VILLAGE OF PINEHURST, N.C. – March 2, 2005 – Pinehurst Resort draws attention to another of its renowned courses this spring: The Golf Club at No. 6. Following a nine-month renovation by Tom Fazio and the Pinehurst team, the course has officially reopened, with greatly improved green complexes, bunker development and better shot values from tee to green.

“Both Pinehurst and the game of golf have changed dramatically since my Uncle George and I first opened this course,” said Fazio of his original 1979 design. “The recent changes reflect the traditions of Pinehurst in putting a premium on short game play. We were proud to work with the Pinehurst team and all of us at Fazio Golf Course Designers including my senior design associate Tom Marzolf, who was involved in all the details of this project, are anxious for everyone to enjoy the new No. 6.”

That team rebuilt all 18 greens to the United States Golf Association green construction guidelines and seeded them with Penn G-2 Bentgrass. This grass variety has proven very effective on Pinehurst’s other seven courses including No. 2, site of the 2005 U.S. Open Championship. Penn G2 is bentgrass characterized by high plant densities that result in improved putting quality. In addition, several greens were repositioned in order to improve shot variety and the penalty for errant shots.

Bunker additions along with some bunker repositioning have also dramatically improved golfer directional visuals, as well as emphasizing proper shot positioning. On hole #2, bunkers in the second landing area were moved 50 feet to the right to widen the landing area. Bunkers were added on holes 11, 12, 15 and 17, primarily around the greens. A bunker on the right side of the fifth hole was eliminated in order to convert the entire right side to native wiregrass. The 18th hole was completely renovated.

Brad Kocher, Senior Vice President of Grounds and Golf Course Management at Pinehurst, led the resort team through the renovation effort. “Golfers should really enjoy the smooth, dense putting surfaces, the new sand and the design improvements that will move No. 6 into a more well balanced, and challenging, playing experience,” he said.

The Golf Club at No. 6 will reopen with a 7,008 total yardage from the championship tees. It has changed from a Par 72 to 71 from the back, reflecting 10th hole improvements that shortened it from a par 5 to a par 4. It remains a par 72 from the forward tees.

Other course improvements and renovations include all new bunker sand, the incorporation of native wiregrass, enhanced landscaping, and expanded practice facilities. With the addition of a new covered pavilion and scoreboard area due for a May 1 completion, No. 6 is now ideally situated for corporate and private golf outings as well.

Pinehurst No. 6 was the first course at Pinehurst to be built outside of its core, located about five miles from the Resort Clubhouse where the first five courses start. The rolling terrain offers a unique championship golf experience that is noticeably different from the relatively flat, wide fairways of its No. 2 brother. Pinehurst will offer 1st and 10th tee starts this spring on No. 6 to open more prime morning tee times on the reopened course.

For more information, call Pinehurst at 800-487-4653 (ITS-GOLF) or see pinehurst.com.

Pinehurst boasts eight championship golf courses, including the world-renowned Pinehurst No. 2, site of the 2005 U.S. Open Championship. Built in 1895, Pinehurst resort is located in the heart of North Carolina, about 70 miles southwest of Raleigh. The resort is one of more than 200 clubs and resorts worldwide owned and operated by Dallas-based ClubCorp, founded in 1957 and has approximately $1.5 billion in assets.

Contact:
Dan Sherman
Senior Account Executive
Edelman
312/240-2730
dan.sherman@edelman.com