The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain

The new home for the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship in 2009 is the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club located within the master planned Dove Mountain community. The Nicklaus Signature Courses will still emphasize playability and aesthetic appeal for all golfers, though, as they will be available to a select membership as well as guests of The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain Resort.

"It's absolutely gorgeous high desert, with a great forest of Saguaro, an abundance of cactus and beautiful vistas," said Jack Nicklaus. "It's a very pretty piece of property to work with in designing two uniquely special high desert courses."

The first 18 holes, comprising the two tournament nines, are par 72 measuring 7,833 yards.

"Obviously we're tailoring the golf course towards the Match Play Championship, in the area of 7,800 yards," said Nicklaus. "At this altitude, though, you're taking about 4 percent off that so you're basically at a 7,500-yard golf course, which is fine for professionals. For the non-professionals, we have a golf course that sets up at around 6,700 yards, which actually plays about 6,400-6,450 yards. You want to challenge them, but you also want them to make some birdies."

The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain will also feature an approximately 50,000-square-foot Clubhouse complex, complete with all of the services one would expect from a top-level private club, including a pool, tennis center, supervised Ritz Kids program, state-of-the-art fitness center, steward-serviced private locker rooms, a double-ended practice facility, and several dining venues with spectacular views.

Development and construction also includes the 250-room Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain resort hotel and spa, scheduled to open fall of 2009 and the first phase of a 300-home Ritz-Carlton-branded residential community which is currently open.