The Players Club - American Golf

SPRING 2019

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HONORS > C L I C K H E R E F O R A C O M P L E T E L I S T O F PA R T I C I PAT I N G A M E R I C A N G O L F P L AY E R S C L U B C O U R S E S I n a state with more than 800 golf courses, to be considered one of the best is high praise. But when you're tabbed Course of the Year by your peers it's an honor. Such was the case with Long Beach's Skylinks Golf Course when the California Golf Course Owners Association bestowed the honor upon The Players Club track last December. "I think when you consider the nomination criteria – quality, stew- ardship, management excellence, community involvement, and a sense of contribution to the game, Skylinks really checks all the boxes," said Chris May, Vice President of Revenue Management for American Golf, which operates the course. May gave special credit to General Manager Gary Johnson and his staff who "deliver an excellent product and ensure the property plays a huge role as the flagship course of the Long Beach City golf system." Opened in 1959, Skylinks has al- ways been an integral part of the Long Beach golf landscape. Along with logging more than 90,000 rounds a year, it also hosts the Long Beach Golf Festival, which culminates with the Long Beach Open, one of the premier city championships in the country. The course also is home to the Long Beach Golf Hall of Fame. The Course of the Year award en- compasses the role courses play in their community and how they are managed, but also their overall qual- ity and environmental stewardship. In 2004, a redesign by Cal Olson al- lowed Skylinks to install modern irri- gation control systems, as well as drought-tolerant species of grass, which reduced its water usage, along with using recycled water. That has enabled the course to save millions of gallons of potable water, and it also participates in a Long Beach water program that allows the city to shut off the water supply to the course when it's necessary to help manage overall demand. Skylinks is also one of the dozens of courses throughout the region that is home to The Players Club, which allows more than 3,800 players daily access to the driving range, weekly group lessons and reduced green fees. And on a personal note, May said that Skylinks is enjoyable both from a layout standpoint as well as how cus- tomers are welcomed and treated. "It's one of my favorite courses," he said. "I always seem to have a little more fun and score better when I play there. I think some of that speaks to a fun track but more importantly, Gary and his team really nail the ex- perience from a customer-service perspective." ABOVE AND BEYOND! Skylinks lives up to expectations as 2018 Course of the Year Skylinks Golf Course has been a Long Beach gem for 60 years. VISIT SKYLINKS GOLF COURSE ONLINE

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