The Las Vegas layout was the site of Tiger Woods’ first PGA TOUR win
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – The PGA TOUR’s Shriners Hospitals for Children Open returns to the Bobby Weed-designed TPC Summerlin from Oct. 8 – 11. Kevin Na won last year’s event in a two-hole playoff over Patrick Cantlay. Na joined Jim Furyk as the only multiple winners in Las Vegas.
TPC Summerlin was designed in 1991 by then PGA TOUR in-house golf course architect, Bobby Weed, and player consultant, Fuzzy Zoeller. One of the most visually stunning layouts in Nevada, TPC Summerlin has successfully hosted a PGA TOUR tournament for over 20 years.
“The harsh Mojave Desert offers dramatic contrast with ribbons of turf meandering throughout this Howard Hughes master planned community and course, which crosses and parallels a number of barrancas,” said Weed. “TPC Summerlin also provides stunning vistas of Red Rock Canyon and downtown Las Vegas in the distance.”
Weed’s design team took significant steps during construction to preserve natural wildlife habitats, native desert grasses and reduce water usage. From this, TPC Summerlin became Nevada’s first golf course to be certified by Audubon International as an Audubon Sanctuary System.
In 2018, all bunkers underwent strategic realignment, improved contouring, drainage and new sand.
With an average course elevation of 2,700 feet above sea level, TPC Summerlin is a shot-maker’s dream. The par-72, 7,243-yard design seamlessly incorporates the rocky desert, with creosote and cacti abound, along with grand pine trees.
“TPC Summerlin has stood the test of time,” said executive director of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, Patrick Lindsay. “Almost 30 years later, Weed’s design remains a great test for the world’s best players, while also allowing members and guests of varying abilities to enjoy this special routing.”
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About Shriners Hospitals for Children Open
The Shriners Open debuted on the PGA TOUR as the Panasonic Las Vegas Pro Celebrity Classic in 1983. The event has been hosted on numerous area courses before settling at its current venue, TPC Summerlin. The tournament’s champions list includes some of the most recognizable names in golf: Greg Norman, Davis Love III, Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk and Webb Simpson. At the same time, the Shriners Open has served as a breakthrough tournament for many players earning their first PGA TOUR victory.
About Bobby Weed Golf Design
Bobby Weed Golf Design (BWGD) possesses some of the most innovative minds in golf. Bobby Weed has designed over 50 new courses and comprehensive renovations spanning from the “golden age” of design to the “modern era.” His work features a balance of visual appeal, sustainability and playability, all informed by an environmentally-sensitive aesthetic and an exceptional hands-on approach.
His professional career began in the 1970s with an extended apprenticeship under Pete Dye, sparking a near 40-year friendship with Mr. Dye. Hired in 1983 as the Golf Course Superintendent at TPC Sawgrass, Weed went on to become the PGA TOUR’s first in-house golf course architect. He was responsible for many of today’s best known TPC venues, which continue as host sites for prominent professional events.
In 1994, Weed’s career reached new heights with the formation of his own design firm. Both his original and renovated courses are consistently ranked at the top of their respective design categories.
BWGD is also a leader in golf course repurposing – a means to update layouts through redesign and reallocation of partial acreage for higher value land uses – which results in successful, refined and durable golf course designs.
Weed is a member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects. He is also a 42-year member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, was a former Certified Golf Course Superintendent and is a member of the Florida Turfgrass Association.
More information: bobbyweed.com, 904.910.2876
