June 4, 2003 - Crowning a much anticipated
international design competition, Palmer Course Design company of Ponte
Vedra Beach, Florida, prevailed over three other finalists on Friday to
secure the right to negotiate with the City of La Quinta for the design
of the highly touted municipal golf course located at SilverRock Ranch.
The City circulated a total of 38 RFP�s to noted course architects worldwide.
Initial interviews narrowed the candidates to sixteen and last week, it
was time for the �final four� to put their most convincing presentation
before the Redevelopment Agency, whose $42.5 million purchase of the 525
acre site from KSL Resorts last year destined this project for high visibility
within the golf development industry.
Adjacent to private golf communities PGA West and
the Tradition Golf Club, both of which feature Arnold Palmer golf course
designs, SilverRock Ranch is regarded as one of the most desirable
golf resort developments nationwide because of the site�s natural beauty
and its location within the Palm Springs area, already a mecca for the
sport.
Erik Larsen, Vice President and Senior Golf Course
Architect with PCDC made an impassioned presentation to the Agency on behalf
of the unique and irreplaceable value of selecting the �King of Golf� for
the citizen�s course: �Mr. Palmer has not only been visiting La Quinta
since before the town was incorporated (1980), but as a resident of The
Tradition, he is literally your neighbor. He believes in providing
beautiful courses that are fun to play and that inspire golfers to come
back time after time, because they�ve had such a good experience.
By the same token, we at PCDC are experienced at designing a challenging
course for the more accomplished golfer. I can assure you that Arnold Palmer
will be a personal ambassador for the City�s success with this spectacular
property.�
GMA International, master planners from Newport
Beach, California, prepared the conceptual design plan, which was unanimously
adopted by the City�s Redevelopment Agency last month. The GMA Plan proposes
a championship course parallel to the Santa Rosa Mountain backdrop, accented
with lakes and water features. Other land uses for SilverRock reflect multiple
hotel sites, including a boutique hotel and spa, golf clubhouse facility
and community center, recreational facilities and private residence villas
around the two and one-half golf courses.
Thematic influences considered by GMA and the City
include an international village motif heavily-flavored toward the �ultimate�
golf experience, which might include a Q School, a Golf Hall of Fame, as
well an innovative teaching and conditioning facilities. The Dave Pelz
School currently occupies the site of the old Ahmanson ranch house on site
and leases the facility from the City on a year-by-year basis. When questioned,
Larsen identified the SilverRock team as the same skilled designers that
created Tradition: Mr. Palmer, Larsen, and David Chapman. In addition to
master planning SilverRock Ranch and The Tradition, GMA also designed and
entitled The Hideaway, a private golf community across the street from
the new development.
Contract negotiations with PCDC will commence immediately
as current schedules call for grading of the first course to begin this
fall. Community speculation and interest in securing a permanent
relationship with the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic may have contributed to
the favorable impression of Palmer�s organization. Arnold Palmer has contributed
to the success of the Hope Classic for many years and is credited with
assisting the positive financial impact the Classic has on the community
through the support of his personal involvement and the international resources
of the Palmer organization.
About GMA
GMA
International is an internationally recognized land development consulting
firm. GMA specializes in land use planning, site design, golf course design,
landscape architecture, environmental analysis, natural resources, graphic
arts, conceptual architecture, as well as governmental liaison and permit
processing. GMA has worked on a range of domestic and international projects
throughout Mexico, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Tahiti, French Polynesia, Thailand,
the Phillipines, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States and maintains
offices in Newport Beach, California and Phoenix, Arizona. |