The Great White Shark himself will personally attend the April 27 groundbreaking event for The Creeks at Beechwood course, which will be his first in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and his ninth in the United States. The $10 million course, directly across State Highway 114 from Texas Motor Speedway, will be completed in the fall of 2000.

"I really look forward to working with Beechwood Company on such a fine piece of land with the creeks and such great topography for the North Texas area," said Mr. Norman, who plans to take a spin around the Speedway's track in an official NASCAR pace car during the April 27 groundbreaking event.

The Creeks at Beechwood, set among a lushly wooded landscape and three spring-fed creeks, will be accompanied by a major four-star hotel and conference center at the newly announced Beechwood Business Park, a 900-acre development for corporate campus office buildings, retail shops, restaurants and other commercial projects. An announcement regarding the operator of the hotel and conference center is expected in May.

Eddie Gossage, general manager of Texas Motor Speedway, said Beechwood Business Park, The Creeks at Beechwood golf course and the soon-to-be-announced resort hotel will be a "perfect next-door neighbor" to the Speedway.

"The Beechwood development and Texas Motor Speedway perfectly complement each other," Mr. Gossage said.

"The Speedway is a 365-day-a-year destination for tourists, banquets and business meetings in our recently completed, nine-story Speedway Club. The Creeks at Beechwood golf course will certainly be beneficial to the members of the Speedway Club, as will the future hotel development and commercial growth."

The 900-acre Beechwood Business Park is developed by The Beechwood Company, based in Dallas. Beechwood is currently negotiating with multiple developers and users for a number of commercial projects in the 900-acre master-planned development.

"Beechwood Company is proud to be associated with Greg Norman, who we consider to be one of the world's premier golf course designers," said Beechwood President Frank W. Harrison III. "The Creeks at Beechwood will be a world-class championship course unlike any other in the Fort Worth-Dallas metroplex. We believe that a project of this caliber sets a tone and standard not just for the rest of our development, but for the region as a whole."

Jason McCoy, vice president of Greg Norman Golf Course Design Company and lead designer of The Creeks at Beechwood course, said the course will be well-suited for major corporate events and tournaments that tie into Texas Motor Speedway.

"We think the idea of The Creeks at Beechwood being right next to Texas Motor Speedway is pretty unique," Mr. McCoy said.

The Creeks at Beechwood will be able to accommodate PGA, LPGA and Senior Tour events, as well as corporate-sponsored tournaments. The course will have a clubhouse with a pro shop, restaurant and pavilion. It will also feature bent grass greens, with fairways grassed with GN-1 grass developed by Greg Norman Golf Course Design, and roughs grassed with Zoysia.