The Homestead 'Breaks 80' in style

The 2004 Men's NCAA Division I Championship will be held June 1-4 on the Homestead's classic Cascades Course, which is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year with clubhouse improvements and high-profile tournaments.

HOT SPRINGS, Va. -- The Homestead's famed Cascades Course is celebrating its 80th Anniversary season with a host of improvements to its clubhouse and overall golf experience as well as a slate of exciting national and regional tournament events.

"This is an important milestone for a course that provides one of America's premier golf experiences," said Gary K. Rosenberg, President and CEO of the Homestead. "Add to this an outstanding schedule of tournament events including the 2004 NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship and you can see why it was very important to us to make sure the overall Cascades experience was the best it could possibly be."

An important part of the process was the appointment of longtime Homestead veteran Bill Gilmore as Cascades Club Manager. "Bill has a great knowledge and understanding of The Homestead and a unique appreciation for the level of quality we have established for our guests and members," Rosenberg said. "He is the perfect person to lead the Cascades into this important anniversary year and beyond."

The Cascades improvements will be seen from the moment golfers arrive, where Homestead staff will greet them in a newly-landscaped welcome area and bag drop. Next it is on to the refurbished men's and women's locker rooms, designed to make the golf experience more comfortable and more seamless than ever before. Golfers will then climb into a brand new fleet of golf carts and head out to the first tee.

Once the final putts are sunk on 18, golfers can enjoy an expanded and enhanced menu at the Cascades Restaurant, featuring a variety of exciting new items mixed with traditional old favorites. The addition of oversize Sony Plasma TV's with HDTV capability will make the upstairs bar and men's locker room areas the perfect spots to refresh and relax after a round while catching up on the day's latest news and sports action.

The Cascades will add to its remarkable championship legacy by hosting a number of outstanding tournament events. The NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship tees off at the course from June 1-4 and will feature some of the premier young players in America from thirty top NCAA universities. The Homestead will honor and expand its unparalleled place in Virginia golf history by once again hosting both the VSGA Men's Senior Event, August 30-September 3 and the VSGA Women's Senior July 26-30, Men's Cascades Invitational Championship May 27-30, the Cascades Women's Invitational September 3-5 and the Couples Event October 22-24.

The Cascades, designed in 1923 by William S. Flynn, is consistently ranked as among one of America's premier mountain courses as well as one of the top courses in Virginia. The course has hosted seven USGA championship events including the 2000 U.S. Mid-Amateur and the 1995 and 1996 Senior PGA Tour Shoot-Out Championships.

Nestled in 15,000 acres in the heart of Virginia's Allegheny Mountains, The Homestead is one of the finest luxury resorts on the American scene today. The resort, founded in 1766, is known for its first-class luxury and "comfortably elegant" style in addition to its "sporting playground" of outdoor activities. These include championship golf on its three renowned courses, hundreds of miles of hiking and biking trails, an outstanding tennis program, equestrian center and award-winning "Sporting Clays" shooting range.

Back indoors, The Homestead Spa provides a first-class "refresher" course in living the good life with its unique combination of timeless healing waters and cutting-edge treatments. For more information, call The Homestead at (800) 838-1766 or visit thehomestead.com/www.thehomestead.com.

April 18, 2004