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| · December 16, 2003 · |
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· Greater Phoenix Golf Swings Into New Resorts and Championship Courses (December 16, 2003) - Greater Phoenix has always been a prime destination for luxury travelers and golfers alike due to its spectacular resorts and golf courses, and this holds true now more than ever. Within the last year, three new resorts have opened in Greater Phoenix and complementing two of them are magnificent new golf courses: The Whirlwind Golf Club at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa and The Wildfire Golf Club at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa. The Kierland Golf Club at the new Westin Kierland Resort & Spa is considered one of the top layouts in Greater Phoenix. These courses, along with classic desert landscape, make golfing in Greater Phoenix a world-class event.
The Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa is a destination resort that includes the Whirlwind Golf Club, which features two 18-hole Troon-managed golf courses. Guests can also enjoy a 17,000-square-foot spa with 16 treatment rooms, tennis courts, jogging trails, an equestrian center, and the nearby Wild Horse Pass Casino. Two Gary Panks-designed 18-hole Championship courses comprise Whirlwind: Devil's Claw and Cattail. The Devil's Claw course opened in 2000 and reflects the plant palette indigenous to the Gila River - Mesquite, Saguaro, Palo Verde, and Cottonwood - whereas the Cattail's design incorporates three lake features and a man-made 2.5-mile river. Cattail opened in 2002 and hosted the PGA Nationwide Tour's Gila River Golf Classic in 2003 and 2004. Both courses contrast each other in play, yet compliment the natural balance of the Sonoran Desert. The JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa is currently the largest luxury resort in Arizona. Designed to give guests optimal views of the picturesque surroundings, the resort features 950 guest rooms, including 85 suites. The Wildfire Golf Club touts two picturesque 18-hole courses designed by PGA members. The Palmer Signature Course opened in 1997 and is a playable, scenic experience with expansive fairways. The extensive square footage of the greens (average size is 7,000 square feet) allow the undulations to create subtle challenges for the short game without feeling contrived. The Faldo Championship Course opened in 2002 and offers a slight variation from the typical desert-themed courses. It features generous fairways, large bent grass greens and tee boxes. The surrounding mountains and century-old saguaro cacti as well as 106 sand bunkers, reminiscent of the Australian sand belt courses, provide a spectacular setting. The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa is adjacent to Kierland Commons, a 38-acre specialty retail development featuring shops, boutiques and restaurants. The 735-room resort offers a multitude of charms - from exceptional dining and entertainment to a spa that honors the healing cultures of old Arizona, to a 27-hole Troon-managed golf course. The Kierland Golf Club, opened in 1996, combines three 9-hole courses (Acacia, Ironwood, and Mesquite) to create one 27-hole course. Designed by Scott Miller, this dramatic course is defined by jade green fairways etched into golden-colored desert grasses, sweeping over various elevations to flawless bentgrass greens. More than three hundred bunkers guard the way, along with lakes, dry desert washes and strands of desert trees. The Kierland Golf Club is home of the Golf Digest Golf School providing excellent training and coaching for golfers. It comes as no surprise that the National Golf Foundation dubbed Greater Phoenix "The Golf Capital of the World." With more than 200 unique golf courses and more than 325 days of annual sunshine, Greater Phoenix is a golfer's dream. It is also home to three major professional golf tournaments including the PGA's FBR Phoenix Open - the most highly-attended event on Tour with about 500,000 annual spectators - the LPGA Safeway Ping tournament, and the Nationwide PGA Tour's Gila River Golf Classic. Greater Phoenix is a place for golfers and adventurers alike, where immaculate fairways lead to unexpected views of spectacular desert vistas, where Saguaro cacti, galleries of jackrabbits and other indigenous wonders lend to an experience even grander than the game itself. Discover why each of Greater Phoenix's 200 courses is a destination all its own. Media Contact: Brian Bujdos 602-452-6255 bbujdos@visitphoenix.com |
| Produced by Judi Janofsky, Rich Steck and the Golf Press Association |