Celebrity Course at Indian Wells Golf Resort Set to Open

The Clive Clark-designed Celebrity Course at the at Indian Wells Golf Resort in California will open for public play on November 1, 2006. The par-72 course is the first of two new golf courses to be built at the Indian Wells Golf Resort.

Clark completely renovated the original West Course property, with an added 30 acres. But the Celebrity Course is far from a renovation, as all of the golf holes are completely new with only a couple that could be considered vaguely familiar. However, Clark utilized many mature trees on the original property to impart the feel of a traditional layout facility while also delivering a modern approach to the design.

“I appreciate the opportunity to design this golf course, and I’m pleased with the finished product,” said Clark. “From the onset, I was given the liberty to be creative. Each hole has its own unique personality and with the stunning mountain backdrops, I sincerely hope the new Celebrity Course will give a lot of pleasure to golfers of all standards.”

Most of the holes are oriented east to west to take advantage of views of the San Jacinto, Santa Rosa and San Bernardino mountain ranges. An Indian Wells icon, Eisenhower Mountain, stands sentinel to the south. Wildflowers covering the out-of-play areas as well as around the green complexes create a colorful backdrop. As a “core golf” layout, roads and homes do not intrude, and each hole is designed to be somewhat apart from the others. The golf course’s seven water features –waterfalls, creeks and ponds – come into play for both aesthetic and strategic appeal.

Clark moved nearly 320,000 cubic yards of earth in the process of building Celebrity. Large mounds flank many of the golf holes to define the landing areas. Shots slightly off-line tend to kick back into play, while wilder shots bounce off the backs of the mounds and into trouble.

Clark’s use of bunkers places a unique stamp on the golf course. Many of the traps form the high point of a larger sweeping contour and are located in-play for tactical consideration and out-of-play for visual appeal. Many bunkers are pitched towards the golfer to expose the green fingers of grass that jut into them.

With two golf courses and four hotel/resorts, the Indian Wells Golf Resort has been a popular golf travel destination for nearly 20 years. The city of Indian Wells, owner of the facility in California’s booming desert, decided to bolster the resort’s reputation by embarking on a $55 million project. The opening of the Celebrity Course marks the first step. The all-new John Fought-designed Player’s Course – along with the new 53,000-square-foot, Douglas Fredrikson-designed clubhouse – will follow in November of 2007.

“We’re very pleased to be opening the new Celebrity Course,” said Roger Behling, Golf Resort Director for the City of Indian Wells. “The golf course turned out exceptionally well, and we’re excited to put it on display.”

The Golf Resort at Indian Wells is managed by OB Sports Golf Management, which currently manages 29 premier golf facilities throughout the United States and Mexico.

“I’ve been in the golf business long enough to know that the Celebrity Course is going to be something special,” said Orrin Vincent, CEO of OB Sports. “We are excited to be a part of the transition to the new golf facilities, and personally I’m chomping at the bit to play the golf course.”

For more information about Indian Wells Golf Resort, call 760/346-4653 or visit www.golfresortatindianwells.com. For more information about OB Sports, call 480/948-1300 or visit www.obsports.com.