SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Dec. 7, 2004 – The city of Dinuba, located 30 miles southwest of Fresno, Calif., has hired John Fought to design the city’s first-ever golf courses. The plan, recently approved by the Dinuba City Council, calls for Fought, of Scottsdale, Ariz.-based John Fought Design, to design both an 18-hole championship course and a nine-hole short course. Tentatively, groundbreaking on the 360-acre site is scheduled for November 2005, with the public courses to open for play in the spring of 2007.

The 18-hole course will be a minimum of 7,000 yards in length with four sets of tees. While attractive for beginners and seniors, the nine-hole course also will be utilized for the city’s anticipated participation in The First Tee, a national program designed to introduce the game of golf to youths.

“I’m very optimistic these will be fantastic golf courses,” said Fought, who recently completed a widely acclaimed restoration of Pine Needles golf course in Southern Pines, N.C. “It’s a flat piece of land so we’ll have the luxury of beginning with a blank slate.”

Mike Springer, a two-timer winner on the PGA Tour who grew up in Dinuba and now lives in Fresno, will serve as a design consultant to the project. Currently, residents of the Central California community, with a population of 18,600, must travel to neighboring cities such as Fresno, Visalia, Sanger or Kingsburg to play golf. While Dinuba’s population is 18,600, Ed Todd, Dinuba city manager, said another 80,000 people reside within a 15-mile radius.

In addition to his expertise in designing golf courses, Todd said Fought was selected for the project because of his keen understanding of what the city needs and desires. In addition, Todd and members of the city’s project steering committee were impressed by what they saw when they toured The Farms Golf Club, a course near San Diego renovated by Fought.

“John understands what it takes to design a championship golf course, one that will be attractive to golfers up and down the (San Joaquin) Valley,” said Todd, Dinuba’s city manager since 1988. “But he also understands what it takes to design a course where our youth can play and be comfortable. John has a commitment to ensuring these courses will provide for a quality golf experience for all levels and ages of golfers.”

A clubhouse, to include a pro shop and small restaurant, will be constructed in a two-story Victorian house that currently sits vacant on the property. Fought is riding the crest of his restoration work at Pine Needles, a Donald Ross classic that was recently on display for the national media as part of its re-opening.

“Fought’s sensitive touch at Pine Needles should bring course developers to his doorstep,” wrote Lorne Rubenstein, respected golf columnist for The (Toronto) Globe and Mail. “They’ll find a man who knows how to design new courses and to restore old ones.” Also an accomplished golfer, Fought, 50, is a former U.S. Amateur champion
(1977) who was a two-time winner on the PGA Tour and, in 2004, played in two Champions Tour events — the Senior British Open and U.S. Senior Open.

More information on Fought can be obtained by logging onto www.foughtdesign.com.

Contact:
Karen Moraghan
Hunter Public Relations – East
908/876-5100
kmoraghan@hunter-pr.com