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It's called “Mountains of Gold” and it will be a virtual gold mountain this year for some lucky golfer who will walk away at the end of the season with $1 million in their jeans.
Officially known as the Kootenay Rockies Mountains of Gold Pro-Am Tournament, golfers will qualify for the lucrative tournament by playing on the St. Eugene, Shadow Mountain and Bootleg Gap courses this summer.
The tournament itself takes place Sept. 16 -19 and could attract as many as 400 golfers.
Organizers are calling it the largest combined pro-amateur golf event in North America and in addition to making somebody awfully rich they're hoping it will boost the golf business in the area and the entire Kootenay tourism industry.
“We've got the best championship golf courses in the Rockies and we want the whole world to know it,” says Danny Page Sales and Customer Services Manager for Wildhorse Events Management. “There's world class golf here at a great price but that's not all. There's fishing, white-water rafting, great accommodations, you name it.”
The concept for the tournament may appear complicated but is really quite simple, says Page. Amateur golfers have from May 14 to Sept. 11 to enter the tournament by purchasing a package that will include three rounds of golf at the Shadow Mountain and St. Eugene courses and three nights of deluxe accommodation and daily cash prizes and the opportunity to register for the end-of-season Mountains of Gold Golf Tournament and the chance to win $1 million.
The top 100 pros that sign up the most amateurs by May 14 will qualify for the $1 million closing tournament and don't have to purchase the accommodation package. Local golfers wanting to play but not wanting to stay in the deluxe accommodation like the St. Eugene Mission Resort will be given a $150 voucher to spend any way they please at any of the courses or participating venues.
In the tournament itself, the pros will pay without a handicap while the amateurs' handicap will be based on what they shot during the summer using the Mountains of Gold Callaway Scoring System.
All three courses will be used during the first three days of the tournament to whittle the entrants down to 12 pros and 36 amateurs who will play off on the final day at Shadow Mountain for the big one million dollar prize.
Page says the tournament is a local production that's never been tried in North America before. But it's already creating a buzz in the golf world and has even been fully endorsed by the Professional Golf Association (PGA) of B.C.
“We at the PGA have a responsibility to both the game of golf and our members in Western Canada,” says Brian Butters, Executive Director of the PGA of B.C. “This event sums up everything golf should be about – golfers having fun being challenged on outstanding courses and enjoying the hospitality of a PGA endorsed event.”
Page admits the tournament is an ambitious project and there were times when he wondered if they could pull it off. But those times are behind them now and it's full-speed ahead for what promises to be the richest and most unique tournament ever played in the region.
“We wanted to be launched before the end of last season . . . but like any business plan nothing happens with the speed you hoped it would have. It all takes a little longer and we ended up missing the end of the season which was a little unfortunate and we scrambled a little. But since then, the buzz has started and we're starting to get phone calls every day and it's been a lot of fun.”
The tournament is being marketed to four provinces and three states and the excitement is starting to grow, says Page. “Our main goal is to hit a minimum target of eight thousand to ten thousand golfers and we fully expect to exceed that.” This should create a “huge buzz” for the second year of the tournament and everything should head upwards after that, Page says.
Those interested in entering are advised to contact their local club pro or log onto www.mountainsofgold.com for more information.
Fred Mehl, the developer of the Shadow Mountain course and a tournament organizer says the tournament is a win-win for everyone. “This is a very exciting opportunity for club pros, amateurs and us. Our courses are truly world-class as is the tournament. Golf should be challenging. It should also be rewarding and this event promises exceptional rewards in every sense.”
Mehl isn't the only one that thinks this way. Kootenay Rockies Tourism President Chris Dadson says the region has a lot to gain from the tournament.
“I think it will provide great exposure to the number of world-class resorts we have in the region. We have them, but getting the word out is never an easy task.”
Dadson says the tournament is likely to attract new golfers from across several provinces and states and impress upon them both the quality and quantity of golf courses in the Cranbrook-Kimberley area and how close they are to each other.
Franchisee Jim Gotaas of Golf Etc. on Cranbrook Street is also enthusiastic. “If everything goes according to the plan, it should bring a huge amount of golfers to this area.” And once they come, they are more likely to come back again, he says.
The City of Cranbrook is also backing the unique tournament, says City Communication Officer Chris Zettel.
“The Mountains of Gold initiative is something the City of Cranbrook is to be involved in through our economic development office. At this stage, I'm not certain what role the City will play, but I know as a community we stand to gain a lot of exposure and positive spin-off from this being a success.”
Page says success of the tournament could create a new tourism paradigm for the area.
“We're talking spending huge money on the finals, having film guys out and Golf Etc. covering it. This will bring a lot of attention to this region and to the golf out here. We're talking about really making this place known, not just as a winter destination but as a summer destination too.”
