Tucson Lifestyle Golf Guide, 2008 Edition
Right on Course
By Charles Durrenberger
Where Dove Mountain Boulevard ends, Tucson's golfing future begins. On a dusty horizon are the signs of progress, with hammers hammering, trucks trucking and drills drilling.
And then you see it, a verdant carpet seemingly dropped from thin air onto a moonscape dotted b stately saguaro and boulders as big as a Buick.
It's all part of the evolving Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain an 850-acre community that will include a 250-room resort hotel, 324 luxury golf homes and a new 27-hole golf layout designed by Hall of Famer Jack Nicklaus.
"It's absolutely gorgeous high desert," Nicklaus said of the development at the base of the Tortolita Mountains in Northwest Tucson. "It's in my mind not to mess up; not do much with this very, very pretty piece of property."
The additions at Dove Mountain, plus renovations at the Omni Tucson National Gold Resort and Spa, and a new clubhouse at the Stone Canyon Club will combine to make Northwest Tucson a premier golfing resort destination.
Completion of the 27-hole golf facility at Dove Mountain – Including a 50,000 square-foot clubhouse complex-is scheduled for 2008, with an additional nine holes planned for 2010.
"This project will solidify Dove Mountain's position as
one of the Southwest's most exclusive communities, and further enhance
Dove Mountain's reputation as a national golf destination," said David
Mehl, president of Cottonwood Properties, master developer and owner of
Dove Mountain. His company also is working with Greenbrier Southwest Corporation
on the project.
Mehl and Nicklaus collaborated before in Tucson with the creation of La
Paloma Country Club.
The Nicklaus Signature courses will emphasize playability and aesthetic appeal while still posing a significant challenge to the world's best golfers, who will experience the layout beginning with the 2009 World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship.
Match Play will continue to be held at the Gallery Golf Club's South Course through 2008 before moving across the street to the Ritz-Carlton. However, the planned resort hotel and spa is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2009.
The PGA Tour has been able to collaborate with Nicklaus to add features distinctive to a Tournament Players Course, such as berms for stadium-style spectator seating and other logistical amenities necessary to host a world-class event.
"It made a lot of sense for everyone," said Michael Garten, executive director of Match Play. "Jack understands what we're trying to accomplish without compromising the integrity of what he's doing."
In fact, Mehl's vision for Dove Mountain and PGA Tour's decision to relocate to Tucson from the San Diego area almost two years ago was a result of perfect timing.
"The moon and stars aligned," Garten added. "We were looking for a fresh start for Match Play as well as the possibility of moving (the Tucson PGA Tour event) from Tucson National.
"The South Course at the Gallery was the perfect stopover point for Match Play until the Dove Mountain course was ready. We could not be happier with the move and the potential for the future."
The first 18 holes comprising the two tournament nines are par 72 At 7,833 yards it will be the longest course on the PGA Tour. The third nine measures 3,974 yards at par 36.
"Obviously, we're tailoring the golf course towards the Match Play Championship," explained Nicklaus, who has personally designed 217 courses worldwide. "At the altitude, though, you're talking about four percent off that so you're at a 7,500-yard golf course, which for the pros in fine.
"For the members, we've got a golf course that sets up around 6,700 yards, which actually plays about 6,400 to 6,450 yards. You want to challenge them, but you also want them to play it and have some excitement and make some birdies."
"From a spectator standpoint, there will be sets of parallel fairways to make watching more gold possible," Garten added. "The new course will be much more gallery friendly."
The Dove Mountain layout being sculpted out of the rocky foothills will possess Nicklaus' trademark small, undulating greens with traditional bunkering distinctive to his designs. The 27-hole facility will be definitive desert golf, which is what Tucson National added almost two years ago to its parkland-style resort course.
National evolved as a 36-hole resort with the addition on nine holes, designed by Tom Lehman in 2006. The desert-style course is a stark contrast to the traditional course at the Omni, which hosted Tucson's PGA Tour stop through 2006.
"I called is a ‘rustic chic' design," Lehman said upon unveiling his work. "I wanted to utilize and protect the natural washes and native vegetation, and sculpt the golf course into the dramatic elevation changes."
The course was built on an undeveloped parcel at the eastern edge of the property at the Omni, which is now undergoing an additional facelift.
Rooms around the Catalina course's ninth green have been razed to make way for new luxury villas and the casitas immediately east of the main clubhouse are being renovated, as is the resort's swimming pool.
A new, 3,600-square-foot, state-of-the-art pro shop will greet golfers at the main level and front entrance of the facility, moving from its spot on the ground floor near the first tee.
The first phase of the transformation at Tucson National has a target completion date of mid-to-late January. At Stone Canyon, members will enjoy a 42,000-square-foot clubhouse that will feature underground parking.
The facility, designed with breezeways and courtyards specific to desert architecture will house a sports bar, coffee shop and men's and women's grills in addition to the golf shop.
Estimated completion date is January 2010. "We wanted to incorporate the Southern Arizona lifestyle with water features and courtyards," said Stone Canyon Director of Golf and Clubhouse Operations Todd Huizinga. "It will be non-traditional in appearance, and will blend perfectly with the residential community with a low profile and different rooflines."
News
- The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain offers exciting
Charter Membership, first 25 Homebuyers receive significant benefits.
Read the full press release » - Our newly finished models are now open! Come by and pay us a visit.
- The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club,® Dove Mountain welcomes the world’s top 64 players to the World Golf Championships® – Accenture Match Play Championship. Read more »
- The New York Times: "When completed, it will be the largest Ritz-Carlton development in the continental United States." Read the full article (PDF file).