Northern Texas PGA Names The Cascades as Site of the Texas State Open

Tyler Golf Resort to Host Annual Championship
Tournaments Beginning July 2006

TYLER, Texas – August 23, 2005 – The Northern Texas PGA (NTPGA) has selected The Cascades of Texas, the golf resort and home community on Lake Bellwood in Tyler, as the location for the Texas State Open Golf Championship for 2006-2008, events estimated to bring up to $2 million to the local economy. The 36th Texas State Open is scheduled for July 11-14, 2006, at The Cascades Golf Club.

The Texas State Open has crowned many stars in its 35-year history. Past Champions who have gone on to compete on the PGA Tour include Ben Crenshaw, Lee Trevino, Jeff Maggert, Blaine McCallister, Brad Lardon, Kris Cox and Cameron Beckman. The Open began in 1960 when the great amateur Homero Blancos captured the title, a feat no amateur has yet repeated. The purse has grown steadily over the years, reaching $125,000 today and making the Texas State Open one of the largest state open purses in the nation.

Adding to the storied history of the Texas State Open are some of the sites it has been contested on each year. A few of these great golf courses in Texas are The Clubs at Stonebridge Ranch, Horseshoe Bay Resort, the Tournament Players Club at the Woodlands, and Champions Golf Club. The Cascades Golf Club in Tyler continues the tradition of play at one of the state’s best courses.

“The Cascades is a spectacular new golf resort that happens to have a championship heritage already,” says Darrell R. Crall, executive director of the NTPGA, referring to the many years that the course – as Briarwood Country Club – was home to the Briarwood Invitational and the Southwest Conference Championship.

“Lew Anderton and Bill Cawley, owners of The Cascades, have given golfers everywhere an incredible gift by revitalizing this course, as the Texas State Open will certainly show,” says Crall.

The 18-hole, 7,142-yard, par 71 course was completely redesigned in 2002 by PGA Tour star Mark Hayes during the multimillion-dollar renovation of the 500-acre property as The Cascades Golf and Lakeshore Community by its new owners. Holes 1 and 2 play along historic Lake Bellwood, and the rest of the course winds through a majestic forest of mixed hardwoods. Among the course’s attractions: Champion Dwarf Bermuda, 419 fairways, strategically placed white sand bunkers, dramatic elevation changes and abundant water features.

Tyler Mayor Joey Seeber says, “We know our city is the best place to live, work and play, and for the next three summers we’ll demonstrate that to hundreds of golfers who will come to Tyler for this tournament and to many thousands of sports fans who will follow it on TV and in the papers. It is a privilege and a pleasure to welcome the Texas State Open to Tyler.”

The Open’s 72-hole stroke play event will consist of 156 professionals and amateurs playing for a $125,000 purse. The field will play 36 holes before being cut to the low 55 scores and ties. All four rounds will be contested at The Cascades Golf Club. Golf professionals and amateurs gain access into the Texas State Open via 18-hole qualifying events to be conducted at 22 sites in Texas and surrounding states during June 2006. (Exceptions are made for past champions, PGA Tour members who reside in Texas, and other select categories of amateurs and professionals; see www.ntpga.com.)

“The Texas State Open is a tremendous event for Tyler and East Texas,” says Tom Mullins, President of both the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce and the Tyler Economic Development Council. “Over three years it will bring $1.5 million to the local economy, and we look forward to working with The Cascades to make the most of this event each year.”

One of the benefits of hosting the Texas State Open is the statewide recognition the tournament and its promotion bring, according to Steve Braley, President of The Cascades Properties at Cascades Golf Club. “We hope to find a business based in the Tyler area to share this honor with us by becoming the Title Sponsor of the Texas State Open at The Cascades.” Companies or corporations interested in this investment are invited to contact Steve Braley at 214-592-2551.

NTPGA

The Cascades of Texas in Tyler is an exclusive, 500-acre golf and lakeshore community, home to the championship Cascades Golf Club and the forthcoming Jack Nicklaus Academies. An easy hour-and-a-half drive east from Dallas and just four miles from downtown Tyler, The Cascades offers lakefront, hillside and wooded lots from $109,000 to $1 million at East Texas’ premier resort address. Visit The Cascades online at www.cascadesoftexas.com

The Northern Texas PGA is one of the 41 sections that comprise of the PGA of America and has a professional membership of over 820. In addition to managing the day-to-day affairs of the Section, the headquarters operates the Northern Texas PGA Junior Golf Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. The PGA of America, the Northern Texas PGA, and its member golf professionals are recognized as the leaders in the world of golf today. Visit the NTPGA online at www.ntpga.com