All four courses for Jan. 17-23, 2011 Classic are again in City of La Quinta
LA QUINTA, Calif. – Richard Ramhoff, president and publisher of The Desert Sun, and Dave Hawley, president of Bermuda Dunes Country Club, have been elected to the Board of Directors of the Bob Hope Classic. Tournament President John Foster made the announcement and also confirmed the tournament course rotation for the 2011 event, to be played Jan. 17-23.
The 2011 Bob Hope Classic will continue the same course rotation as 2010 and will mark the second straight year the event has been played solely within the limits of the City of La Quinta. The host course again will be the Palmer Private at PGA West, which joined the Classic rotation in 1988. Also in the rotation are La Quinta Country Club, a Classic course since 1965, SilverRock Resort, which is owned by the City of La Quinta and debuted in 2008, and the Nicklaus Private at PGA West, which returns for a third consecutive year.
“We were very pleased with the response we received from players, PGA TOUR officials, sponsors and the fans regarding the course rotation at this year’s Classic,” Foster said. “We’re looking forward to continuing to enhance the experience for everyone in 2011.”
Ramhoff, who came to The Desert Sun in 2008, is also vice president of the West Coast Group of Gannett Co.’s U. S. Community Publishing Division. He has oversight of five daily newspapers and their associated niche and digital products.
Previous to coming to the Coachella Valley, Ramhoff was publisher of the Lansing State Journal in Lansing, Mich. He also worked to develop a series of niche publications targeting women, families and several specific classified segments. He also was responsible for the launch of “Noise,” Gannett’s weekly publication for the under-35 audience in 11 markets nationwide.
In addition to his membership on the Bob Hope Classic Board of Directors, Ramhoff also is on the board of the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership, the Palm Springs International Film Festival, United Way of the Desert and the Desert Town Hall Speaker Series.
Hawley has a broad background in golf course management in addition to his presidency of Bermuda Dunes Country Club, one of the original four Classic courses. A former member and director of Glendora Country Club in Glendora, Calif., for 25 years, Hawley was an officer and part owner of both Green River Golf Club and Shandon Hills Golf Course in Corona, Calif. Hawley retired from a full-time management position in the heavy highway construction industry in 2008. He and his wife have belonged to Bermuda Dunes Country Club for 14 years.
Officers for the 2011 Bob Hope Classic, in addition to Foster, are Howard Lester, first vice president; Larry Lichliter, treasurer; David J. Erwin, secretary; and Ernie Dunlevie, second vice president.
At the 2010 tournament, Bill Haas joined his father, Jay (1988), as a Bob Hope Classic champion by shooting an 8-under-par 64 in Monday’s final round for a 30-under 330 total to win by one shot over Matt Kuchar, Tim Clark and Bubba Watson. It was the fourth consecutive year a player came from behind in the final round to win and it was the lowest final-round score by a winner since Phil Mickelson shot a 64 in 2002 in capturing his first of two Bob Hope titles.
Practice rounds for the 2011 Classic will be conducted at all four courses from Sunday, Jan. 16 through Tuesday, Jan. 18. Tournament play begins Wednesday, Jan. 19 and concludes Sunday, Jan. 23 at the Palmer Private at PGA WEST. The five-day Classic features 128 top PGA TOUR professionals and 384 amateur contestants, including more than 30 celebrities. All five days of the Classic will be televised on The Golf Channel.
An element of the fan-friendly experience is The Classic’s Web site, www.bobhopeclassic.com, one of the many platforms by which fans can more easily gain information about the tournament. As the event draws near, tickets for the 2011 Bob Hope Classic can be purchased on the site.
Along with the Web site, fans can follow pre-tournament and tournament-week action on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/BobHopeClassic) and on Twitter (@bobhopeclassic).
In 51 years, the Classic has donated nearly $49 million to more than 100 charities throughout the Coachella Valley. For more information, go to www.bobhopeclassic.com or call 1.888.MRBHOPE (672.4673).
Contact:
Toby Zwikel
(818) 462-5599
Pat Bennett
(760) 346-8184
