Special Places - CordeValle Resort

After a week of glorious golf weather on Georgia’s Atlantic coast for the McGladrey Classic won by Heath Slocum, action on the US PGA Tour moves 5000 km to San Martin in Northern California for the Frys.com Open. This mid-point event of the Fall Series takes place at CordeValle Resort which is a new venue for the tournament after a three-year run at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Cordevalle is located 100 km south of San Francisco and less than an hour’s drive from the golfing Mecca of the Monterey Peninsula. The resort has received a number of prestigious awards and has been ranked as the No 14 Golf Resort in North America. Nestled in the rolling foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, this prestigious destination has a golf course to match its pedigree. The layout was designed in 1999 by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and features dramatic contours and elevation changes together with beautiful unobstructed views out over canyons and meadows. The course looks set to become one of the finest achievements of its prodigious and iconic creator, whose style and flair can be seen in designs across the globe.

CordeValle is 6700 metres long and has a par of 71. The fairways are Winter Rye grass and the greens are Bent Grass. Expansive bunkers are a prominent visual cue in the tranquil setting as the layout winds its way through unspoiled nature. Even though the first and second holes are relatively straightforward par fours, before the round is finished, players will need to call on a variety of strategies and a comprehensive array of shot selections to master the challenge. The pivotal stretch of holes from nine to fifteen includes the course’s three par fives and will see the golfers balancing classic elements of risk and reward. The 15th is a 520m par 5 protected by a creek and wetlands, and will provide a stern test of both skill and patience. The 195m par 3 16th and the two finishing par 4’s will punish any letdown in concentration.

Last year’s tournament saw up-and-coming and then 20-year-old Rickie Fowler take his first big step forward into the limelight of the golfing elite with a runner-up finish after a playoff loss to Troy Matteson at the second extra hole. This year’s field will include 2010 Players Championship winner Tim Clark and fellow South African 2008 Masters Champion Trevor Immelman.