Billy Casper Golf ("BCG") has been selected for turnkey management of the North Course at City Park (New Orleans, LA) that will open for public play on Saturday, August 30 for the first time in three years since Hurricane Katrina.
Under the multi-year agreement, BCG will direct all aspects of golf course and property maintenance, staffing and training, clubhouse operations (food and beverage, merchandising, etc.), golf instruction, marketing and public relations, special events and financial management.
The North Course, a par-67, 5,700-yard layout, originally opened in 1968 and the past three years has undergone a $1.3 million restoration. This includes the addition of tee boxes, re-grassing of greens, widening fairways, re-shaping bunkers, a new irrigation system and a re-routing of several holes on the back nine. BCG has procured new golf carts and maintenance equipment to replace those which languished under three feet of water for nearly a month, post-Katrina.
"Re-opening the North Course for the first time since the storm is very exciting and emotional for the New Orleanians who love to play here," says Bob Becker, CEO of City Park. "Golfers will experience Billy Casper Golf's keen attention to detail and red-carpet customer service. This represents an important step in restoring the North Course as a local favorite."
"Billy Casper Golf is humbled to be part of the ongoing re-birth of New Orleans, and understands local golfers' deep-rooted connections to City Park and its heritage," says Peter Hill, Chairman and CEO of BCG. "Residents will be thrilled with the course restoration and enjoy their rounds at City Park time and time again. We're confident this is the beginning of a long and productive relationship between Billy Casper Golf, City Park and area golfers."
The North Course is the first City Park layout to re-open. The East and West Courses, also ravaged by Katrina, are slated for restoration in coming years.
City Park was a regular stop on the PGA TOUR for 15 years, hosting the Greater New Orleans Open Invitational. BCG namesake, Billy Casper, won the tournament in 1958 (50-year anniversary), holding off Ken Venturi in a thrilling playoff. Casper also won the tournament in its second iteration as the First NBC New Orleans Open, held at Lakewood Country Club, in 1975. That victory marked Casper's 51st and final PGA TOUR win prior to playing on the Senior PGA TOUR.
For more information on the re-opening, visit www.cityparkgolf.com or e-mail info@cityparkgolf.com.
About City Park
City Park offers 1,300 acres of year-round family fun. Located in the heart of New Orleans, City Park offers a wide menu of natural attractions, activities for kids, sports and recreational offerings, including the New Orleans Botanical Garden, Storyland Fairytale Playground and the CarouselGardens Amusement Park. The Park is home to multiple special events each year. In addition, several facilities are available to host any public or private event from a formal wedding to a casual picnic, a concert to a business meeting. The hundreds of acres of park land provide enjoyment for young children playing on our playgrounds and walkers, joggers, and bicyclists winding through the park's streets and trails.
About Billy Casper Golf
Headquartered in Vienna, Virginia, Billy Casper Golf was co-founded by Robert Morris and Peter Hill in 1989 along with professional golf legend Billy Casper, the Masters and two-time U.S. Open winner who ranks seventh all-time with 51 PGA Tour wins. The company manages 96 golf courses in 23 states, the District of Columbia and Costa Rica. Combined with Buffalo Communications, the golf-lifestyle PR division of BCG, 24 of their courses were honored in the recent Golfweek's "America's Best" state-by-state rankings.
Link to Article
