Tiger Woods has done everything from impersonating Caddyshack's Carl Spackler
to bouncing a ball off a wedge for 30 seconds in order to sell the products with
which he is associated.
At the announcement for the routing of his first U.S. layout, the Cliffs at
High Carolina near Asheville, N.C., Woods added to his repertoire of sales
techniques by going folksy.
“I want to make sure that you guys who become members, who
become part of the Cliffs community, that y'all have a great time,” said Woods.
“I said 'y'all.' How am I doing? Long way from SoCal [Southern
California].”
Seated under a giant tent on a stage surrounded by potted plants with Cliffs
founder Jim Anthony, Woods turned on the charm in front of hundreds of
prospective homeowners who potentially would be the first to play the 7,500-yard
course.
Woods worked on 28 different routings to get the mix of holes just right
while also ensuring that every hole would have a southern exposure so the course
could be playable year-round despite the 4,000-foot elevation.
Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, High Carolina sits on a meadow and has
no steep elevation changes, making it walkable. The design features a good mix
of holes like the drivable par-4 14th with its horizon green and the stout
498-yard par-4 finishing hole.
Woods also made sure the routing took advantage of the phenomenal views.
“I grew up in SoCal. We have smog,” joked Woods. “So to see 50 miles is
pretty amazing. You have such an amazing variety of shots [and] holes with
views.”
Several site visits also helped Woods with his rehabilitation from the knee
surgery he underwent days after winning the U.S. Open in June. He and Anthony, a
noted outdoorsman, went on long strolls around the property.
“One walk here, Tiger put down 22,000 steps [on his pedometer],” said
Anthony. “And to show you his enthusiasm, he just had his operation on his knee,
and we've got this big group of boulders out here, and so Tiger's climbing up on
these boulders, and jumping from one to the other. I'm thinking the whole time,
he's going to fall off, and I see the headlines: 'Tiger re-injures knee on a
High Carolina rock pile.'”
Construction will begin in early 2009 with an anticipated opening in the fall
of 2010. Woods anticipates a course that will not only be challenging for
himself, but will also be friendly enough for members and property owners.
“The golf course will have the feel of an old parkland course with classic
bunkers and green complexes accessible to running shots,” said Woods. “I enjoy
creating a lot of options for players, allowing them to think their way around
the course, and High Carolina will definitely be a reflection of that.”
