Let's cut to the chase.
Your 2015 Design-a-Hole winner is none other than Bear Valley (Par-4) by Tony Snow!
It took hours of debate, your feedback and weeks to get to this point, but we’ve arrived at a final decision after narrowing down a group of well over 150 to 10 - then to three - and now to one.
Golden Tee co-creator/course designer Jim Zielinski explains how the team decided on this par-4.
“Bear Valley is somewhat straightforward, but don't let that fool you," Zielinski said. "We believe this will be one most enjoyable holes in Golden Tee 2015 once we're done with it. The shape of the green and the shots necessary for an eagle really stuck out from the very beginning. We think this is going to be an exciting risk vs. reward shot in the game.”
With the win, Tony Snow will also take home is very own Golden Tee Home Edition. He will also watch his hole go from concept to creation in a matter of weeks.
Chris Rice’s design The Caterpillar was ruled the Design-a-Hole runner-up. Chris will take home a brand-new Callaway big Bertha Driver for his efforts, a substantial consolation prize.
“It was absolutely gorgeous and we love the creativity that went into this design,” Zielinski said. “But with The Caterpillar, we had some concerns regarding how it might translate into the game when it came to elevation and distances. It was the tipping point for us, and we spent a lot of time figuring out how it could work. With all that being said, Chris Rice did a wonderful job.”
The Boomerang Hole by Brian Hill rounded out the top three. Hill will receive a $200 Golden Tee LIVE Gift Card. The rest of the finalists will also receive a $50 Golden Tee LIVE Gift Card and a GT LIVE t-shirt.
“We can’t say enough how much the effort and support means in this contest,” Zielinski says. “We have a really difficult decision to make each year, and it’s only become more challenging as the quality of designs has improved. Thank you to everyone for their hard work once again.”
What’s next? Well, quite a bit. Finalists, be sure to lookout for an email that will outline the next steps in the process. We want to get your prizes in relatively short order.
As for an update on the design, it shouldn’t be too far from now. Jim Zielinski and his team will immediately go to work on implementing Bear Valley into the game, and we will update you with images once it does.
Time to get to work.