Dec. 22, 2004 – Australian golfing great, Graham Marsh, has won the prestigious Best New Private Course Award from international golfing bible, Golf Digest USA for his design of Sutton Bay Golf Course - the first time this prize has been awarded outside America, and the first time to an Australian.
Mr Marsh beat a field of the world's most highly regarded golf course designers including Jack Nicklaus and Tom Fazio to snatch the prize, widely considered the most important category of the Golf Digest awards. Mr Marsh says he is deeply honored to win the award; the culmination of more than 20 years developing and honing his skills in the design of golf courses world-wide, following an outstanding career as a world-renowned golfer.
"This really is the big one in our field – what feels to us like the equivalent of winning an 'Oscar' for golf course design," he said. "I am immensely proud to be the first Australian to be awarded the prize, especially in such esteemed company.
"To have the work of my team recognized with this award reinforces our commitment to a strategic design approach, one that ensures a wide spectrum of golfers are challenged and excited by our designs, not just a small group at the top of the game.
"I greatly admire the work of legendary course designer Dr Alister Mackenzie, and share his philosophy of ensuring that great visual aspects are combined with a broad range of fair but challenging elements in the design of a golf course. A 'penal' design approach that punishes all but the best golfers is not a part of our thinking.
"While we were blessed with an incredible piece of land to create Sutton Bay – what may be a once in a lifetime opportunity to work with a site this good – our principles remained the same. The challenge here was not to over-design the site, but use delicate hands to bring out the natural beauty of the course and its intrinsic golfing appeal, with minimal interference to the magnificent landscape. The presentation of this award tells me that we have achieved our mission," he said.
Mr Marsh is currently in Australia overseeing the design and development of a number of new golf courses in the region. Currently in development are Twin Creeks Golf Course at Luddenham west of Sydney; The Golf Course Bass Coast at San Remo, Victoria; and Eynesbury Estate at Melton west of Melbourne. Riding the crest of his burgeoning reputation, Mr Marsh is also developing two new projects in Perth, one in the Hunter Valley, two in China and two in Europe.
His completed course designs within Australia include the recently opened Growling Frog Golf Course located just north of Melbourne, North Lakes in Brisbane, Palm Meadows on the Gold Coast; The Vines and Secret Harbour, WA; Terrey Hills, Sydney and The Horizons, Port Stephens.
About Sutton Bay Golf Club
Located on majestic plains and perched high above the Missouri River, Sutton Bay is a genuine outdoor lodge development and sporting paradise, featuring not only the Graham Marsh-designed championship golf course but an extensive range of outdoor activities including fishing, hunting, horse riding and sporting clay facilities.
Sutton Bay Golf Club has been developed on a historic cattle ranch that in recent times has grazed herds including the buffalo used in the motion picture "Dances with Wolves".
Mother Nature gave Graham Marsh and master golf course builder Bill Kubly the canvas to create one of America's most exciting golfing experiences. The 18-hole championship course is carved out of the dramatic landforms of the Missouri river breaks on one of America's most unique pieces of golfing territory. The spectacular site resembles closely the terrain one would expect to find on some of the finest courses in the British Isles. While not a true links course by definition, it has all the characteristics associated with the most famous inland links courses of that region. It features spectacular elevation changes, natural green sites and fairways carved amongst the magnificent landforms.
The Championship Course, par 72, measures over 7,200 yards. The nine hole, par 36 journey to the Northern boundary of the property is taken up by three par 5's, three par 4 holes, and three par 3's. The returning inward half of the course offers the traditional five 4's, two 5's, and two 3's for a par of 36. On this remote piece of property in the middle of South Dakota one cannot help but feel solitude and calmness as the round progresses and the course unfolds. The challenges of the course are varied, demanding yet fair, and without fail every hole offers the golfer a sporting chance.
The complex also includes a challenging 9 hole par 3 golf course situated around the driving range. Sutton Bay is truly a course for the golf enthusiast.
About the Award
The Golf Digest (USA) "Best New" rankings are decided by a nationwide panel of more than 800 course raters who judge candidate courses on the basis of five criteria: Shot Values, Design Variety, Resistance to Scoring, Memorability and Aesthetics. The average scores of each criterion are totaled for each course, then bonus points are awarded to clubs that allow walking, adjusted by our panel's collective judgment as to the true walkability of each course. In each of the four categories, the course with the highest total score was declared Best New.
