MISSOURI

 
Top Of The Rock Practice Facility Drives Toward Completion
 

With just a few days remaining until the grand opening of the "Top of the Rock" Driving Range, TourTurf by FieldTurf, a company that sells and installs synthetic turf in the United States and abroad, is putting the finishing touches on one of the few sites in the world to showcase an Arnold Palmer Signature Practice Facility.

 

Located in Ridgedale, Mo., the "Top of the Rock" Driving Range will serve as a practice facility to guests of the Big Cedar Resort, which owns and operates the practice facility and an adjacent Jack Nicklaus-designed 9hole, par 3 golf course. The practice facility was designed by Palmer Course Design and is slated for grand opening in mid-October.

"This project is unlike any other I have been a part of," Arnold Palmer said. "The range, for the most part, will be covered with the TourTurf product. Golfers who play here will enjoy hitting balls off of the synthetic turf as much as the natural grass. It is the TourTurf product that truly makes this project unique."

The range will boast more than 400,000 square feet of synthetic turf featuring four TourTurf products including: Tees, Target Greens, Landing Zone and Putting Greens. The project required more than 1,000,000 pounds of infill materials for the artificial grass and 5,000 man-hours to complete.

TourTurf's Vice President, Josh LeMaster, said the company overcame numerous obstacles in constructing the facility.

"When we started on this project eighteen months ago, we knew there would be some challenges especially since the range was to be built in a canyon," LeMaster said. "Several hundred thousand yards of earth were moved just to make the land workable. In the end, the range is one of the most prestigious, beautiful and technologically advanced driving ranges in the country."

The driving range offers golfers a unique practice experience with 11 various target greens from three hitting levels and a teaching tee for the club professional. Most golfers will be put to the ultimate challenge when they attempt to master a target green installed on a cliff overlooking the range.

About TourTurf
TourTurf is a Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.-based company that sells and installs synthetic turf for commercial and residential golf and landscape applications throughout the United States and abroad. TourTurf synthetic golf products are exclusively manufactured FieldTurf. TourTurf is the official synthetic grass recommended by Palmer Course Design Company and the official synthetic golf turf of the PGA TOUR, the Champions Tour and The First Tee. For more information about TourTurf or FieldTurf products visit www.tourturf.com.

 

Accolades Continue For Branson Creek Golf Club

Troon Golf® recently announced that Branson Creek Golf Club has been named as the Number 1 Public Access Course in Missouri by Golfweek Magazine. This is the third consecutive year Branson Creek has earned the top spot on the State-By-State list of America’s Best.

According to the magazine, a nationwide team of 285 evaluators have "…scoured the landscape, surveyed the 2,000 nominated courses, and rendered their judgment on the basis of 10 standards of evaluation. Collectively, they turned in more than 32,000 votes, meaning each rater has seen an average of 112 courses."

Designed by world-renowned golf course architect Tom Fazio, Branson Creek Golf Club is located off Highway 65 and Branson Creek Drive, just south of Branson, Missouri. It is the first high-end, daily-fee golf course to be built in this tourism mecca known as the "live entertainment capital of the world." Guests of the facility experience championship course conditions and world-class service, surrounded by magnificent views of the Ozark Mountains.

"Branson Creek has a great collection of holes, super greens, and stunning vistas. I think it’s one of Fazio’s finest," proclaimed Chris Brewer, a Golfweek America’s Best panelist. "If the glitzy shows and outlet shopping don’t light your fire, Branson Creek is reason alone to pay Branson a visit."

Golfweek editors said the rating criteria included course shaping, natural setting, the variety and memorability of the holes, basic quality of conditioning, landscape and tree management as well as the "walk in the park" test. The magazine says that specific test is "the degree to which the course ultimately is worth spending a half-day on as a compelling outdoor experience."

"We are thrilled with this honor from Golfweek. It is a true testament of the golf available in the Branson area," said Mark Ophoven, General Manager and Director of Golf at Branson Creek. "Mother Nature blessed us with an incredible outdoor experience, Mr. Fazio worked his magic and creativity, and golfers from around the world have taken advantage of it."

Other awards bestowed upon Branson Creek since it opened in April of 2000 include:

· Top 10 New Upscale Public Course – Golf Digest 2000
· Top 10 New Courses You Can Play – GOLF Magazine 2000
· #1 Public Course in Missouri – Golf Digest 2001 – 2004
· (#66) America’s 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses – Golf Digest 2003 - 2004
· 4 ½ Stars Places to Play – Golf Digest April 2002
· Best of the Ozarks – Springfield News-Leader 2001 – 2003
· Top 100 Courses Under $ 100 –Travel and Leisure Magazine March 2002
· America’s Top Golf Courses – ZAGAT Survey 2003
· Best of the Midwest – Midwest Living Magazine 2003

Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Troon Golf manages operations at more than 140 courses located in 23 states and 12 countries. Additionally, 28 Troon Golf facilities enjoy a Top 100 ranking by national or international publications. For more information on Branson Creek Golf Club visit www.bransoncreekgolf.com.

 

Adams Pointe Golf Club in Kansas City, MO
Receives Audubon Sanctuary Recognition

Adams Pointe Golf Club, which is owned by the City of Blue Springs and operated by Evergreen Alliance Golf Limited (EAGL), has achieved designation as a "Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary" by the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System (ACSS), the educational division of Audubon International. Adams Pointe Golf Club is the eighth course in Missouri (there are 320 total courses in the state) and the 472nd in the world to receive this honor.

Rob Akers, Regional Manager for EAGL said, "This is a great honor for the City of Blue Springs and Adams Pointe Golf Club. This shows the dedication and forward thinking of the city officials to always have more then just a golf course. Adams Pointe will be a great mainstay in the Parks & Recreation Department for a long time."

To achieve this certification, Adams Pointe had to show that they are maintaining a high degree of environmental quality in the following areas: environmental planning, wildlife and habitat management, chemical use reduction and safety, water conservation, water quality management, and outreach and education. Some of the measures taken to preserve the environment include habitat brush piles, birdhouses, incorporating native areas into many of the holes, storing and using pesticides in a manner that protects the ground and surface water. Water reduction at the course has helped promote better overall turf health, improved playability, and reduced maintenance costs. All of this was done over a six-year period.

 

Loch Lloyd Country Club in Belton, MO
Receives Audubon Sanctuary Recognition

Loch Lloyd Country Club has achieved designation as a “Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary” by the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System (ACSS), the educational division of Audubon International.  Loch Lloyd Country Club is the 9th course in Missouri and the 474th in the world to receive the honor.  Nels Lindgren, CGCS, is also being individually recognized for achievement in environmental stewardship.

 “Loch Lloyd Country Club has shown a strong commitment to its environmental program.  They are to be commended for their efforts to provide a sanctuary for wildlife on the golf course property,” said Peter Bronski, Staff Ecologist for the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System.

 “To reach certification, a course must demonstrate that they are maintaining a high degree of environmental quality in a number of areas,” explained Bronski.  These categories include: Environmental Planning, Wildlife and Habitat Management, Outreach and Education, Chemical Use Reduction and Safety, Water Conservation, and Water Quality Management.

 The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses, endorsed by the United States Golf Association, provides information and guidance to help golf courses preserve and enhance wildlife habitat, and protect natural resources.  Golf courses from the United States, Australia, Canada, Central America, Europe, and Southeast Asia have also achieved certification in the program.

 

The contents of this web site are copyright of midwestgolfguide.com  unless otherwise noted.
Questions editor@midwestgolfguide.com