Naples, Fla. (November 14, 2016) – The newly remastered Gold Course at Tiburón Golf Club at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, Florida is set to host two professional golf events over a three-week span, including the LPGA Tour’s CME Group Tour Championship November 17th – 20th and the PGA TOUR-sanctioned Franklin Templeton Shootout December 8th – 10th. The Gold Course will then reopen for member, guest and daily-fee play on December 12th.
Tiburón’s Gold Course has been remastered by the Greg Norman Golf Course Design team, undergoing extensive greens, turf, irrigation and bunker renovations since May of 2016. Fairways have been re-grassed with celebration Bermuda grass, while greens now feature tiff eagle Bermuda. Green surrounds have also been expanded to present more shot options for golfers.
When Norman returned to touch up his Tiburón masterpiece, his design team reconstructed many of the original stacked sod wall bunkers with a striking new synthetic sod wall bunker system by Durabunker. Tiburón is the first LPGA and PGA TOUR venue to use the new Durabunker product.
“We felt the Durabunker option was the perfect fit here and we have hopes it will be a strong investment for many years to come,” said Jeff Cathey, director of agronomy, Tiburón Golf Club. “We are excited about the potential longevity in the Durabunker wall construction and sustainability of the sod wall look along with the opportunity to maintain Greg Norman’s design intent.”
The LPGA Tour’s CME Group Tour Championship has been hosted at Tiburón since 2013. Cristie Kerr is the defending champion of the event. The PGA TOUR’s Franklin Templeton Shootout has been played at Tiburón since 2001. PGA TOUR stars Jason Dufner and Brandt Snedeker are scheduled to defend their title. The Gold Course originally opened for play in 1998.
“The Gold Course at Tiburón has always been a great layout,” said Kevin DeDonato, PGA, general manager, Tiburón Golf Club at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort. “The recent enhancements have really helped to improve the overall conditions and playability of the golf course. The Tiburón team has done an incredible job of getting the golf course and facility tournament-ready and set to host some of the best players in the world.”
About Tiburón Golf Club
Tiburón Golf Club features two, Greg Norman-designed 18-hole golf courses – the Gold and the Black. The 295-room Ritz Carlton Golf Resort sits adjacent to the two award-winning courses, while the 450-room Ritz Carlton Beach Resort is just a few miles away. Both luxury properties are owned by Host Hotels & Resorts and guests at these properties enjoy preferred access to Tiburón Golf Club. The semi-private club has 260 golf members and is home to the Impact Zone Golf Academy which features private lessons, multi-day golf schools and junior camps. In addition, Tiburón’s 27,000-square foot Mediterranean-style clubhouse features three dining rooms, private member locker rooms and lounge areas, as well as an award-winning golf shop.
Tiburón is consistently rated among the top 20 golf facilities in Florida by Golf Digest and GOLF Magazine. The property has been designated as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary by Audubon International and strives to protect and enhance its natural surroundings. For more information on Tiburón Golf Club, visit www.tiburongcnaples.com or call (239) 593-2200.
About Troon
Headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., Troon is the world’s largest golf management company, with more than 270 golf courses in its portfolio. Also specializing in homeowner association management, private residence clubs, estate management and associated hospitality venues, the company oversees operations at Troon Golf, Honours Golf, Troon Privé (the private club operating division of Troon) and Troon International properties located in 38 states and 31 countries. Additionally, there are 56 Troon affiliated properties featuring 75 courses that have been recipients of a “Top 100” ranking by national and international publications. Troon properties include Princeville Makai Golf Club, Kauai, Hawaii; Centurion Club, London, England; The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa, Tucson, Ariz.; The Bay Club, Berlin, Md.; Prince’s Golf Club, Sandwich, England; and CostaBaja Golf Club, in La Paz, Mexico. For additional news and information, visit www.Troon.com.
Contact:
Rob Myers
Troon
480.477.0506
rmyers@troon.com
