Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain

The PGA’s Accenture Match Play Championship is right around the corner and will be held at the brand new Ritz-Carlton Golf Club located within the master-planned Dove Mountain community. For those of you who haven’t stopped by yet I recommend that you take a few hours and make a field trip, it truly is a spectacular course/resort (what you would expect from a Jack Nicklaus designed course).

The Accenture Match Play Championship, which brings together the world’s top 64 golfers in a unique head-to-head match-play competition, was founded in 1999 and was held in Arizona for the first time in February 2007 at The Gallery Golf Club in Dove Mountain.  It was announced during that after another year at The Gallery the tournament would move to The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain for the February 2009 tournament.

The practice rounds being Monday, February 23rd, and the actual tournament begins on Wednesday the 25th, continuing through Sunday the 1st of March. At the end of this post is a more detailed schedule of play.

The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain also features a 50,000-square-foot Clubhouse complex, complete with all of the services one would expect from a top-level private club, including a pool, tennis center, supervised Ritz Kids program, state-of-the-art fitness center, steward-serviced private locker rooms, a double-ended practice facility, and several dining venues with spectacular views.

The resort includes the  just opened 250-room Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain resort hotel and spa, and the first phase of The Residences, a 300-home residential community which is currently open in Phase I.  If you would like pricing/floorplan contact me and I’ll pass that right along.

For those of you who missed out on last year’s victory by Tiger Woods here is a brief recap (1:51 long)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8AfrrPrxDI

I’m hoping Tiger can make it out for this tournament after having season-ending surgery on his knee late last summer. The Tucson community can definitely use his presence to bolster the estimated $100 million+ economy boost the tournament brings to town. And that $100 million estimate was from 2007! I’m also looking forward to see how the new Nicklaus course treats the pros versus The Gallery course where the tournament was played last year.

Twenty seven holes are currently completed with nine more holes slated for completion in 2010. The first 18 holes, comprising the two tournament nines, are par 72 measuring 7,833 yards, while the third nine measures 3,974 yards at par 36. The routing of the final nine holes is complete but exact yardage has yet to be finalized.

The Arizona Daily Star has published an interactive course map that is pretty neat, check it out here.

Nicklaus designed course at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain in Marana, AZ

If you do end up stopping by here are some helpful area links:

Shopping

Tucson Shopping Malls

Oro Valley MarketPlace

Dining

Dining in/around Dove Mountain (Not a whole lot, but there are a few places to eat in the Fry’s Shopping Center)

Other area restaurants and dining options

Hotels

Nearby hotel options

For those of you driving/flying in from out of town be aware of the ongoing I-10 construction.

Parking will also be another obstacle to overcome. There is a huge designated parking lot (I say designated because it’s just dirt) on the southside of Tangerine Road a mile or two east of I-10. Shuttles will be provided from there to the course and back free of charge, and the parking lot will be monitored by TPD.

If anyone has spare tickets let me know!

2009 Accenture Match Play Schedule of Events

Saturday, February 21

Volunteer Appreciation Party
(by invitation only)
Walter Hagen Club
3-5 p.m. MT

Sunday, February 22

Bracket Announcement
5 p.m. MT

U of A/ASU AM-AM
Presented by the Tucson Conquistadores
Location and Time TBD

Monday, February 23

Practice Round for Professionals
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain

Gates Open
7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. MT

Pro-AM
Presented by the Tucson Conquistadores
Location and Time TBD

Tuesday, February 24

2009 Practice Round for Professionals
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain

Gates Open
7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. MT

Accenture Match Play Championship Sponsor Appreciation Party
(by Invitation Only)
Westin La Paloma Ballroom
6:30 p.m.-10 p.m. MT

Wednesday, February 25

Play begins: 32 Matches
(approximate match times: 7:40 a.m.-12:34 p.m. MT)
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain

Gates Open
6:30 a.m.-6 p.m. MT

Television Times
GOLF CHANNEL: 2 -6 p.m. EST

Thursday, February 26

Sixteen Matches
(approximate match times: 9:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. MT)
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain

Gates Open
8 a.m.-6 p.m. MT

Television Times
GOLF CHANNEL: 2 -6 p.m. EST

Friday, February 27

Eight Matches
(approximate match times: 10:50 a.m.-12:14 p.m. MT)
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain

Gates Open
9 a.m.-6 p.m. MT

Television Times
GOLF CHANNEL: 2 -6 p.m. EST

Saturday, February 28

Four Quarterfinal Matches
(approximate match times: 7:38-8:14 a.m. MT)
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain

Gates Open
6:30 a.m.-6 p.m. MT

Two Semifinal Matches
(approximate match times: 12:05-12:20 p.m. MT)
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain

Television Times
GOLF CHANNEL: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. EST
NBC: 2-6 p.m. EST

Sunday, March 1

36-Hole Championship Match
(First eighteen holes -- Approximate match time: 7:40 a.m. MT)
(Resuming match -- Approximate match time: 12:20 p.m. MT)
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain

Gates Open
6:30 a.m.-6 p.m. MT

18-Hole Consolation Match
(Approximate match time: 12:05 p.m. MT)
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain

Television Times
GOLF CHANNEL: 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. EST
NBC: 2-6 p.m. EST

Monday, March 2

First Flight: Accenture All-Amateur Team Championship
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain
6:30 a.m. MT -- Registration & Breakfast
Location: Clubhouse
8:00 a.m. MT -- Shotgun Start
Location: Clubhouse
Immediately Following Play -- Lunch & Awards
Location: Clubhouse

Second Flight: Accenture All-Amateur Team Championship
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain
11:30 a.m. MT -- Registration & Lunch
Location: Clubhouse
1 p.m. MT -- Shotgun Start
Location: Clubhouse
Immediately Following Play -- Reception & Awards Location: Clubhouse

Please contact the Accenture Match Play Championship office for further details at: (520) 207-0595

Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain

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