SHENZHEN, China – March 3, 2005 – Lee Schmidt and Brian Curley have worked on many major projects in their golf course design careers, but none bigger than their recently completed efforts at the Mission Hills Golf Club in China-and that's according to Guinness. In 2004, the world-famous, authoritative Guinness Book of World Records formally acknowledged the Mission Hills Golf Club as "the World's Largest Golf Club."

With 10 18-hole championship courses, the club-based near Shenzen, China, a 30-minute drive from the China/Hong Kong border-surpassed the previous record-holder, Pinehurst Resort & Country Club in North Carolina. Schmidt-Curley Golf Design, based in Scottsdale, Ariz., was the architect for eight of the ten courses.

"We've been fortunate, largely through word of mouth, to become involved with phenomenal properties and people," said Brian Curley, "But Mission Hills is unique. We literally moved mountains to get this project completed. When we were told that they wanted it done in one year (completing the final five courses), we said, `It's possible, if…' They immediately replied, `You tell us what you need and we will do it.' Then they just go out and make it all possible. Their work ethic is just phenomenal."

Echoes partner Lee Schmidt, "There's never been a golf project like it. But remember, the Chinese once built a monument called the Great Wall."

Each of the eight Schmidt-Curley original designs at Mission Hills is named for the professional golfer who served as design consultant. The first four were crafted in conjunction with Nick Faldo, Ernie Els, Vijay Singh and Jumbo Ozaki; the final four, which were completed at the same time, boast the design expertise of Jose Maria Olazabal, David Duval, David Ledbetter and Annika Sorenstam. Greg Norman Design added the fifth course.

To complete Mission Hills, a labor force of 2,000 worked around-the-clock shifts over 1,000 acres of rugged mountain-forest terrain, utilizing 700 dump trucks and 250 excavators to move more than 25 million cubic meters of earth. They uprooted and transplanted half a million trees, laid more than 20 miles of cart paths and built 36 stone bridges. Among the statistics that underpin the Guinness Book of World Records designation for "largest golf club" are Highest Number of Golfers for a single day (2,366, on May 20, 2004), 3,814 bags in storage on a single day and the everyday Mission Hills figures of 2,000 carts and 2,000 caddies.

In addition to Mission Hills, Schmidt-Curley Golf Design is currently working on or has completed projects in ten different countries, including Vidbynas, a 45-hole complex in Sweden that debuted in 2004. Due to their prominence in Asia, Schmidt-Curley recently opened an office in Bangkok, Thailand, where projects include Amata Spring Golf Club, Chiangmai Highlands and the remodeling of Muang Kaew Golf Club.

Among the most honored Schmidt-Curley courses in the United States are Marriott's Shadow Ridge (with Nick Faldo) in Palm Desert, Calif., Bali Hai in Las Vegas, Nev., the PGA of Southern California Golf Club in Beaumont, Calif., Southern Dunes Golf Club (with Fred Couples) in Maricopa, Ariz., Crosby National (with Fred Couples) in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. and The Palms and The Plantation (both with Fred Couples) in Indio, Calif. Another Schmidt-Curley design in Indio, Landmark Golf Club, is a past host to the Skins Game.

Contact:
Schmidt-Curley Design
480-483-1994
www.schmidt-curley.com