Full 18 holes expected open by January 2013
(SCOTTSDALE, AZ) – Schmidt-Curley Design – one of golf’s most active and innovative design firms – has begun construction on the back nine of Mexico’s Amanali Country Club.
The par-72, 7,150-yard course is set on the shores of Lake Tepeji, about one hour north of Mexico City. Like the front nine, which has been open since 2010, the back meanders through picturesque, high-desert terrain. Construction is expected to finish by summer 2012, and all 18 holes will be open for play beginning January 2013.
Lake vistas are pervasive, as are cactus, Mesquite, rolling topography and rugged bunkering. Firm co-founder Brian Curley and Lead Designer Grant Haserot incorporated generous landing areas with strong angles of play to make the layout enjoyable for novice golfers, yet still challenging for mid- and low-handicap players. All tees, fairways and roughs will be turfed with Hybrid-Bermuda grass, while putting surfaces will feature bentgrass.
“Amanali has all the ingredients to make it one of Mexico’s best courses,” says Curley. “Our firm’s design acumen, combined with an excellent, lake-side site and fantastic climate for golf, will help make the development one of the country’s most desirable addresses.”
While the existing front nine climbs to the property’s higher elevations providing commanding views, the back nine sweeps across the lower terrain and features holes playing along deep ravines and at the shores of Lake Tepeji. The round features a strong finish with both the par-3 17th and par-4 18th hugging the lake’s shoreline.
The luxury, master-planned community also includes an operational golf practice facility, tennis center and a planned clubhouse and boutique hotel. Residential sales are strong and around 500 golf memberships have been sold.
For more information: www.schmidt-curley.com, www.amanali.com.mx, http://twitter.com/SchmidtCurley, http://www.facebook.com/SchmidtCurley, 480.483.1994.
To view select project images: http://www.flickr.com/photos/60163396@N04/.
About Schmidt-Curley Design
Founded in 1997 by partners Lee Schmidt and Brian Curley, Schmidt-Curley Design (www.schmidt-curley.com) is a full-service, international golf course architecture and master-planning firm. The tandem — leading fully-staffed offices in the USA (Scottsdale, Arizona) and China (Haikou, Hainan Island and Kunming) — has been named GOLF Magazine’s “Architect of the Year” and Asian Golf Monthly’s “Best Golf Course Architects.”
Schmidt-Curley has designed more than 100 layouts in 24 countries. High-profile credits include 10 of the 12 courses at storied Mission Hills Shenzhen — the “World’s Largest Golf Club” — and all 10 at Mission Hills’ new Hainan Island resort. Mission Hills Hainan’s Lava Fields Course is the only Chinese design ranked among Golf World’s “Top 100,” and was named GOLF Magazine’s “Best New International Course” of 2011.
Other award-winning results include Mission Hills Hainan’s Blackstone Course; Thailand’s Siam C.C. and Amata Spring G.C.; Southern Dunes G.C. (Arizona, USA); and French Lick Resort’s Donald Ross Course (Indiana, USA). The recently unveiled 54-hole Stone Forest International C.C. near Kunming is also garnering global acclaim.
Schmidt-Curley has worked extensively with golf’s biggest names — including Pete Dye, Nick Faldo, Jack Nicklaus and Fred Couples on numerous noteworthy projects — and boasts five ASGCA members (Schmidt, Curley, Grant Haserot, Andy Raugust and Shane Witcombe).
Producing demanding yet beautiful and enjoyable courses, Schmidt-Curley strives to create golf experiences that stir the senses and elevate golfers’ appreciations for the land and the game. By balancing classic golf course architecture with ever-changing contemporary technology, Schmidt-Curley places an emphasis on site-adaptive courses, memorable and satisfying for all levels of play and always designed for cost-efficient maintenance and operations.
Contact:
Stephen Reynolds
Buffalo Communications
703.891.3509
sreynolds@buffalocommunications.com
www.buffalocommunications.com
