Pros Give Cornerstone High Marks
MONTROSE -- Bo Van Pelt and Dudley Hart didn't look any different than the 60 or so people gathered at the Cornerstone golf course on Tuesday.
Then they teed off.
Headlined by PGA Tour players Hart and Van Pelt, Cornerstone hosted a Pro Shoot-Out that featured a nine-hole Pro-Am game, a brief clinic instructed by the pros and an eight-hole shoot-out between Van Pelt and Hart. During the event, the pros offered tips and answered questions while showcasing what golf is all about at the PGA level. During their 30-minute clinic, Hart and Van Pelt teed off from the fourth hole, driving the ball roughly 300 yards into the wind and making it look easy.
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After a full day of playing the eventual 18-hole course, which is currently still partly under construction, the pros both agreed that Cornerstone would definitely be up to par.
"There are some places you only want to play once because you spend all day hitting the ball all over the place and losing 20 golf balls, but the playability of this course is really a great feature," said Hart, a 16-year veteran of the PGA Tour.
"It can be really challenging for a great player, but a beginner can come out here and play it and actually have a good time."
Following the morning Pro-Am, Hart and Van Pelt led a 30-minute clinic that offered tips on topics such as proper club selection, how to put spin on the ball and knowing your limits as a golfer.
One of the most surprising tidbits came during the latter topic, when Van Pelt, discussing the importance of knowing when to play safe, said Tiger Woods is actually one of the most conservative players on Tour.
The players then moved on to a one-on-one match play shoot-out, which spanned from holes two through nine. Though the players ended the game in a tie, the shot of the day undoubtedly went to Van Pelt. On the eighth hole, the seven-year Tour veteran and Oklahoma State graduate teed off from 200 yards and stuck the ball less than two feet from the pin. The official scorers weren't going to consider his next putt a gimme, but Hart was gracious enough to give his opponent the birdie without having to putt.
The event, which benefitted the Bright Futures Fund, gave one of the first views of the course to non-members. Designed by PGA great Greg Norman, Cornerstone has made significant progress in its development, as only a few holes remain unfinished. Club members have actually been playing the completed holes since January.
The quality of the course when finished could potentially make it a Tour stop in the near future. Until then, Cornerstone members can take pride in playing a course that is now officially PGA approved.
"A lot of times people build courses for guys like Bo and I, but pretty much anybody can play this course," Hart said. "It gives the average guy a chance to be more creative and to take a lot of different kinds of shots he might not be able to get at other courses. This is the kind of course that's as difficult as you want it to be. It's a great course."
