TPC of Louisiana named No. 4 Upscale Public Course

AVONDALE

The Tournament Players Club of Louisiana has been named the No. 4 Upscale Public Golf Course in Golf Digest Magazine's annual listing of best new facilities in America.

Designed by Pete Dye with input from PGA TOUR player consultants Steve Elkington and Kelly Gibson, the golf course will serve as the new home for the PGA TOUR's Zurich Classic of New Orleans beginning in 2005, April 25 - May 1. It is viewed as an outstanding venue for professionals and amateurs alike.

"We're extremely pleased by the news of this recognition, which reinforces our belief that Pete Dye, Steve Elkington and Kelly Gibson did a phenomenal job of designing a golf course that will serve its dual purpose of providing an outstanding venue for the tournament while giving our daily guests a memorable golf experience," said PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem.

Offering five sets of tees ranging from 5,200 yards to 7,600, the par-72 course is visually appealing, with special strategic nuances, but no gimmicks. It's straight-forward golf with Dye's special touches, including tiny, steep-faced bunkers in and around the fairways and challenging contouring around the greens.

The TPC of Louisiana opened in April 2004 as the 24th among the 25 Tournament Players Clubs, which are recognized throughout the industry for providing a consistently outstanding golf experience with the highest standards of customer service. The TPC Network dates back 25 years with direct links between the TPC of Louisiana and the original TPC at Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

Dye was the architect for the original Stadium Course at Sawgrass, considered one of the finest courses in the world and the annual home of THE PLAYERS Championship. Moreover, he was given a similar low-lying tract of land with which to work.

Dye has become a master of designing great courses on low, untamed property. The same held true for another highly acclaimed Dye course, Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island, S.C., which hosts the TOUR's MCI Heritage. Comparisons already are being made between the TPC of Louisiana and the TPC at Sawgrass and Harbour Town.

"There's already a groundswell on TOUR of the people who have heard how good this course is," Elkington said. "It has a footprint not much different from the TPC [at Sawgrass] or Hilton Head. When you come to a course like this, with that kind of reputation, I think ball-striking is going to be a premium here."

The finished product is a source of pride for many, for it truly took a cumulative effort to get it done. It was developed as a joint venture between affiliates of PGA TOUR Golf Course Properties and Marrero Land and Improvement Association, Limited, a real estate developer on the Westbank of the Mississippi River. The State of Louisiana provided partial funding for the project. Others that were instrumental in the project development include First Union Bank & Trust, the New Orleans Fire Fighters Pension and, of course, the ForeKids! Foundation, which produces the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

"The collaborative effort of Pete Dye and the PGA TOUR created very high expectations among everyone involved in this project. The 'Best New Course' designation puts the TPC of Louisiana on the short list of places to play in America and confirms we are on the right track to creating a golf destination in New Orleans," said Bill Delayo, general manager and director of golf at the TPC of Louisiana. "The entire team here at the TPC of Louisiana is very proud of this accomplishment and we will continue to work tirelessly to uphold the highest standards of excellence upon which the TPC Network was founded."

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1-866-NOLA-TPC.