New Waldorf Astoria® Orlando At Bonnet Creek To Feature
Waldorf Astoria Golf Club
Rees Jones Designs First Golf Course for Waldorf Astoria Brand
July 6, 2009
ORLANDO, FL – Peter Kacheris, managing director of Bonnet Creek, home to the Waldorf Astoria® Orlando and Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, announced the addition of the Waldorf Astoria Golf Club to the destination's extensive list of amenities. Created by acclaimed golf course architect Rees Jones, the 18-hole, 7,108-yard championship course is the centerpiece of the first golf club for the Waldorf Astoria brand. The Waldorf Astoria Golf Club will also feature a clubhouse and be open for play October 1, 2009, the same day as all of Bonnet Creek, conveniently surrounded on three sides by Walt Disney World® Resort.
"As the first Waldorf Astoria to be built outside of New York City, our desire is to pay tribute to the landmark hotel's legendary past and create new traditions. Due to our distinctive preserve setting, there is a sense of being alone with nature, playing the 'game of kings' in a fairy tale forest," says Kacheris.
One of the few golf courses in the Orlando area to be free of real estate dotting its greens, the Waldorf Astoria Golf Club is open to all players – those staying at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando or Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek and those who want to experience a piece of history. Although designed with a five-tee system for all playing abilities, the course is challenging. Winding through a large wetland preserve, it has a par 72, slope 130 and 72.5 rating from its professional tees.
Holes are visually arresting from tee to green and require intelligent management of the game. Bunkers are carved to be reminiscent of the hazards designed on courses a century ago. Majestic stands of pine and cypress trees line the fairways. The style was dictated by the land's existing contours, which Jones then enhanced, always mindful of the natural elements and environmental sensitivity.
"Opening the first Waldorf Astoria Golf Club in conjunction with legendary designer Rees Jones is a tremendous monumental addition to Bonnet Creek and the golfing public," states Ted Ratcliff, senior vice president, North Eastern Americas for Hilton Hotels Corporation. "We are thrilled to be part of Orlando's prominent golf community and look forward to introducing the Waldorf Astoria experience to visitors of our hotels and the destination."
The Waldorf Astoria Golf Club will begin taking reservations September 1, 2009. Please call 1-888-WA-GOLF-1 (1-888-924-6531) to arrange a tee time. The Clubhouse is located at 14224 Bonnet Creek Resort Lane, Orlando, Florida 32821. Its phone number is 407-597-3300. Visit www.WaldorfAstoriaGolfClub.com
About Rees Jones
Rees Jones was born into the game of golf. He learned to play as a youngster and competed as a junior golfer, in college and while in the army. He grew up traveling with his family to golf courses all over the world and worked in the summers for his father, renowned golf course architect Robert Trent Jones. After college at Yale and graduate studies at Harvard, he went to work in 1964 as a principal in Robert Trent Jones, Inc. Ten years later, he founded his own design firm, Rees Jones, Inc., headquartered in his hometown of Montclair, New Jersey.
In the last 30 years, Jones has become renowned in his own right, designing more than 100 courses, primarily in the United States. His remodeling skills have been applied to seven U.S. Open venues, six PGA Championship courses and four Ryder Cup sites.
Bonnet Creek, Opening October 1, 2009
Surrounded on three sides by the Walt Disney World® Resort, Bonnet Creek is a 482-acre vacation destination encompassing the Waldorf Astoria Orlando and Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek.
The Waldorf Astoria Orlando will emulate the elegance and grandeur of its legendary New York namesake. Comprised of 497 deluxe rooms and suites, the resort will feature signature Waldorf Astoria food and beverage establishments such as Peacock Alley® and Bull & Bear Steakhouse®, 28,000 square feet of exclusive flexible meeting space and a variety of pre-function areas. The resort's outdoor facilities boast a formal signature pool, encircled by chic private cabanas and complimented by lush tropical landscaping.
Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek will transcend the resort experience with 1,000 elegantly appointed rooms and suites, six distinct dining options, a two-acre lagoon-style pool, 122,000 square feet of meeting space and a variety of pre-function areas. Its outdoor venues include Bonnet Creek Island, a private retreat ideal for cocktails or storybook weddings.
Guests of both properties can take advantage of the Rees Jones-designed Waldorf Astoria Golf Club, WA Kids children's program, 24,000-sq.-ft. Waldorf Astoria Spa by Guerlain® and 4,000-sq.-ft. fitness center.
For more information on the Waldorf Astoria Orlando, please call (407) 597-5500 or visit www.WaldorfAstoriaOrlando.com. For more information on the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, please call (407) 597-3600 or visit www.HiltonBonnetCreek.com.
For reservations, please call a travel professional, 1-800-HILTONS (455-8667) or book online at www.Hilton.com
*Editor's Note: High-res photos of the Rees Jones golf course are available by contacting Mike Hicks at michaelh@lhammond.com, 561-655-3836.
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