Ocotillo Golf Club's Director of Instruction Kay Cornelius was recently honored as the Central Section award winner for the Junior Golf Leadership honor by the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Teaching and Club Professional membership. Presented annually to LPGA teaching professionals who demonstrate outstanding accomplishments related to junior golf during the year, honorees are selected by the LPGA Teaching and Club Professional Section Officers and Section Nominating Committee Chair. Honorees were selected in each of the six sections of the LPGA's Teaching and Club Professionals. The LPGA Teaching and Club Professional National Awards Selection Committee will now select the overall national award winner in each category from among the section award winners. Cornelius is no stranger to the recognition having won the national honor in 2012.
"It's a true honor to once again be recognized for this fantastic LPGA award," said Cornelius. "I have a passion for sharing my love for the game of golf with my students and there is certainly no better place to learn the game, then here at Ocotillo Golf Club."
Cornelius began teaching at Ocotillo Golf Club in 1995 and has been an Ocotillo community resident since 1997. An accomplished junior golfer herself, Cornelius was the youngest winner of the U.S. Girls' Junior Championship in 1981 at the age of 14. She continued her success as a junior golfer winning the Junior World Championship and the Arizona State Junior Championship twice during the early 80s. As a junior and amateur golfer, Kay played in 19 USGA Championships from 1979 to 1987, including the U.S. Women's Open in 1982 at age 15. Kay played college golf at Stanford University from 1984 to 1988, competed in four NCAA championships, and earned NCAA All-American honors in 1988. After earning a B.A. in sociology from Stanford University, she turned professional and competed on the worldwide professional tours. Since 1996, she has fulfilled her passion for teaching and coaching golfers at the Troon-managed Ocotillo Golf Club. She has a special gift for teaching junior golfers and has taught several current and past NCAA Division I collegiate players. Even though junior golfers encompass a large part of her clientele, Kay teaches/coaches men and women golfers of all ages and ability levels.
"Congratulations to Kay Cornelius for being recognized by the LPGA Central Section for the Junior Golf Leadership honor," said Mark Bakeman, director of golf, Ocotillo Golf Club. "Kay has done so much wonderful work growing the game here at Ocotillo Golf Club, especially with her developmental programs for the junior golfer. She shares her passion for the game in a way that is truly contagious to all. Kay is a tremendous asset to Ocotillo Golf Club and we are truly thankful for having such a talented individual on our staff."
Rising out of the Arizona desert like an oasis, Ocotillo Golf Club is a golfer’s paradise. The course encompasses rolling hills lined by mature trees, colorful flower beds and all shapes and sizes of water hazards. An alternative to the desert-style golf so commonplace in the valley, this sanctuary-like course is also one of the best-maintained facilities in the Phoenix-Scottsdale area.
Boasting a list of amenities normally found only at the finest private clubs and resorts, Ocotillo is recognized as one of the finest daily-fee facilities in the country. Serving as a qualifier course for PGA Tour events, Ocotillo routinely receives a four-star rating in Golf Digest’s annual guide. Ocotillo was also voted as one of the "Three Must-Play” courses in the valley – along with Troon North and the Boulders – in a recent Golf Digest Readers Poll.
In 1997 Crittenden Golf Inc. named Ocotillo’s clubhouse as the nation’s Best New Clubhouse over 10,000 square feet. The facility is the home of Ocotillo Grille Restaurant. In 2001, the dining establishment was named by Phoenix Magazine as one of the top-seven "19 Hole Restaurants," joining such fine local facilities as Troon North, The Boulders, The Grill at TPC and The Raven. Ocotillo’s pro shop was selected as "PGA Merchandiser of the Year for 2000,” and was named by Golf World Business Magazine as "One of the Top 100 Pro Shops in the U.S. for 2001.” The club’s Special Events Pavilion has developed a national reputation for weddings, banquets and special occasions.
Story courtesy of www.cybergolf.com
If you think it might be difficult to find water in the desert, check out Ocotillo, which has water hazards on 24 of the 27 holes and was designed by Ted Robinson, who specializes in creating water parks. This par 4 is the signature hole and plays at just 340 yards, but it requires you to hit two well-placed shots over lakes to a green that is back dropped by a waterfall and vegetation exploding with color. Consider it your desert oasis
Story courtesy of www.azcentral.com by John Davis
While many visit Ocotillo Golf Club to play golf on one of the top rated courses in the area, many others visit the resort for the purposes of rest and relaxation as well.
Obviously you can play a round at Ocotillo Golf Club, as they offer a full service course with the ability to book tee times online and purchase incredibly well priced packages.
But what you might not know is that Ocotillo is quickly becoming the event venue of choice for residents of Chandler and surrounding areas!
Imagine a beautiful outdoor wedding set against the lush backdrop of the back 9 complete with sparkling lights reflecting off of a beautiful pond. Could there be anything more perfect for your big day?
Picture your next party surrounded by the beautiful rolling hills of the green, catered by Ocotillo Grille. From succulent oysters to buttery steaks, if food is the way into the hearts of the masses, then you’re sure to win over several suitors when you host your next even at Ocotillo Golf Club.
Story courtesy of www.chandler.com
