The Morgan Cup is just a couple of months away and as THP prepares the final details of this extraordinary event, the courses are being properly prepared for such a challenge. Reunion Resort is the venue for this special weekend and the courses are ready for the challenge as the two teams prepare for their journey to Orlando, FL.
While the resort has three championship courses that guests can enjoy, The Morgan Cup will be played on two of them. On Saturday teams will be taking on the Independence Course, designed by Tom Watson, from a set of tees that will measure 6319 yards for 36 holes. If the course is a challenge, it is certainly a beautiful one. A traditional parkland layout with a windswept, native appearance, this par 72 beauty is framed by 15 varieties of native grasses, azaleas, hibiscus, camellias and other foliage. Says Watson: “Golf attracts more players than any other outdoor sport. No doubt there are almost as many reasons for this as there are players, but one reason is certainly shared by all. It’s the simple pleasure of being on a beautiful course.”
Set on the lower end of the Highland Ridge and Davenport Creek Preserve, theIndependence Course offers un-Florida like undulating terrain with elevation variations as much as 45 feet from tee to green. The first Tom Watson-designed course in Florida, the Independence Course will instantly join the ranks of the Sunshine State’s most challenging and visually appealing layouts. A traditional, parkland style course with a windswept, native look, the Independence Course provides beauty and challenge. Watson deftly designed subtle openings to greens to demand a strategic, well thought out approach shots from players. Spacious, closely mown green complexes put a premium on a creative short game. Holes two through six border the Davenport Creek Preserve.
Sunday will feature 18 holes of singles and that will be played on The Tradition Course, designed by Jack Nicklaus, at a distance of 6537 yards. Precision shot making certainly comes into play on the par 72 Tradition Course. Unlike the severe hills of the Legacy and Independence courses, this Parkland-style layout is a natural gem…smooth and flowing, with long horizon lines as well as elevated tee boxes and greens. Utilizing the dramatic elevation changes inherent to the site, Nicklaus has created a unique variety of risk/reward opportunities, with each hole challenging the golfer to organize a series of shots in his or her mind before ever stepping up to the ball.
As a layout, The Tradition Course contours naturally to the landscape. Not necessarily a hilly course like Tom Watson’s Independence Course, The Tradition Course was designed to flow smoothly and gently from tee to green. A target, parkland-style course, it was designed to be a players’ course rather than what is often referred to as “resort golf”. The layout is not exceptionally long by today’s standards, but postage-stamp greens, forced carries that lead to fairway targets sometimes only 50 yard long and fair amount of trouble for wayward shots give the course plenty of bite.
Both courses will offer separate and unique challenges to the golfers as they prepare to embark on this event. The Morgan Cup is a one of a kind weekend of golf sponsored by TaylorMade Golf and Callaway Golf as they give 16 amateur golfers the chance of a lifetime to feel what it is like as a tour player for a weekend. Click here for more details on the ultimate weekend of golf for 16 lucky participants.
For more information on Reunion Resort and what the wonderful venue has to offer, click here.
This is great news, can’t wait to get down there in August and be a part of the winning team!
this is amazing, cant wait to hear more about it and hope I can make it down to watch
Those look gorgeous. My jealousy meter just went up
This venue looks awesome and hard. Good luck Morgan Cup guys!
Great news THP! The courses look amazing and I can’t wait for August.
That is Great for the Players… Hoping to make it up to see a round or 2.
Wow. Very, very cool. I think that both courses are going to challenge the participants in different ways. Great choices.
Great course selections for the event. Looking forward to competing on two courses designed by two legends of the game!
Courses look and sound amazing! Was thinking about this last night and really do look forward to following this event from afar!
Great choices for courses and very fair distances. Look forward to the challenge these tracks will present.
Way too cool. You Morgan Cuppers are going to have an amazing time!
Great course selections! This should be extremely challenging and beautiful!
Awesome! This looks like a stern test of shotmaking skills for both teams!
Looks great. The RXT’s are up to the challenge.
Sounds great! I’m looking forward to taking on these courses. I’ve never played a course designed by Tom Watson before so I am excited about that opportunity.
I’m excited to see these choices. The elevation changes on The Watson course make it the type of course I love to play. Distance is reasonable for the team events.
The Choice of the Nicklaus course for the singles matches is perfect. The yardage choice is stern, but fair to an older player like myself. As I’ve read and been told this course is the most challenging, not that the other two aren’t challenging, I believe it is the best choice for the head to head competition.
So great to hear this. Knowing what we’ll be facing in terms of distance and layout can help us build a practice routine.
Thanks to JB, GG, Reunion, TMaG (my sponsor), and Callaway.
Kevin
I applaud the organizers for selecting the two most challenging courses. These two gems, designed by legends, will be an incredible test of our mental and golf game. Looking forward to teeing it up in August.
Looks amazing. Great work JB, GG and the rest of THP. Looks like a couple of absolutely beautiful courses. Mentally and physically challenging!
Great courses chosen for the event and really looking forward to destroying some Paradisians on the Watson and Nicklaus Courses.
These courses are sick. I’m excited for the MCers that get to play them. I’ll be coming to check the competition out and finally meet some THPers.
Looks great. I hope to be able to make it down to watch this event.
Awesome course! It sure will be a great weekend for the lucky participants!
Awesome choices. I can not wait!!!
Let the scouting begin! Great selections for an amazing event, I cannot wait!
AAARRGHH !!
I still can’t believe I didn’t get in this!
Good luck all, I know you are going to have a blast!
Such beautiful courses. I’ve never played anything of this magnitude and I cannot wait to be a part of this extraordinary event. Thank you to THP,Callaway, TMaG, and Reunion Resort for providing us with this momentus occasion!
Those courses look and sound like it will put the Cuppers through thier paces. I am really looking forward to reading about how this tourney unfolds.
Wow! Those courses look amazing. Cannot wait to get down there.