Thursday, May 31, 2001
Course opens at River's Bend
TPCs designed for tournaments
By John Erardi
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The new Arnold Palmer-designed course — The Tournament Players Club at River's Bend in Warren County — opened Saturday for members.
It's a private club, so unless you have $29,000 to spare (individual membership, resident) $32,000 (individual, nonresident) or $38,000 (corporate), the only way to play River's Bend is to be sufficiently connected so you're invited. If you play with a member, it's $85 plus $20 a cart. If you play without a member, it's $100 plus $20 a cart.
For everyone else, there are other ways to at least see the course during tournament play. The U.S. Amateur qualifier will be played there Aug.6. Senior touring pros — and the public — can get a look Aug.28 if a Kroger Senior Classic pro-am is held there, which is being considered. (The Kroger Senior Classic moves from the Golf Center at Kings Island to the TPC in 2002.)
“There is a very good chance we'll be hosting a pro-am in conjunction with this year's Kroger Senior Classic,” said Bill Hughes, River's Bend general manag er. “The players know of the venue change. They want to see it.”
Nothing against the Grizzly Course at Kings Island, but co-architect Jack Nicklaus has always said the course was designed to be a resort course, not a tournament course.
The TPC courses are designed specifically to host tournaments. Last year, TPC courses hosted 17 PGA Tour events on the regular, Senior and Buy.com circuits. Since 1982, TPC courses have hosted more than 170 tour events.
An example of how River's Bend is designed for tournaments is the area between the Nos.9 and 18 holes — known as “"Hospitality Row.” That area can hold corporate tents with verandas on either side to view the golf action.
Palmer will give a clinic June 6 and play all 18 holes at River's Bend.
There are already 167 members at River's Bend. Of the 235 home lots, 210 have sold, and 168 have had their closings. This represents $23 million in lot sales alone. The homes are not visible to golfers on most holes.
River's Bend is one of 21 TPCs in the country; membership at any one allows members and their guests to play all of them.
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