2005 U.S. Open Sectional Qualifier, East Lake Golf Club, , Ga.; 1997 Amateur, East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, Ga.; 1991 State Junior Amateur, Settindown Creek Golf Club, Roswell, Ga.; 2001 U.S. Amateur Championship, East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, Ga.; 2002 Southern Amateur, 1421 Research Park Drive • Lawrence, KS 66049-3859 • 800- 472-7878 • www.gcsaa.org East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, Ga. Previous events hosted by facility: 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004-2010 THE GCSAA Tournament Fact Sheet ; 2001 U.S. PGA Tour Amateur Championship; 1915, 2002 THE TOUR Championship Southern Amateur Championship; 1997 presented by Coca-Cola Western Junior Amateur; 1963 Ryder September 22 - 25, 2011 Cup; 1919-1920, 1927 Southern Open; 1915 Southern Amateur

East Lake Golf Club Atlanta, Ga. Course statistics

GCSAA Class A Average tee size: 7,100 sq. ft. Tournament Stimpmeter: 12+ ft. Superintendent Information Average green size: 6,200 sq. ft. Soil conditions: Clay GCSAA Class A Golf Course Superintendent: Green construction soil mix: Ralph J. Kepple, CGCS USGA (90% sand, 10 peat) The title "CGCS," after a superintendent's name, stands for Certified Golf Course Superintendent, which recognizes the achievement of Rounds per year: 20,000 high standards of professionalism through education and experience. Acres of fairway: 20 Availability to media: Source of water: Pond, well Contact Ralph J. Kepple, CGCS by Acres of rough: 110 phone 404-687-2449; cell 404-290- Drainage conditions: Fair 3321; fax 404-687-8742; email Sand bunkers: 72 [email protected] Water hazards: 3 Education: B.S., Agronomy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, 1984 Course ratings Years as a GCSAA member: 29 Years GCSAA certified: 11 Yardage Rating Slope GCSAA affiliated chapter: Georgia Golf Course Superintendents Association White 6223 72 70.8 123 Years at this course: 19 Number of maintenance employees: 26 Number of tournament volunteers: 45 Blue 6590 72 72.6 133 Previous positions: 1990-1992, Assistant Superintendent, Gold 6883 72 73.9 136 Settindown Creek Golf Club, Roswell, Ga.; 1984-1989, Assistant Superintendent, Lancaster County Club, Black 7374 72 76.0 142 Lancaster, Ohio Previous tournament preparation: 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004-2010 THE TOUR Championship, East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, Ga.; 1997, 1999, 2001,

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Course characteristics In 2010, a tee on No. 6 was expanded in size so it can be used for the 225-yard No. 6 and Height of No. 17, stretching No. 17 to 470 yards, as well Primary Grasses Cut as making the drive more risk/reward in nature. Bermudagrass; Tees Meyer and Cavalier 0.300" New fairway bunkers were added on the left zoysiagrass side of No. 3, 7 and 16, and to the right side of Fairways Zoysiagrass 0.370" No. 15. Bunkers were reconfigured on the green at No. 16 and expanded on the right side Greens Bermudagrass 0.140" of the green on No. 14, as well as the left side of No. 4 green. New hole locations were Rough Bermudagrass 2.25" created on various greens and low-cut, roll-off areas were installed off of greens on No. 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10 and 17.

Environmental East Lake Golf Club closed after the 2007 PGA management/features Tour Championship for extensive renovations and did not reopen until the 2008 Tour Championship. East Lake switched to East Lake Golf Club has a fully computerized MiniVerde, an ultradwarf bermudagrass, irrigation system and all drainage on the because it is better suited for Georgia's hot property drains back to the irrigation source, summers. It provides an excellent putting which is East Lake. surface with fine leaf blades, short internodes and high shoot density. MiniVerde produces Wildlife on the course deep roots and is quick to recover from cultural practices, allowing a tight, fast and consistent putting surface. Beaver; Blue heron; Canada goose; Coyote; Fish; Hawk; Muskrat; Rabbit; Raccoon; Snakes; In 2007, when the championship moved up Squirrel; Turtle; Woodpecker; Several different almost two months in the Tour's schedule from species of birds late October or early November to mid- September for the FedEx Cup finale, there was not enough time for the bentgrass greens to adequately recover from Atlanta's hottest Interesting and historical course- summer on record in the midst of a drought. related facts Twenty-eight of 31 days in August 2007 were above 90 degrees and 10 days were above 100 East Lake Golf Club was the home course of degrees. The average high for the month was , who learned to play at East Lake 96.5, nearly 10 degrees higher than the normal and played his final round at the club. With average for August and the average low for the construction beginning in 1904, East Lake is the month was 75.2, more than five degrees higher oldest golf facility in Atlanta. than the normal average for August (which is what was the most challenging because soil In preparation for the 15 biennial temperatures are cumulative and without being Matches in 1963, East Lake became one of the able to cool off during the night, the soil temp first, if not the first, golf courses in Atlanta to just keeps building each day with that kind of install bentgrass putting greens. With the heat). Only three days the entire month were installation of MiniVerde bermudagrass greens, cloudy and direct sunlight also increases soil the club came full circle in 2008. In addition to temperatures. greens renovation, the green on No. 7 was pushed back 43 yards and reconfigured, the John Kim, PGA.com coordinating producer fairway and green on No. 17 were moved left to wrote in 2007: Renowned for producing golf be closer to East Lake's shoreline, new tees legends such as Bobby Jones, were added on No. 13 and 15 and the back tee and Alexa Stirling, East Lake Golf Club quickly on No. 16 was expanded to be used for all four became the hub of the nation's golfing focus in rounds. the early 20th century. As the host of many prominent events and home to several top and motives. New homes were built. A charter players, the club enjoyed decades as an icon of school was established for residents. The golf sports and high society. course was renovated. And a new East Lake was born, looking very much like the old East But that lofty status took a tumble as the course Lake -- the one from the early 1900s. and community became a victim of the civil rights strife and urban decay that gripped In a dozen years since the reemergence of the Atlanta in the late 1960s. The wealthy members East Lake community, the numbers are already of East Lake began to migrate to the suburbs overwhelmingly positive. Violent crime has and the property surrounding the course was been reduced by 95 percent since 1995. All sold to a developer who built low-income public adults receiving government housing housing on the land. That accelerated an assistance are required to either be working or already deteriorating community. The storied in a job training program. The Drew Charter golf course, which had welcomed the world School boasts an 88-percent rate of students when it hosted the 1963 Ryder Cup, soon after who meet or exceed state standards for reading became a blight to the Atlanta landscape. and 74 percent that meet or exceed in math. In In a ranking of criminal activity in the city of 1995, the number for area students in the math Atlanta, the East Lake neighborhood ranked portion was 5 percent. And 100 percent of last. The crime rate was an astounding 18 times alumni from Drew Charter School are on course higher than the national average and the main to graduate from their respective high schools. economic engine was the drug trade. The Fewer than a third could say that back in the neighborhood was trapped in a cycle of poverty mid 1990s. and crime. Furthermore, The Villages of East Lake is a And the golf course mirrored the surrounding beautiful, thriving mixed-income community with community in its fall from grace. Conditions and a diverse population that shares a common memberships deteriorated until the East Lake goal of bettering the community. But the Golf Club was only a golf club via technicality. numbers aren't nearly as compelling as the Though a few hardcore purists remained as smiles and the optimism that pervades the members, those who braved a round at the faces of the neighborhood youth as they take course were as concerned about stray bullets part in a multitude of after-school opportunities, as they were about stray tee shots. including the famous First Tee program, which had its origins at East Lake. , a lifelong member of East Lake and one of the nation's top real estate developers, along with a charitable foundation, Course architect/date: purchased the dilapidated golf club in 1993 with , 1904 a vision to restore it to its one-time grandeur and make it a worthy tribute to its most famous Most recent redesign/renovation: member. He believed he could use the , 2008 restoration of East Lake Golf Club as a catalyst for social revolution in the surrounding area. Redesign builder: Cousins had no interest in displacing one Medalist Golf, 2008 community and replacing it with a higher- income version. He had a vision to elevate the entire community -- residents included -- and have East Lake serve as a focal point for the Other key course personnel golf world and for urban renewal. Kyle Johnson, Assistant Superintendent East Lake were not convinced that they could Adam Wilhite, Assistant Superintendent trust the altruism and intentions of an outside David Blowers, Equipment Manager agency to build a better community and allow Rick Burton, Club Manager/Club President them to live in it. As the Foundation Jeff Melvin, Horticulturist demonstrated commitment and sincerity, Chad Parker, PGA Professional residents eventually grew to trust its intentions CF Foundation, Club Owner

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Golf course management facts

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GCSAA is a leading golf organization and has as its focus golf course management. Since 1926, GCSAA has been the top professional association for the men and women who manage golf courses in the and worldwide. From its headquarters in Lawrence, Kan., the association provides education, information and representation to more than 20,000 members in more than 72 countries. GCSAA’s mission is to serve its members, advance their profession and enhance the enjoyment, growth and vitality of the game of golf. The association’s philanthropic organization, The Environmental Institute for Golf, works to strengthen the compatibility of golf with the natural environment through research grants, support for education programs and outreach efforts. Visit GCSAA at www.gcsaa.org.