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Monday, November 7, 2011

Wolfdancer Golf Club Overcomes Mother Nature

Centerpiece of Austin’s renowned Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa conquers elements and offers golfers best playing conditions in the club’s five-year existence

(AUSTIN/BASTROP, TEXAS) — Despite the record-breaking heat, historic drought and wildfires that impacted Bastrop a dozen miles to the east, Wolfdancer Golf Club at Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa proudly sports its best-ever playing conditions since it first roared onto the Austin golf scene five years ago.

In fact, the resort’s picturesque setting played a major role in not only allowing the golf course to survive the summer elements, but also to thrive. Situated along the banks of the Lower Colorado River immediately adjacent to an 1,100-acre nature preserve called McKinney Roughs Nature Park, Wolfdancer recently received the prestigious Audubon Sanctuary Certification and offers golfers an “Audubon Experience” while playing.

“Our location has played a very large part in our conditioning,” said Wolfdancer Director of Golf, Eric Claxton. “Being located on the Colorado River and having access to water are tremendous advantages. In addition, Wolfdancer has followed the LCRA’s Drought Contingency Plan, but with smarter utilization of our irrigation system, we have been able to achieve water reduction and optimum playing conditions.”

Designed by Arthur Hills/Steve Forrest and Associates, the 7,205-yard, par-72 Wolfdancer was named after the Native American Tonkawa, who hunted and fished along the Colorado River long before Texas was a republic. Working with the naturally rich heritage of the land, Hills designed a layout that rambles over a dramatic 300-acre stretch of terrain dotted with oak, cedar elm and pecan trees and cut by the Colorado River, which dramatically frames the right side of the layout’s memorable finishing holes.

Claxton also credits the premium playing conditions at Wolfdancer to strict adherence to the club’s extensive agronomic plan, as well as having a great relationship with the club’s Golf Course Superintendent, John Crall. “We have weekly drive-arounds and take a team approach to the conditioning of the golf course,” said Claxton. “Also, being five years old now the course has had an opportunity to mature and come into its own.”

Wolfdancer Golf Club employs a sophisticated irrigation system with more than 2,000 irrigation heads covering 110 acres. A central computer that coordinates programs and flow of the entire system is located in the Wolfdancer Agronomic Center. This use of modern technology allows Crall and his staff to identify specific areas and increase or decrease the run time of individual heads, dependent upon the conditions, instead of entire fairways or holes — allowing the club to save a tremendous amount of water.

“It takes time to fully understand the golf course and this system,” said Crall. “Being five years old now, we have been able to maximize the efficiency of golf course irrigation.”

Claxton asserts that the autumn season generally provides the best playing conditions at Wolfdancer, and with the course maturing over the past five years, the fall of 2011 has produced the finest playing conditions overall since the golf course opened.

“Golfers should come play Wolfdancer right now to take full advantage of the optimum playing conditions,” Claxton said. “Our full golf experience is second to none with unparalleled service from the golf staff and playing a championship golf course during its prime. The summer heat is over and the temperatures are great to enjoy a great round of golf with friends and family.”

Learn more about Wolfdancer Golf Club and special packages by visiting www.WolfDancerGolfClub.com or 512-308-WOLF.

Contact: AmericanGolferBlog@gmail.com

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