- Title: VARIOUS: GOLF: Tiger Woods unveils plans for luxury golf course in Mexico
- Date: 9th October 2008
- Summary: BEL AIRE, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 7, 2008) (REUTERS) TIGER WOODS AND COURSE DESIGNERS SITTING DOWN AT PRESS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 24th October 2008 13:00
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- Topics: Sports
- Reuters ID: LVA31KP9S3TGFDRQ39OABCO5Z7KA
- Story Text: Tiger Woods has announced plans for a private golf and ocean club "Punta Brava", an ocean view layout along the shoreline of Ensenada, Mexico.
32-year-old American has been working on the design, his third foray into golf architecture, since stress fractures and a torn ligament in his left knee that was exacerbated in his playoff victory at the U.S. Open in San Diego in June forced him out for the season.
Woods said he planned to return to competition sometime in 2009, though did not expect to be 100 percent healthy until 2010.
"It's just a healing time frame of the ligament. A ligament, after 6 months, is about 85% healed. And then over the next year and a half, that's when it becomes 100%. The whole idea is not to do damage in that process. The first six months, obviously that's when you can do a lot of damage, you can still stretch it out. You don't want to stretch it for the next year and a half until it becomes taut. And that's when, if you look at a lot of NFL guys, it's their second year when they become responsive, that's when they get that cutting action. Luckily for me, I don't have that worry of being hit. In our sport, I'm very lucky in that aspect. I can control my rotation. It's not someone who's going to spin me out of rotation. I can control that. The whole idea is that, we've tried to make these adjustments, these changes in my golf swing for years but I didn't really have much there.
It'll be nice, when I actually come back to be able to hit a solid left side for the first time in years," Woods said in an interview in Beverly Hills on Tuesday (October 7).
The oceanfront property, called Punta Brava is at the tip of a peninsula that extends seven miles into the ocean on the Pacific coast of Mexico. Plans for Punta Brava include Tiger Woods' 18-hole par 70 course, 40 estate lots, 80 villa residences and a 20-villa private hotel for residents and guests, each including a private pool.
"From a difficulty standpoint, we have four different tee boxes that we've done. I made sure that there are some up tees, if you don't like to play all the way back, you can play the up tees. When drawing the holes, I tried to make sure there was a mixture of holes so that there is trouble on both sides, trying to incorporate the land formations, allow the rock outcroppings that we're going to leave in place to bring definition to the holes," said the 14-times major champion.
Punta Brava will also feature a private clubhouse, an ocean club, a wellness center and spa, multiple dining venues, and various recreational activities inspired by the environment and local culture.
"Well I want to provide an environment where people will take, will feel the serenity of the golf course and the environment. Basically, it's one of the reasons why I've done so many different routings, is to make sure we capture that and having the ability to say that at every tee, every fairway, every green, you can see the water," said the native Californian who grew up along the beaches, a drive away from Mexico.
Construction on Punta Brava is expected to begin in early 2009 with villas, golf course and amenities scheduled for completion by 2011. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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