What a way to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Desert Mountain! In just over a month, Desert Mountain will again host one of the most prestigious tournaments of the PGA – the Champions Tour 2012 .
Players will flock to Desert Mountain November 1-4 to once again to test their skills against one of Jack Nicklaus’ finest courses. As during the former Traditions tournament held at the club, the professionals will be playing the Cochise Golf Course. For a few of this year’s competitors, it will be a trip down memory lane from when they played this same course in the 90’s and up to 2001 as part of the Tradition Tournament. For many of us who were around Desert Mountain at that time, we will always remember the good times and great golf that was played during the tour came to Desert Mountain every year.
This year, the top 30 players on the Championship Tour will be playing in this season-ending championship. It is a goal that rewards players who consistently finish as top scorers throughout the season. There will be a few local players this year, including Tom Lehman, the current leader in number one position on the money list. Tom will have a very short drive up the hill from his home in DC Ranch to participate in the tournament.
I lived at Desert Mountain during the last few years of the Tradition and found it exciting and interesting to watch professionals play a course that I’ve played many times. The tee boxes and pin placements are much tougher for the tournament, but I’ve always found it fascinating to see how differently a professional plays the course rather than an amateur like myself.
Many of the Desert Mountain members are again joining other volunteers for the event to insure it is again a rousing success. Everyone is looking forward to the pro-am events starting Monday, the 29th of October when many of them will have the opportunity to play with some of the pros. The official tournament starts on November 1st and finishes on Sunday, the 4th of November.
The tour professionals voted Cochise as being the “Best Maintained Golf Course” when they were playing here during the Tradition days (1989 to 2001). This year, I think they will find a course that is still well-maintained, but also one that has matured over the years into an even more spectacular golf course.
All in all, it’s gearing up to be the event of the year!
[…] Things to Do Next week is the big event at Desert Mountain we’ve all been waiting for – the 2012 Charles Schwab Cup Championship. The top 30 players on the Champions Tour money list at the conclusion of the 2012 season will be […]