(HARRIS, Mich.) – The Island Resort & Casino and the Harris community in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula will welcome 144 women golfers this Friday for the Island Resort Championship, the second of a three-year commitment by the Symetra Tour for a Road to the LPGA annual stop.
One of the only professional golf tournaments in Michigan this year, the Island Resort Championship is a 54-hole stroke play tournament contested at Sweetgrass Golf Club.
Spectator information related to tickets, parking and spectating areas can be found below.
Ticket Information
Three-day ticket passes are still being sold for $10 and can be purchased via four different methods:
1) Through 43 local non-profit organizations in Michigan and Wisconsin who will keep 100 percent of the $10 ticket price to benefit the charity of their choice (see a complete list at http://www.sweetgrassgolfclub.com/lpga-2012)
2) In person at the Island Resort Showroom Ticket Office at the Island Resort & Casino in Harris, Michigan
3) Via phone by calling 906-466-2941 x 5001 locally or 877-ISL-SHOW
4) By purchasing tickets at the entrance gate through championship weekend.
Children 17 and under enter the tournament for free with a paying adult.
Parking and Transportation
Free parking will be available for all spectators, who will be guided from Rts. 2 & 41 to Gate A, the main parking area at the Island Resort Casino.
The Island Resort & Casino will be open and fully operational during tournament week.
Entrance Gate
Gates will open one hour prior to the first tee time each day. Upon arrival, spectators will find free daily pairing sheets and maps to guide them to stationed bleachers on the course, first aid station, restrooms, food/beverage outlets and a course map. A complete list of tee times can be found at http://www.symetratour.com.
Over 200 volunteers, wearing blue shirts, will be available to answer questions and guide spectators each day.
The Spectator Experience
The Island Resort Championship is a stroke-play event with play beginning at 7:30 a.m. each day.
There will be eight spectator bleacher locations on the course; one near the first tee of Sweetgrass Golf Club, one near the driving range/practice area, two large bleachers at the 9th and 18th greens, and four on-course grandstands with views of several holes. Spectators are welcome to bring small “bag” chairs to watch the event throughout the venue, outside of the championship playing areas.
A map of the course can be found at http://www.sweetgrassgolfclub.com. Spectators should note that for the purposes of the tournament, the ninth and 18 holes will be reversed.
Spectators should refrain from requesting autographs until a player completes her round.
Beverage carts will be stationed throughout the course; guests are also welcome to visit the Island Resort & Casino’s dining venues on property.
Suggested Items to Bring/Prohibited Items
Cell phones, pagers and cameras (still and video) are prohibited and cannot be taken into the event venue. Spectators will be permitted to bring portable chairs and are welcome to bring pens/markers to request a signature of their favorite golfers following their rounds.
For more information on the Island Resort Championship, see http://www.symetratour.com or http://www.sweetgrassgolfclub.com.
About the Championship
Welcoming the world’s brightest new talent in women’s professional golf, the Island Resort Championship at Sweetgrass is a Symetra Tour – Road to the LPGA event held at Sweetgrass Golf Club in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The 54-hole stroke-play event will be held June 29-July 1, 2012, the second of a three-year commitment by the Symetra Tour. Located in Harris, Michigan, Sweetgrass Golf Club is situated at the Island Resort & Casino, and is owned and operated by the Hannahville Indian Community of the Potawatomi Nation. For more information, see sweetgrassgolfclub.com.
About the Symetra Tour
The Symetra Tour – Road to the LPGA, is the official developmental tour of the LPGA and enters its 32nd competitive season in 2012. With the support of its new umbrella sponsor, Symetra, the Tour’s mission is to prepare the world’s best young women professional golfers for a successful career on the LPGA Tour. 2012 marks the first season that the top-10 money winners will receive full, equal status for the following season on the LPGA Tour. The 2012 schedule includes 16 tournaments with stops in 11 U.S. states and Mexico and a total purse of $1.76 million. With more than 500 alumnae moving on to the LPGA, former Symetra Tour players have won a total of 362 LPGA titles, including 39 major championships. Symetra Tour events have contributed more than $5 million to charitable organizations throughout the nation since 1989. Follow the Symetra Tour on the web at www.SymetraTour.com, Facebook.com/RoadtotheLPGA, Twitter.com/Road2LPGA, and YouTube.com/Road2LPGA.
About Sweetgrass and the Island Resort & Casino
The Sweetgrass Golf Club, site of the 2011 Island Resort Championship at Sweetgrass (an LPGA Futures Tour stop), was designed by Michigan-native Paul Albanese and opened in 2008. It was named a Top 20 Courses You Can Play in Michigan by GOLF Magazine in 2010, and Best New Course by Golfweek magazine in 2009. For more information, see http://www.sweetgrassgolfclub.com or at facebook.com/sweetgrassgolfclub
Boasting more than 1,400 slot machines and 24/7 Vegas-style gaming, the Island Resort & Casino (www.islandresortandcasino.com) offers Craps, Blackjack, Roulette, Poker and more. The Island hosts top musical acts from a variety of musical genres. Dining options include the Firekeeper’s Restaurant, Beachcomber Restaurant & Bar, Coral Reef Grille and Bingo Snack Bar. Live music in the lounge, the Club Four One nightclub, a swimming pool and conference center are other popular resort offerings. The property is easily accessible via a pair of regional airports in Escanaba and Marquette.
Contact:
Dan Shepherd
Buffalo Communications
703.891.3320
dshepherd@buffalocommunications.com
Janeen Driscoll
Buffalo Communications
910.690.9711
jdriscoll@buffalocommunications.com
twitter.com/buffalocomm
