Press

May 24, 2006
BARONA CREEK GOLF CLUB TO HOST SAN DIEGO PGA SECTION CHAMPIONSHIP, JUNE 19-20

(SAN DIEGO, CA) May 24, 2006—For the fourth consecutive year, Barona Creek Golf Club will host the San Diego PGA Chapter Stroke Play Championship scheduled for June 19-20.

The 2006 event will feature over 60 players in the Championship and Senior Divisions playing for a total purse of $22,500. 

Sponsored by Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino and Callaway Golf, the event will commence on Monday, June 19 at 12:00 p.m. and the final round will be played on Tuesday, June 20 beginning at 8:00 a.m.

Last year’s tournament was won by Bob Madsen, Head Teaching Professional at Singing Hills, who posted a two-stroke victory after shooting 6-under-par 66 on the final day for a two-day total of 5-under par 139.

"We are honored to once again host this exciting tournament at Barona Creek Golf Club," said Don King, Director of Golf, Barona Creek Golf Club. "We’ve made some new changes to the course since last year and we believe these enhancements will bring new challenges to some of the best players in San Diego as they compete for the PGA Section title."

Golf course architect, Todd Eckenrode, partnered with world-renowned golf course bunker construction specialists Jeff Bradley and Chris Hunt for the Barona Creek project.  The duo have worked on several Top 100 courses including Cape Kidnappers Golf Course (Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand), Sand Hills (Mullen, Nebraska), Friars Head Golf Club (Baiting Hollow, New York) and Bandon Trails Golf Course (Bandon, Oregon) to name a few.

The changes included 12 new bunkers and the expansion of two existing bunkers. Most of the bunkers were located in places intended to either accentuate the strategies of the hole or to add playability in outer areas attracting wayward shots. All of the design enhancements were intended to complement the inherent beauty and natural ruggedness of the property.

"The bunkers at Barona Creek are extremely unique to Southern California, with intricate details, jagged edging, and flashed fences that highlight the strategies for each hole," explained Eckenrode. "These bunkers form the transition from the native landscaping to the turf zones, bringing nature into the golf as opposed to keeping it on the periphery."

In addition, 12 new "tournament" tees were added to the course. The angles of these were designed to strengthen the strategies of each hole as well as the yardage. The risk-reward elements are heightened and many offer higher vantage points of each hole and surrounding vistas. As a result, play from the new "tournament" tees is very dramatic and challenging, yet still requires the shotmaking and thoughtful play of the more forward tees.

Named the 3rd best resort course in California by Golfweek Magazine, Barona Creek Golf Club is a par 72 course that is now extended to 7,448 yards with more than 100 multi-fingered bunkers and a series of lakes and ponds that are connected to the area’s naturally fed streams. The golf course also has more than 170 mature native oak trees transplanted from other regions of the Barona Indian Reservation. Making use of the subtly undulating terrain, prominent rock outcroppings and gentle elevation changes preserve the lands unique characteristics. The combination of both natural and strategic elements of the design make Barona Creek Golf Club one of the most challenging and thought provoking golf courses in San Diego.

Barona Creek Golf Club is the centerpiece of the award-winning Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino, San Diego’s leading destination resort, featuring 400 luxury guest rooms and suites, a 300,000 square foot casino, a lakefront wedding chapel, the AmBience Day Spa, and a full-service events center.   Barona Creek Golf Club is located at 1932 Wildcat Canyon Road in San Diego. To schedule a tee time please call (619) 387-7018. Additional course information is also available at www.barona.com.

For further information on  Barona Creek Golf Club, please contact Rick Schloss at (619) 682-3407 or via email at rickschlosspr@aol.com or Kelly Jacobs Speer at (619) 933-5013 or via email at kspeer@vcat.com