HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (November 18, 2013) – Linda Hartough, world-renowned golf-landscape artist (www.hartough.com), has introduced her new painting, 9th Hole, Pinehurst No. 2, in commemoration of the 2014 U.S. Open Championships, the U.S. Open to be played June 12-15 followed by the U.S. Women’s Open June 19-22, at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C. This is Hartough’s 25th painting in her U.S. Open series, commissioned by the United States Golf Association. It will be her last painting in the series.
“I think 25 is a good place to end the series,” said Hartough, “because I have painted almost all the classic courses in the rotation, and most are coming up again in the future U.S. Open schedule. Since I can do only three or four paintings in a year due to the time they take, it will free up more time to paint some of the courses on my ‘bucket list.'”
The legendary Pinehurst No. 2 opened in 1907. Designed by Donald Ross, it recently underwent a restoration by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. Pinehurst No. 2 is best known for its crowned, undulating greens, some of the most complex and widely hailed in the world.
The Painting
Hartough visited Pinehurst in April of this year to see the renovated course for the first time. She had been there many other times to do five paintings over the years, as well as drawings for the 1999 and 2005 U.S. Open championships. The renovation restored the course’s natural look, “…and everywhere the holes came alive,” Hartough said. “By that I mean the holes are now visually interesting with the natural contours of the land coming through and more use of natural vegetation.
“The course now looks as though it has always been there, and I am sure it was intended to look that way…When we came to the 9th hole, I fell in love and chose it immediately for my 2014 U.S. Open painting.”
The 9th Hole, Pinehurst No. 2 is offered in a Limited Edition of 850 prints and an additional 85 Artist Proofs. Each piece in the 25th Anniversary Edition is signed and numbered by the artist, and each will be embossed with the 25th Anniversary Edition logo.
“Linda has captured the transformation of Pinehurst No. 2’s recent restoration beautifully,” said Jay Biggs, Pinehurst’s senior vice president, golf and club operations. “She has brought out the textures and ruggedness of the hole.”
About the 2014 U.S. Open Championships
The 114th U.S. Open will be contested June 12-15, 2014, followed by the 69th U.S. Women’s Open on June 19-22. This will mark the first time in history that both championships will be played on the same course in consecutive weeks. Pinehurst No. 2 has hosted six USGA championships, including the 2005 U.S. Open when Michael Campbell won his only major championship, edging Tiger Woods by two strokes. The 1999 U.S. Open provided one of the most dramatic finishes in history when the late Payne Stewart sank an 18-foot putt for par on the 72nd hole to top Phil Mickelson by one stroke and capture his second U.S. Open.
About Linda HartoughÌ¢?å¬Ì¢?å¬
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 opportunity 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 and Raymond Floyd. Her paintings also hang in the Morris Museum of Art in Augusta, Ga.
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’s paintings and prints grace the collections of golf-art lovers the world over.
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 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 practices. 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 www.usga.org.
Contact:
Sally J. SportsmanÌ¢?å¬
407-248-1144
sjsport@earthlink.net
