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Media Coverage
Vernon Daily Courier, June 11, 2007 PGA vet offers praise for Rise course By Wayne Emde "A lot of times the course ruins the place, but Gene did a masterful job of routing the golf course," said PGA Tour veteran Fred Couples Friday after a site inspection of his Signature Golf Course at The Rise development in Vernon. "The front nine is different from the back nine. It's not overpowering, but you have to know how to play," he said of the 7,000 plus-yard championship course, designed by Gene Bates. Asked if he would like to change anything, Couples replied, "There's a lot of amazing vistas here. It could be the worst hole, but you could look at the lake and not care less. It's so dramatic and so beautiful. When you're waiting for your partners to tee off, you can take in the views. You can take photos from almost every tee." Couples added that he has minor problems with some of the bunkering, the shapes of some of the greens, and, "There needs to be some redesign on the first hole." However, Couples said that the first three holes are "The best holes opening a golf course anywhere," adding that he also liked the layout of fifteen and sixteen, which flank Turtle Pond. Course designer Bates said, "Thought I had driven into hell," on his first visit to Vernon. "It was smoky one day, raining the next and there was snow on the course. I couldn't wait to get out of town." However, he thought he could do something with the site and discussed the potential with Couples. He gave a lot of credit to Ian Renton, Senior Vice-President-Construction, for his contribution. "As difficult as the site is, they haven't wavered one bit, at least in front of me, in their dedication," he joked. Renton remembered meeting Couples four years ago. "Fred was pretty excited. He toured the whole course and suggested some changes. I kept wondering how much they would cost." Rod Cochrane, director of golf for the new course, escorted members of the media through the course before the press conference. He was thrilled with what he called, "edge of the world greens," especially on hole four which looks out over the north arm of Okanagan Lake. It was one of the holes that required extensive blasting, "a couple of million dollars," but most of the course, according to Bates, simply followed the path of least resistance through the site. The back nine of the course will be open for limited play later in the summer, with the entire course set to open next spring. Couples expects to return near the end of September to play his first round at the course. For Leona Snider, president and CEO of the Rise, it was a "landmark day. Six or seven years ago Ian said he could build a golf course up here, and I have no words to describe how happy I am today. It's been 17 years coming."
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Reprinted from Vernon Daily Courier |
