Golf Range Association of America ranks The Cliffs’ practice areas in Top 50 among private clubs
TRAVELERS REST, S.C. – In golf as in life, practice makes perfect, or so it seems for The Cliffs. At January’s annual PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Fla., The Cliffs’ collection of seven golf practice facilities were honored among the 2014 Golf Range Association of America’s Top 50 Practice Ranges in the Private Category, sharing this distinction with other top golf and country clubs that include Muirfield Village, Wade Hampton Golf Club, and TPC Boston. Published in the December issue of Golf Range Magazine, as well as on www.golfrange.org, the Top 50 were chosen on the merits of standing out – in design, programming and service – among the thousands of member-only clubs offering golf.
“Over the last two years, we have made significant strides in developing and improving our golf practice facilities at The Cliffs,” shared Brian Peeples, who serves as The Cliffs’ Director of Golf. “Our focus and mission are to keep our courses and ranges on the cutting edge of technology, while fulfilling our members’ needs with first-class experiences. The Cliffs’ Golf Professionals are a major factor in sustaining our ranges. The Cliffs’ seven championship golf courses allow members to enjoy unique ranges with each location having a particular focus on the game.”
Some of the areas The Cliffs’ practice facilities rise above the rest include:
• The Cliffs recently extensively renovated its Keowee Falls practice area (Designer: Jack Nicklaus) into a shot shaping, targeting system where members can practice draw and fade shots around actual trees on the range. The renovation design was dedicated to allowing golfers to visualize actual shots on the course and work to perfect them without actually having to be on the course. The renovation included planting 15 trees and re-contouring the range to have fairways and greens to create depth perception and more visual appeal.
• At The Cliffs at Keowee Springs (Designer: Tom Fazio), The Cliffs made practice more interesting by positioning a bell 30 yards away from the main practice area in which members can try their skill at “ringing the bell”. If golf instructors notice a member has rung the bell, they offer them a complimentary beverage. Also, at this lakeside community, Birdie Ball games are often moved to The Beach Club, allowing kids and adults alike to hit restricted flight birdies at floating targets in Lake Keowee.
• At The Cliffs at Mountain Park (Designer: Gary Player), half barrels line the entire practice facility, providing fun short game targets for members and guests to hone their skills.
• All facilities routinely conduct Demo Days, allowing members to test drive the latest in golf technology and equipment.
“What separates us from the rest of the world and what keeps our facilities top notch are our methods of maintaining each area of the practice range. That alone takes a team of people – from the outside cart staff in keeping the balls stocked, moving the hitting stations to fresh grass, or just having a person present at the range to clean members’ clubs; to the maintenance staff who keep the divots filled, the tees and fairways cut, and the bunkers raked. It requires a large team of people who work together to keep the facilities running at peak efficiency,” stated Jim Evans, Senior Agronomist of The Cliffs Clubs.
The Cliffs’ first golf course, The Cliffs at Glassy (Designer: Tom Jackson), was introduced in 1993. It’s seventh course, The Cliffs at Mountain Park (Designer: Gary Player), opened in 2013. With twenty years spanning the collective age of The Cliffs’ collection of seven championship golf courses, The Cliffs Clubs’ commitment to continual upgrades, refreshments and renovations is an investment in the member experience at an unparalleled level.
About The Cliffs
The Cliffs is a collection of seven premier, private residential golf club communities located between Greenville, SC and Asheville, NC. Members of The Cliffs have access and privileges to all seven of The Cliffs’ clubs. The golf experience at The Cliffs includes seven award-winning, championship 18-hole golf courses, including two by Jack Nicklaus, two by Tom Fazio, and one each by Gary Player, Ben Wright and Tom Jackson. The Cliffs’ golf courses have been honored in the Top 100 in America by Golfweek, among the “Best of the Best” of America’s Premier Properties by LINKS, and in the Best New Private Courses by Golf Digest and GOLF Magazine. To learn more about The Cliffs’ golf experience, visit www.cliffsliving.com or watch this brief video. Homes at The Cliffs range in price from $500,000 to $4 million+; homesites, from $100,000. Contact The Cliffs at 866.411.5771 orinfo@cliffsliving.com to arrange a Discovery Tour.
About GRAA
The Golf Range Association of America’s mission is to harness the combined power of all professionals at all types of facilities, with a strong focus on Private and high-end Public and Resort Facilities, to use their range and practice areas to increase their revenues, enhance their careers and help grow the game of golf.
Contact:
Jamie Prince, Flourish
(864) 248-0255
