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February 10, 2005 Black Diamond GG Sparkles as Newest Treasure on the Ontario Golf Scene “A Cut Above the Rest”PETERBOROUGH, ON - A rare gem uncovered in the Kawarthas will be unveiled this spring for golfers to discover at Black Diamond Golf Club. Last summer and fall work crews put the polishing touches on the new 18-hole championship design rolling out more than 86 acres of sod from tee to green so it would be ready for play in May. This spring the 7,042-yard, par-72 public layout makes its debut on the Ontario golf scene. “I don’t know of any other golf course that has ever been completely sodded,” says General Manager and Head Professional Darren Stalteri. “It certainly gives the landscape a look and a feel as though it has been established for years and years and that’s exactly the experience we want our customers to enjoy.” The 200 acres that co-owner Jason Kunni found that set the stage for this course is remarkable. Black Diamond has been designed to excite and challenge with a diversity and inspiration that few golf courses ever achieve on land that was meant for golf. Set on rolling terrain and cut through dense forest for the most part, Black Diamond has been moulded with tree-lined rolling fairways, fescue, sculptured mounds, varying elevation changes, spring-fed ponds, 70 bunkers and even a double-green, connecting holes four and seven. With five doglegs to the left and five more to the right, Black Diamond twists and turns brilliantly. The course will reward shotmakers who can control their ball flight, but there’s ample room on generous fairways for players of all skill levels. Four ponds come into play on holes No. 6, 8, 11, 14 and 17, but with no forced carries over creeks or wetlands, it has a high degree of playablity for the average golfer. In another daring move, golfers are faced with a dramatic finish requiring varying degrees of uphill shots to the greens on holes No. 15, 16 and 18. Stalteri believes Black Diamond GC will be extremely popular with daily-fee players looking for a break from high green fees in the Greater Toronto Area. It’s located just off Highway 115, 15 minutes north of Highway 401 near Ponty Pool, it’s 50 minutes from Toronto and much closer to communities like Oshawa, Bowmanville, Brooklin and Port Perry in the eastern GTA, which continue to experience substantial growth. The good news for public golfers is green fees will be more than reasonable at $45 on weekdays and $55 on weekends and holidays. “The vision is to create a first-class golf product that is both fun to play and affordable,” Stalteri says. “We don’t just want golfers to come here once to say they have played the course. We want people to feel welcome, to enjoy their day and come back again and again.” Golf course consultant Jack Lally first walked the site in the late 1980s with property owner Jason Kunni who had purchased the land with the intention of building a golf course. Together they walked the heavily forested site on numerous occasions, developing a routing plan that forms the heart of today’s course. “This is the finest natural piece of land I have ever worked with,” says Lally who has had a hand in designing and building 20 golf courses. “While the years have passed its natural beauty and stunning vistas have only matured, making for a truly magical golf setting.” Kunni waited until the timing was right and then partnerd with a group of local businessmen from the Peterborough area to build the course. Construction started in May 2004. It was completed in the fall when the final rolls of sod were laid and bunkers were filled with sand. Golf course architect Jason Miller was called in over the summer to put the finishing design touches on tees, bunkers and green complexes. “This up and down roller coaster is a thrill to play,” Miller says. “At every hole there is a new twist or turn. This is a course that starts with a bangs and turns it up a notch every step of the way for 18 holes.” The tee markers will be familiar to downhill skiers. At the tips the Double Diamond markers measure 7,042 yards, Diamond measures 6,527 yards, Blue 6,087 yards and Green 5, 411 yards. A junior set of tee blocks totalling 3, 500 yards will also be put in play. The hilltop “country-style” clubhouse with white exteriour and red shingled roof will be a beacon calling out to all golfers. It’s warm and welcoming, the vistas of the course and rolling Kawartha hills are sensational. Once golfers catch a view of the four or five holes that start and finish around the clubhouse the excitement starts to build. The course does not disappoint. Clubhouse construction is underway and it’s scheduled to open later this summer. As well, the finishing touches on the 300-yard driving range and practice facility will be completed this spring and it will also open this summer.. Regular green fee rates for 2005 - $45 Monday to Friday, $55 Saturday, Sunday & Holidays, Seniors (60+) $38 M-F, Juniors (17-under) $38- plus GST. 2005 memberships - SINGLES $1,750 for seven days, $1,200 for five days (M-F) and $975 for four days (M-Th) - COUPLES $3250 for seven days, $2200 for five days, $1,800 for four days - FAMILY $3,600 seven days - JUNIOR $375. Power carts $21 for two people, $11 for a single rider. Digital images available upon request For more information contact; Darren Stalteri Brent Long
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