The nationally ranked Barona Creek Golf Club, designed by Project Architect Todd Eckenrode and Gary Roger Baird Design International, will be the host of the 2007 PGA Nationwide Tour Championship this week. The tournament will be played in San Diego for the first time ever and will be televised on The Golf Channel all four days from November 1 through November 4.
Barona is based on classic design elements. There are often multiple ways to play each hole, and risk-reward options abound, ever daring the golfer to attempt heroic shots in order to gain an advantage. Shot-making and thoughtful play are both rewarded, which ultimately will lead to a Champion who not only strikes the ball pure, but thinks his way around this dynamic golf course as well. Barona Creek is sure to challenge the Nationwide Tour’s best players on a multitude of other levels as well, showcasing expansive and rugged bunkering, firm and fast greens with no lack of bold contouring, and a stout championship setup of roughly 7400 yards.
To further enhance the unique character of this standout championship golf course,
the Barona Band of Mission Indians again asked Todd Eckenrode, who opened the classic design firm of Todd Eckenrode Origins Golf Design with partner Charles Davison in 2000, to help incorporate design changes in preparation for the prestigious tournament.
Multiple bunkers were added and two existing bunkers expanded by Eckenrode to enhance the overall hazard philosophy. These were located to accentuate angles and strategies of the hole. All add to the inherent beauty and natural ruggedness of the site and are seamlessly integrated into the existing bunkering. Barona’s bunkering is quite unique to Southern California with its intricate details, jagged edges, flashed sand faces and natural landscaped edges that serve to bring nature into the golf as opposed to keeping it on the periphery.
Twelve new “tournament” tees were added by Eckenrode as well. The angles of these new tee shots were again intended to strengthen the strategies of each hole as well as increase the overall yardage to accommodate the amazing distances these players are capable of driving the ball. The risk-reward elements are heightened, and many offer higher vantage points to better take in each hole and the surrounding vistas. Natural paths were extended to each hole to promote easy walking.
Barona Creek by intent is reminiscent of those courses designed during the Golden Age of golf course architecture (largely the 1920’ and 30’s) which was also the period in which the Barona Band of Mission Indians settled in the beautiful valley that is now the site of this well respected resort, the Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino. In its commitment to natural and classic golf, Barona Creek’s design has been rewarded with widespread recognition and notable rankings, including Golfweek’s “Top 100 Modern Courses in the U.S.”, “Top 30 Resort Courses”, “#4 Ranked Public Course in California” (behind only Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and Pasatiempo), Travel & Leisure’s “Top 100 Public Access Courses in the U.S.”, Golf Magazine’s “Top 10 New Courses” and Golf Digest’s “#4 Ranked Casino Course” to name a few.
Barona Creek is sure to demand the very best from these true professionals. It will be a Championship well earned.
Barona Creek Golf Club is the centerpiece of the award-winning Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino, San Diego’s leading destination resort, featuring 400 luxury guest rooms and suites, a 300,000 square foot casino, the AmBience Day Spa, and a full-service events center. Barona Creek Golf Club is located at 1932 Wildcat Canyon Road in San Diego. To schedule a tee time please call (619) 387-7018. Additional course information is also available at www.barona.com .
Todd Eckenrode-Origins Golf Design specializes in golf course design services for new course design as well as classic restorations, renovations and redesigns./ /Todd learned the game at Alister MacKenzie’s famed Pasatiempo GC, providing the foundation for his classic design style. Current new designs include many highly anticipated golf course designs throughout the West, most notably some very exciting oceanfront sites in California, Mexico and Hawaii. Creating golf courses of the highest level, respective of their environments, with a classic and timeless feel remains the philosophy behind Todd Eckenrode’s Origins Golf Design.
Contact: Charles Davison
email - chas@originsgolfdesign.com
18022 Cowan, Suite 200
Irvine, CA 92614
(949) 476-6878
www.originsgolfdesign.com
