CHARLESTON, S.C., — The Ralston Creek Course at the Daniel Island Club, designed by renowned golf course architect, Rees Jones, has garnered another prestigious award. Already recognized by one of golf’s leading publications, Golf Digest, as one of 2006′s top ten “Best New Private Courses,” the course was recently honored by the South Carolina Golf Course Raters Panel as the 2006 “New Course of the Year.”
According to Michael Whitaker, the Executive Director of the panel, Ralston Creek was honored with the award for its outstanding achievement in golf course design.
The course has been receiving rave reviews from members and professional golfers since opening in late April 2006. It has already hosted a Nationwide Tour event and this May will serve as the regional qualifying site for the United States Open Championship.
Ralston Creek, a traditional Lowcountry classic, is a par 72 that plays 7,446 yards from the championship tees. It also ingeniously incorporates five additional sets of tees – including junior tees at 3,768 yards – into the design.
“With the addition of the Ralston Creek course to the Daniel Island Club’s golf offerings, our goal was to provide members with the finest quality golf experience. Rees Jones did a fabulous job. It is an honor to be named the 2006 ‘New Course of the Year,’ especially in a state with such a rich history of golf,” said Matt Sloan, President of the Daniel Island Company, the island’s master developer.
Jones’ exceptional talent for designing, redesigning and renovating courses that are enjoyable for members throughout the year and challenging for professionals come tournament time is a signature trademark and one of the key reasons he was selected to design the second course at Daniel Island. His reputation as “The Open Doctor” comes from his critically acclaimed work on such storied venues as Pinehurst No.2, Torrey Pines South, Bethpage Black and The Country Club.
“For Ralston Creek the developers gave us a spectacular piece of property,” commented Rees Jones, “and we endeavored to incorporate the stunning backdrop of the natural saltwater marshes and specimen trees into a challenging and memorable golf course. It is always an honor to have your work recognized, especially as it is determined by golfers themselves.”
The South Carolina Golf Course Ratings Panel was formed to promote excellence in South Carolina golf course design and operations through competitive rankings, education and public advocacy. The panel consists of up to 128 invited members (100 male and 28 female) from across the state in four membership categories: Golf Industry, Players and Coaches, Media and Associate.
Located within the City of Charleston, Daniel Island is one of the Lowcountry’s most preferred suburban addresses for golf. In addition to the honor of Ralston Creek being named 2006 “New Course of the Year” by the South Carolina Golf Course Ratings Panel and its inclusion in the top ten “Best New Private Courses” by Golf Digest, the Community has been recognized as one of the “50 Best Golf Communities” by Golf Living Magazine and as one of “America’s Top 100 Golf Communities” by Travel & Leisure Golf. This 4,000-acre island town features traditional neighborhoods with a wide variety of home styles and a downtown complete with schools, medical offices, boutiques, restaurants, churches, a modern supermarket and many other conveniences. Access to hundreds of acres of parks, 23 miles of rivers and creeks, bicycle and jogging paths, professional tennis and soccer facilities and a private in-town country club provide Daniel Island residents with a wide range of recreational options of the highest caliber. For more information about Daniel Island, visit www.danielisland.com.
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