2003 TELUS Skins Game Goes to Royal Niagara Golf Club
- Sergio Garcia To Defend Title - 

Toronto, January 8, 2003: The Royal Niagara Golf Club in Niagara-on-the-Lake has been confirmed as the host site of the 2003 TELUS Skins Game presented by Ericsson.  The 11^th annual event will be held June 23^rd and 24^th with national television coverage provided by TSN.  A Celebrity-Am will precede tournament play on June 22^nd.

Sergio Garcia, the 4^th ranked player in the world, has been confirmed to defend the championship he won in 2002 over a field that included Mike Weir, John Daly and Vijay Singh.  The rest of the field for the 2003 TELUS Skins Game will be announced in the next several weeks.

"The Kaneff Golf Group is extremely pleased and excited to be hosting the 2003 TELUS Skins Game at Royal Niagara Golf Club," said Boris Uvakov, Vice President of Operations for Kaneffgolf.  "Royal Niagara is one of Kaneffgolf's finest courses offering a challenging layout combined with some of Ontario's most beautiful scenery. I am confident that the world's best golfers will enjoy it."

The Kaneffgolf portfolio includes many of the best public golf facilities in the GTA and Golden Horseshoe including Lionhead, Royal Ontario, Century Pines, Streetsville Glen and Carlisle Golf Club. 

TELUS returns to the Skins Game as title sponsor for the 3^rd consecutive year.  “The selection of the Niagara region reinforces TELUS' national growth strategy and our ongoing commitment to central Canada," said Chris Carty, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of TELUS Communications. "We are thrilled to have Sergio back to defend his title. Not only is he one of the best players in the world, but his enthusiasm and great personality are sure to make this event a success."

Royal Niagara joins a prestigious list of courses that have hosted Skins over the past decade:  

1993        Devil’s Pulpit, Caledon, Ont

1994        Richelieu Valley, Montreal, Que

1995        The National, Woodbridge, Ont.

1996        Summerlea, Montreal, Que

1997        Nicklaus North, Whistler, B.C.

1998        Crowbush Cove, PEI

1999        Le Diable, Tremblant, Que.

2000        Predator Ridge, Vernon, B.C. 

2001        Angus Glen, Markham, Ont.

2002        Mark O’Meara Course at Grandview, Huntsville, Ont.

The Skins Game in Canada has a proud legacy of attracting the very best and most popular players in the world.  Past fields have included Ray Floyd, Jack Nicklaus, Fred Couples, Nick Price, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson, Nick Faldo, Ben Crenshaw, Greg Norman, John Daly, Ernie Els, Mark O’Meara, Mike Weir, Phil Mickelson, David Duval, Vijay Singh and Sergio Garcia.

Confirmed sponsors of the TELUS Skins Game include Ericsson, TD Securities, Land Rover, Jaguar, Michelin, and American Express.

Information regarding tickets for the TELUS Skins Game will be announced at a later date.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO
ARRANGE AN INTERVIEW, PLEASE CONTACT:

Lorraine Quartaro
IMG Canada
Manager, Communications
(416) 960-5312 ext. 123
lquartaro@imgworld.com

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Escarpment

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Iron Bridge Nine

1

No shrinking violet, this opening par five has water down the left side, in the shape of an enormous lake.  The right side should be favored the entire length of the hole, which works as a triple dogleg, first left, then back right, and finally left again, to the green. 

2

Elevated tee to an open fairway, with a bit of a carry over scrub brush.  The hole moves left, with a fairway bunker right that frames the fairway and provides a sighting point.  Another bunker to the left in the fairway pinches the drive zone.  The green is protected by two enormous bunkers at the front right and left.  The green is of medium roll and pitch.

3

The fearsome barranca rears its head again, forcing another carry of some distance.  The eponymous bridge waits behind the green.  The fairway itself is enormously wide, and requires a shot up over a mound to a green that sits above the fairway, which rises first to a plateau some 80 yards short of the putting surface, then again to the green.  Fall-off swales protect the green all around, making the pitch shot a premium if the green is missed.  This green is not as severe as many others on this and the other nines. 

4

Guess what?  Another carry!  An old lock to the left, trees to the right that obstruct a total visual of the fairway, and more trees and OB down the left.  The uphill approach must avoid a fairway bunker some ninety yards out on the left, then a greenside bunker at front right.  This narrow and long green falls off to all sides, demanding accuracy of the approach.

5

From an elevated tee to an elevated green, over the ubiquitous valley, with bunkers fronting both sides of the green, a shot may be bounced in from the middle.  The green is quite varied, with uphill and downhill putts coming from all angles. 

6

The longest par five at Royal Niagara, this is the most mysterious.  If you have not played it prior, you cannot know what is to come.  The first shot goes to the horizon, then the second, doglegging left, goes to a new horizon, and finally the third, turning back to the right, reaches the green.  Fairway bunkers serve to frame the hole and punish sloppy play.  The green is elevated and sits some 110 yards beyond a crossing patch of creek and swamp.  Back right and two front left bunkers to the raised putting surface that sits horizontal to the approach.  Wide and shallow. 

7

Sorry to say, but another barranca.  From the back tees, this one is a bear to carry:  240 yards.  Even from the front tees, it's a poke.  From the short side of the swamp, you have 190 to the green, essentially turning the hole into a par 4.5.  If you carry, then it's a short iron to the putting surface that sits very far above the low point of the hole. 

8

A mid-length par three that descends, then ascends to the well-protected (read:  sand) putting surface.  Take one club more than you need to ensure proper distance.

9

A mid-length par four to a wide fairway offers a bit of respite at the end.  No real danger on this hole, save the lake behind and to the left of the green.  By now, however, you are tired, and cannot possible fly this green. 

Old Canal Nine

1

Long hitters must go right off the tee over the large bunker; the safe play is left with a driver (short hitter) or long iron.  The creek is not wide, but water is water.  Grassy hollows front a slightly elevated green.  Bunkers front right and left, and side left, protect the putting surface.

2

  A draw is the play from the second tee.  At least 150 yards of carry are required to get to the fairway.  From there, a second carry over a barranca/wasteland is required to get within striking distance of the putting surface.  The good news is that the landing area for the second shot is wide open.  No sand protects the green, but vales and scrub brush protect a slightly elevated green.

3

  This medium length par four requires another forced carry over wasteland.  The sensorial experience from the back tee is stunning, with the canal rushing behind you, a lake off where the fairway runs out, and trees all around.  The riskier shot down the left gets you closer to the green and to a better angle.  The approach enters over a mini-swale, while bunkers right stop a miss from getting wet.  The green sits at an angle to the fairway.  The safe place to miss is left and short, so that you can pitch up the fall line of the green.

4

  The lake is more visible on the right, yet less in play.  A large bunker waits in the center of the fairway, so left or right must be chosen.  The approach carries the tiny creek, and avoids a series of bunkers to find the putting surface.  Although not as deep a green as seen so far, this one makes up for it with two tiers and a great deal of roll.

5

  A medium-long par three, with tee and green on the same level, over the omnipresent barranca and scrub brush.  Two bunkers to the left, a false front, and a bunker to the right discourage the ball from bounding onto the putting surface.  Two tiers await on this putting surface as well.

6

  Left to right is the play on this hole; up over the barranca, avoiding the lake on the left, to a wide landing area.  The lay-up must avoid the water, and be kept short in the wide area, or risk disaster farther up the narrow neck of the fairway.   A tiered bunker complex requires an enormous amount of concentration and aim, in order to reach the green with the third shot.

7

  Once again, we need to carry the lake and a front-side mound.  A bunker right protects the shot from a worse fate.  The green is wide and shallow, sitting horizontal to the golfer.  Swales behind the green compound the long miss.

8

  This medium-length par four boasts water down the right, yet frames itself well with a line of telephone towers down the left.  The left-to-right slider works well here.  The closer to the green, the more narrow the fairway.  A bunker left in the drive zone predicates a long iron off the tee, leaving a mid iron into the green.  The reward for hitting long does not justify the risk of missing left or right.  A middle-left bunker protects the green, with swales all around. 

9

  Closing the Old Canal nine is another carry over water.  Driver is not necessary, as the fairway slopes right, toward the water, which eventually eclipses the fairway, leaving an approach over water and an earthy dome to reach the green.  A long play down the left is not rewarded.  Play it safe and get out with par or bogey.

Escarpment Nine

1

A wide fairway on this down- then uphill par four has two bunkers left, one right, in the drive zone.  Pinching in, then opening out again, we have an hourglass design to the fairway.  Two deep bunkers right and a deep grass hollow left surround the green.  The putting surface is an awesome site, with a tabletop front left, a low area front right, and a second plateau back right, behind the bunker. 

2

A short par four that looks anything but, a hive of sand at right-center of fairway forces drives left.  A fairway metal or long iron will bring you just shy of the bunkers, around 125 to the green.  That's all you need; no reward for the risk down the right side.

3

Wide-open football field for a fairway.  Hit it hard, as it is downhill.  The approach is intimidating, as sand and grass protect a long and rolling green.  Don't misjudge your distance, for the putts from back to front and from front to back are difficult.

4

Wide open fairway with no carry.  Enough of the carries!  A tree thicket down the right impedes the site line, but not too much.  Downhill nature adds roll to the carry.  The second shot descends to a valley dotted with a bunker.  If it were larger, it would be reminiscent of the Hell Bunker on the 14th at St. Andrew's.  The third shot is the most demanding, as it must be played to a green that falls away from the fairway, over a large mound, with small trees on all sides.

5

A half-mile cart ride brings you to this Irish par three, playing downhill into a bowl, then up again to a narrow green with two bunkers on the left.  Balls can strike the green with a draw, pitch, and roll into the sand, akin to number 17's Road Bunker at St. Andrew's.

6

Another downhill par four with a tee shot of deceptive appearance.  Left to right is the play here, sliding the ball off the target bunker down the left, back into the fairway.  The approach is played to another well-protected green with three bunkers at the front, down, then up.

7

If you do not play from the back tee, at least take a walk up and behold glory.  A long iron over the entire length of a pond, to an elevated, shallow green protected by sand in front and behind.  Do or die, as they say.   Similar to the 14th green at Muirfield Village in Ohio, this one must be a killer when the speeds are up.

8

An unearthly par five.  Drive the ball into an ample fairway, then witness beauty.  Of absolutely essential planning, don't bite off more than you can afford to chew.  An enormous lake occupies the right hemisphere, leaving a rolling ribbon of fairway leading to the green.  You can punch it up the fairway, leaving a shorter approach.  A central valley runs up the gut of the green, with hillocks ascending up the sides and the back.

9

This hole conjures up images of 18 at TPC Sawgrass, as the lake runs the entire length of the left side.  The only trouble is, the rest of the hole fades back to the right.  The water initially causes you to aim right, when left is by far the better angle from which to approach the putting surface.  Big hitters can get close to the green with their drives, but a diabolical green offering at least five pin positions requires that the thrower of the dart be a master.  Sands, mounding, and slopes plot to derail the inaccurate approach.