As the PGA Tour’s West Coast Swing continues, true golf fans needn’t be sorrowful for the conclusion of the Waste Management Phoenix Open but rather excited for the upcoming Accenture Match play Championship.

The golf world’s attention will be focused on The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain next week when the 64 top-ranked players in the game return for the annual Accenture Match Play Championship.

The award-winning Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain again will be the stage for the drama that developments when the most elite field in golf goes one-on-one.

Defending champion Ian Poulter of England returns to face the leading players in the Official World Golf Ranking, which is to include the four Major Champions of 2010 – Phil Mickelson (Masters), Graeme McDowell (U.S. Open), Louis Oosthuizen (British Open), Martin Kaymer (PGA) – as well as Tiger Woods and 2010 Match Play runner-up Paul Casey.

“We anticipate another spectacular week of golf, for the players and spectators alike,” said Allan Federer, general manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain. “The flair of international competition, combined with the single-elimination format, creates the most unique atmosphere in the game.”

The Saguaro and Tortolita nines, part of the 27-hole golf facility at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain, make up the tournament layout for the Match Play, the Saguaro serving as the first nine and the Tortolita as the finishing nine. Each plays to par 36, with the pros playing tees that measure 3,884 yards for the Saguaro and 3,955 yards for the Tortolita.

As the centerpiece of the resort, The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain combines solid strategy, variety and fair shot values that harmonize with the high desert elevation of 2,300 to 3,000 feet. Nicklaus meticulously created large greens with significant undulation, as well as wide fairways with carries over desert washes that define each course. The bunkering varies from classic, pot-style obstacles to expansive areas that stretch close to 80 yards along the edges of the fairways. The greens are Bentgrass, while the tees, fairways and rough are Bermuda (with perennial rye overseed), ideal for the desert climate.

For golf fans looking for a permanent place to play, the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain also features a 50,000-square-foot clubhouse with all of the services expected from a luxury private club including tennis courts, fitness center, steward-serviced private locker rooms, and a double-ended practice facility.

To Learn More

Accenture Match Play Championship, www.worldgolfchampionships.com.