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Media Coverage
Calgary Sun, June 24, 2008 Club Freddy to join top tracks Couples' panoramic new Okanagan course gives Rise to one of nation's stunning golf havens Please scroll down for the text version of the article
Club Freddy to join top tracks Couples' panoramic new Okanagan course gives Rise to one of nation's stunning golf havens By Todd Saelhof Boom-Boom was bang on. Freddy Couples firmly believed he was throwing his Hall-of-Fame name behind the best golf course in Canada when he signed on with The Rise. Well ... the mountain-top track overlooking Vernon, B.C., is certainly worthy of such praise. "The lake views up here are so incredible," said Couples, standing proudly on a signature course carved 305 metres above Okanagan Lake with breathtaking vistas of Vernon, the B.C. countryside and outreaches of Ogopogo's home. "I have such a passion for golf that we really wanted to take our time and build a course that is as stunning as its location," continued the 1992 Masters champion. "It's so spectacular that it's really over the top. "It's exciting now that it's open because I know golfers from all over will want to get up here and experience it for themselves." Truly, The Rise is pristine and peaceful and in amazing condition for a newly minted course. The views are indeed spectacular enough to give them due consideration as being among the best in the world. And the 7,000-yard slice of golf heaven designed by architect Gene Bates is quite the challenge, even for the legendary Couples, who played the track last Wednesday during The Rise's grand opening. "It's an amazing piece of property with, I believe, 18 very good holes," Couples said. "I tried to use driver every hole, but that's not the way to do it." Indeed, the big dog can't eat off every one of the club's signature tee-boxes, featuring high-cut grass lining all four sides of each launch pad. A driver-only strategy will inflate even the best handicap, as there's hazards of every type -- at every turn. And there are plenty of turns, with doglegs to take into consideration on half The Rise's holes. That's why the Big Berthas often stay in the bag, since accuracy off the tee-box is a must. An ill-timed fade or draw plunges Pro V1s into deep fescue, heavy woods, natural wetlands or off the mountainside into the fresh air of the Okanagan. But where wading into waist-high grass or searching fruitlessly through the forest can get frustrating, bombing balls off the edge of The Rise's 17th fairway is almost worth taking a two-stroke penalty -- or two. "The extreme elevation changes are great," said Vernon resident Rod Lum, an avid golfer and invited guest for The Rise's grand opening. "The scenery is phenomenal. A lot of these holes remind me of courses in North Carolina." With a dramatic, tiered drop from an elevated tee-box to the green 400 yards down the mountainside, No. 17 -- with exhilarating views of the city, the lake and the valley below -- is simply breathtaking. The two holes previous, including a par-3 shot over the water to a small green on No. 16, hug a pond that smacks of inspiration for a Monet masterpiece. And the course's first three holes, including Nos. 2 and 3 climbing substantially uphill, could well be the toughest opening test of any track in the country. They are all signature holes, despite The Rise's own selection of No. 6, a 198-yard par 3 with an elevated tee looking straight into a valley view that stretches into infinity and with a waterfall washing down a natural black rock cliff face into a glistening pond snuggled up against the green. As dramatic as the views are, so too is the difference from hole-to-hole, which is a treat for any golfer and pleases both Bates and Couples. "When we get into this golf design business, Freddy gets really intense," said Bates, who has designed some 20 courses with Couples. "And one of his focuses is the average player. You'd think it would be just the long hitters and the best players, but no ... he wants to make sure it's an experience for everybody to enjoy the course." It truly is just that. THE GOLF CLUB AT THE RISE ESTABLISHED 2008 SEMI-PRIVATE - 18 HOLES 7,000 YARDS - PAR 72 Green Fees (includes cart): $65-115 Amenities: Practice facility and future golf academy. Location: 15 minutes west of downtown Vernon at The Rise, a billion-dollar golf community. Tee Times: 1-866-400-8488 and (250) 542-5111 or visit www.therise.ca. For additional information regarding the project, click on the logo: 
Reprinted from Calgary Sun |
