The INTERNATIONAL

May 2, 2005

Many Milestones to Celebrate at ‘05 INTERNATIONAL

CASTLE ROCK, CO--- When the PGA TOUR comes to town this August, The INTERNATIONAL and Castle Pines Golf Club will be celebrating three milestones -- the 20th anniversary of The INTERNATIONAL, the 25th anniversary of Castle Pines Golf Club, and the 80th birthday of Jack A. Vickers, innovator of both. 
The story of the birth of Castle Pines Golf Club began shortly after Vickers moved from Kansas back to his native Colorado.  He was out for a drive one afternoon, spotted a dirt road between Sedalia and Castle Rock and decided to follow it.  Halfway into the canyon he stopped the car, climbed to the top of a nearby rock formation and was awed by the 70-mile vista it presented.
 Stunned by its beauty, Vickers fell in love with the rock formations, the tall pine trees and surrounding scrub oak.  It was then that he decided to build a golf course there someday.
   He enlisted the help of his good friend Jack Nicklaus and set to work. Beginning in 1979, they worked until, finally, in October of 1981, the first official round of golf was played on the golf course that Vickers had dreamed of.  Almost instantly Castle Pines received world-wide acclaim as a golfing venue.
Even as he was plotting the land, he was envisioning the format of the PGA TOUR event that his course would host. His primary desire was to garner a strong field of players that included the best from around the world.  He knew that in order to attract those players, the event had to be as enticing as the venue it was to be played on.  Today, Vickers' tournament, The INTERNATIONAL, has become one of the finest on the PGA TOUR.
For Vickers, who will turn 80 on August 8, the most endearing and satisfactory accomplishment of his life has been the building of his own golf course, the organization of its golf club and the ensuing establishment of The INTERNATIONAL.
To purchase tickets to The INTERNATIONAL, call 888-755-1986, or visit www.golfintl.com. 

Media inquiries should be directed to Jonna Busack at 303-814-6287 or via e-mail at jbusack@golfintl.com.  Presenting Sponsors of The INTERNATIONAL are First Data, Great-West Healthcare, StorageTek, ADT Security Services and CIBER.  Coors is a Contributing Sponsor.