Nemacolin Woodlands Resort Announces Nine Hole Addition To Mystic Rock Course; Planned Opening In Summer 2017

FARMINGTON, Pa., July 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, a 2,000 acre luxury resort located in the Laurel Highlands of southwestern Pennsylvania, has announced plans to expand upon its award-winning Mystic Rock golf course with a $6 million, nine hole addition. Pete Dye, the legendary golf course designer who designed the original Mystic Rock course, has designed and will oversee the expansion.  The addition is scheduled to open for play in the summer of 2017.

Recently named the number one "Public Course in Pennsylvania" by Golfweek and one of "America's 100 Greatest Public Courses" by Golf Digest, Mystic Rock has a rating of 77 and slope of 149 from the championship tees, one of the highest ratings in the country (as rated by the United States Golf Association). Host to the 84 Lumber Classic, a PGA Tour event from 2003 – 2006, Mystic Rock opened for play in September of 1995 and underwent extensive renovations in 2004.

"It's fitting that as we celebrate Mystic Rock's 20^th anniversary, the resort continues to experience an increase in golf activity, which was the catalyst for this expansion," said Jennifer Jubin, Nemacolin Woodlands General Manager. "Last year, we recorded a record number, 42,000 rounds with 24,000 of those being played on Mystic Rock and the balance on the original Links course.  Despite national trends that saw golf rounds falling and courses closing, golf at Nemacolin is trending in exactly the opposite direction."

The nine hole addition will stay true to the architectural design of Mystic Rock's original 18 holes, which placed heavy focus on incorporating the natural topography and terrain. Large boulders that were unearthed during construction, undulating greens, wide expanses of white sand bunkers and beautiful lakes add the elements of spectacular scenery with what has proven to be a true test of golf. At the time of the original construction, Pete Dye explained, "Environmentally, we've set this thing up on a mountain like nothing that has ever been done in this state." When asked about his approach to the newly designed nine holes, Dye quipped, "I am always hoping for bigger and better!"

The challenging nine hole layout will place a premium value on accurate shot placement. Site work on the addition began in December of 2014 with construction scheduled to begin next month.  Playing to a par 36, the nine holes will encompass 84 acres of existing turf, a number particularly familiar to Dye's friend and resort founder, Joseph A. Hardy, who also founded 84 Lumber Company, a national building materials supplier. 

Overall, 80 percent of the addition will be grown from seed with the greens, tees and fairways to feature improved varieties of Bentgrass, the primary rough will be sodded with Bluegrass, while the secondary rough will be seeded with a low-maintenance Scottish fescue blend.

In March of 2015, Nemacolin completed a 15-month $30 million renovation project which included 263 of the resort's 318 rooms, 32,000 square feet of meeting space, public spaces and landscaping. The resort has also signed an agreement with Michael Graves Architecture & Design to oversee the property's master plan and future real estate development. MGA&D has worked with clients such as Target, Alessi, Stryker and The Walt Disney Co. Real estate sales are anticipated alongside the golf course opening for 2017.

Nemacolin Woodlands Resort
Nemacolin is one of North America's premier resort destinations. Situated on nearly 2,000 acres, Nemacolin features 318 luxurious guestrooms, suites, townhouses and private luxury homes, including the AAA Five-Diamond, Falling Rock boutique hotel. In addition to the internationally acclaimed Woodlands Spa, the resort offers 36 holes of golf on two championship courses - the Pete Dye designed Mystic Rock and the traditional Links Course.  Outdoor enthusiasts should visit our 30-station Shooting Academy, a sporting clays facility situated on 140 acres complete with a spacious lodge.  Trail rides are available at the Equestrian Center, or for a more rugged trail experience, there's the JEEP® Off-Road Driving Academy. Guests can test their luck at our Lady Luck Casino Nemacolin, featuring approximately 600 slots and 28 table games. As the seasons change, the Sundial Lodge kicks into high gear offering downhill and cross-country skiing, snowboarding, snow tubing, and for an unexpected winter experience, visitors can enjoy dog sledding.  Nemacolin also boasts an impressive collection of 15 restaurants and lounges, including the Forbes Five-Star, AAA Five-Diamond, Lautrec as well as a multi-million dollar art collection.  For meetings and events, Nemacolin offers 32,000 square feet of meeting and banquet facilities including three ballrooms, a 200-seat lecture hall and 25 meeting rooms - making Nemacolin the ideal setting for functions ranging from weddings to sales meetings.  For those guests arriving by air, our on-property private airfield with 3,900-foot airstrip is available.  For additional information, please visit our website at nemacolin.com or call 866-399-6957.  Gambling Problem?  Call 1-800-Gambler.

Ashli Mazer
Director of Marketing and PR
724-329-6387
[email protected]

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SOURCE Nemacolin Woodlands Resort