measures a robust 8,102 yards from the championship tees. However, with five sets of tees set from 5,100 yards, the course is a fun challenge for high handicappers as well as the most skilled of players.
GOLF Magazine highlighted Dye’s finishing holes and the experience. “Take the closing trio of holes, for example: a 301-yard par-3, followed by a 518-yard par-4, and then a 657-yard par-5. For all that, there are compensations for savvy golfers: shorter tees to choose from, golf packages, and mandatory forecaddies to guide you through the challenges.
The new Pete Dye course is located on a dramatic site that looks more like the rolling mountains of North Carolina than the flatlands of Indiana. The course is situated upon a hilltop – one of the highest points in the state – offering panoramic views in all directions that stretch for 30-40 miles.
Dye himself was very excited about the project and the honors.
“I am very excited for my new course at French Lick Resort to receive these top honors from both GOLF Magazine and Golf Digest,” said the Hall of Fame architect. “I am very proud to have worked with both Bill Cook and Steve Ferguson on this project. Their vision led the way for me to design a new modern day golf course that can be fun to play for anyone from a novice to a touring professional.”
Dye said the property was as good for golf as any he has worked on.
“I have spent the past five decades designing golf courses all over the world, including courses on great coastal sites,” Dye explains. “This new course at French Lick Resort has brought great excitement to Alice and me because the course is on arguably the best inland site I have ever worked on.”
“As I built the golf course I tried to get the tees, the fairways, and the greens in position that they have these long views over the valleys and hills,” continued Dye. “A lot of southern Indiana is natural forest, a lot of it is state owned, so you can see for miles. The ambience of the course is the look, the vistas from all the different tees, greens, and fairways.”
This new course is already gaining recognition. In 2010, the PGA of America will play its PGA Professional National Championship on the course. This is expected to be the first of several high profile professional events to be hosted here.
French Lick Resort is the only resort in the world that offers the classic history of its original course, a 1917 Donald Ross creation, and Dye’s modern-day design. This combination by two legendary Hall of Fame architects is a rare opportunity for golfers to experience the best pairing of unique golf courses found anywhere in the country.
For more information or to book a stay, please visit www.frenchlick.com or call our reservation specialists at (888) 936-9360.
About French Lick Resort
French Lick Resort is a $500 million historic restoration and casino development project that includes the West Baden Springs Hotel, French Lick Springs Hotel and the new French Lick Casino. This premier resort and casino destination in Southern Indiana features 686 guest rooms and suites; a 51,000-square-foot, single-level casino; 45 holes of golf, including the fully restored 1917-designed Donald Ross Course at French Lick and the new, 18-hole Pete Dye Course at French Lick; two full-service spas with a combined 36 treatment rooms totaling 42,000 square feet; meeting and event space totaling 115,000 square feet and an array of dining and entertainment options.
Contact:
French Lick Resort
Dyan Welsh Duncan
(812) 936-5926
dduncan@frenchlick.com
Fusion Media Strategies
Kevin Frisch
(989) 614-0241
kevin@fusionmediastrategies.com
