ATLANTA -- Less than 24 hours after Matt Kuchar and Troy Matteson tied with Camilo Villegas for third place at the AT&T Classic championship in Atlanta on Sunday, May 20, the two teamed to defeat Roberto Castro and Kevin Larsen in a match play event at the Grand Opening of The Georgia Tech Club. The margin was 2-up in a match that went all 18 holes and ended when Kuchar sank a 20-foot putt for birdie on the final hole. Kuchar’s round of 66 (played from the course’s back tee length of 7,558 yards) established the course record for the club. Castro and Larsen are graduating seniors who played for Georgia Tech’s golf team, as did Kuchar and Matteson.
“It was a pleasure to see such talented golfers play the course,” said Craig Hartle, director of golf at The Georgia Tech Club, which is managed by Troon Golf. “Neither team had more than a 1-up advantage through the match. We witnessed some great shots. It was an excellent unveiling of what I’m sure soon will be considered one of the region’s finest courses.”
Rees Jones, the course designer the private Georgia Tech Club, was on hand on Monday to provide comments describing the features of various holes as the match progressed. The Georgia Tech Club is located within the gated Echelon home community. The Club’s golf course upon opening can legitimately claim to be one of the most challenging anywhere: the course rating as assessed by the Georgia State Golf Association (GSGA) is 77.8 and the slope rating is 154 from the Championship Tees. Only seven courses in the U.S. have a higher slope rating than the Georgia Tech Club, among them Pine Valley in New Jersey and the Ocean Course at Kiawah in South Carolina, which are at 155.
“I’m very pleased with the results we achieved at The Georgia Tech Club,” said Rees Jones. “The rating of the course speaks to some of its challenges, but we have created tee boxes that will allow every level of golfer to enjoy the course. It’s a beautiful setting with dramatic views and we’re proud to have been part of the project.”
The Georgia Tech Club will comprise an 18-hole, 7,558-yard Rees Jones’ championship golf course, and eventually a clubhouse with a golf pro shop, dining area, club lounge, fitness and wellness area and locker rooms. The Echelon community that surrounds The Georgia Tech Club consists of 230 estate homesites, each over one acre in size on approximately 610 acres located in Atlanta’s northern quadrant. Echelon’s initial four tennis courts are currently under construction, with a free form Aquatics Center and Highlands Grill to break ground in July.
Rees Jones by the consensus opinion of all in the golf industry is one of the best golf course designers working today. Several of his course designs in the Southeast have received recognition as among the best. Jones’ design for the Golf Club at Briars Creek in South Carolina was named Best New Private Course 2003 by Golf Digest. In Georgia, Reynolds Plantation (Oconee Course), placed eighth on the list of Best New Upscale Public Courses for 2002, and Ocean Forest Golf Club at Sea Island was Runner-up, Best New Private Course 1996. Ocean Forest hosted the Walker Cup in 2001.
The Georgia Tech Club has an affiliation with Georgia Tech through a license agreement with the Alumni and Athletic Associations that entitles direct marketing access to alumni, boosters, supporters and friends. Georgia Tech will receive royalties from the sale of memberships and operating income.
The developer of Echelon and the Georgia Tech Club is University Clubs by Melrose, an affiliate company of The Melrose Company. A recreational community and club development company, The Melrose Company has active projects in South Carolina, Oklahoma, Georgia, Indiana and Texas.
For Additional Information Contact: Craig Hartle
Director of Golf
The Georgia Tech Club
501 Founders Drive East
Alpharetta, GA 30004
770-888-4653
chartle@georgiatechclub.com
