HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (October 11, 2011) – Linda Hartough, world-renowned golf-landscape artist ( HYPERLINK “http://www.hartough.com” www.hartough.com), has introduced her new painting, The Olympic Club, 8th Hole, Lake Course in commemoration of the 2012 U.S. Open Championship. The 112th U.S. Open Championship will be played June 14-17 at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, marking the fifth time the Open has been held at this legendary venue.
This is Hartough’s 23nd painting in her U.S. Open series, commissioned by the United States Golf Association. Offered in a limited edition of 850 prints and an additional 85 artist proofs, each is signed and numbered by the artist.
“The Olympic Club is steeped in beauty, and I truly enjoyed painting the eighth hole,” said Hartough, whose paintings and prints grace the collections of golf-art lovers the world over.
Hartough’s painting, a classic and elegant rendering, is of the new eighth hole, which has been sculpted into the amphitheater-like hillside beneath the Lakeside Clubhouse. Through her attention to detail and realistic perspective, Hartough captured the dramatic mood and natural beauty of the landscape.
“If you have ever played any of the holes that Linda has painted, you would say to yourself, ‘Is that a photograph or a painting?'” said Chris Stein, PGA, Head Golf Professional at The Olympic Club. “The way she captures the terrain, beauty and color is magnificent.”
About Linda Hartough
Hartough painted the first of her U.S. Open series in 1990, when Hale Irwin won at Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill.
A confirmed artist since childhood, early in her career Hartough painted landscapes, portraits and horses. In 1984, Augusta National Golf Club commissioned her to paint its famous 13th hole, an event which propelled Hartough toward specialization as a golf-landscape painter. Since then, her work has achieved a distinguished status, displayed in the permanent collections of such legendary clubs as Augusta National, Laurel Valley, Pinehurst and Pine Valley, as well as in the personal collections of such golf notables as Jack Nicklaus, Raymond Floyd and Robert Trent Jones, Sr. Known for extraordinary attention to detail in her recreation of some of golf’s most beautiful holes, Hartough imbues her paintings with admiration for the scenery’s natural beauty and respect for the game’s history and tradition, elements which seem to emerge from the canvas.
Hartough is a Founding Trustee of the Academy of Golf Art, a professional society of golf artists established in 2004 to create an awareness and appreciation of golf art as a valuable segment of fine art.
For more information, visit HYPERLINK “http://www.hartough.com” www.hartough.com.
About the USGA
The USGA conducts the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Senior Open, as well as 10 national amateur championships, two state team championships and international matches. Together with The R&A, the USGA governs the game worldwide, jointly administering the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status, equipment standards and World Amateur Golf Rankings. The USGA’s working jurisdiction comprises the United States, its territories and Mexico.
The USGA is a global leader in the development and support of sustainable golf course management properties. It serves as a primary steward for the game’s history and funds an ongoing “For the Good of the Game” grants program. Additionally, the USGA’s Course Rating and Handicap systems are used on six continents in more than 50 countries.
For more information, visit HYPERLINK “http://www.usga.org” www.usga.org.
About The Olympic Club
Established in 1860, The Olympic Club is the oldest athletic club in the U.S. and is recognized as one of the top 100 golf clubs in the country. Designed by Willie Watson and Sam Whiting in 1924, the Lake Course was rebuilt by Whiting in 1927 after significant storm damage, and later was modified by Robert Trent Jones and Bill Love. The club has hosted eight previous USGA championships, including four memorable U.S. Opens. The most recent was in 1998, when Lee Janzen overcame a seven-stroke deficit to Payne Stewart by birdieing four of the final 15 holes to claim his second U.S. Open victory. Previous U.S. Open winners at The Olympic Club include Scott Simpson in 1987, Billy Casper in 1966 (in a memorable comeback over Arnold Palmer) and unheralded Jack Fleck in 1955 (in a shocking playoff defeat of four-time champion Ben Hogan). Olympic also was the site of the 1958 U.S. Amateur, 1981 U.S. Amateur (won by Nathanial Crosby, son of the legendary entertainer Bing Crosby), 2004 U.S. Junior Amateur and 2007 U.S. Amateur.
Contact:
Sally J. Sportsman
(t) 407-248-1144
(e) HYPERLINK “mailto:sjsport@earthlink.net” sjsport@earthlink.net
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