PGA GC courses earn 'excellent' ratings in 2009-10 Zagat guide

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- The Ryder, Wanamaker and Dye Courses at PGA Golf Club, in Port St. Lucie, Fla., have once again earned "Excellent" ratings across all categories, following reviews in Zagat's "America's Top Golf Courses 2009/10 Guide."

In addition, readers offered rave commentary about the nearby 35-acre PGA Center for Golf Learning and Performance golf instruction, practice, fitness and technology park; and the PGA Historical Center, the home of the Ryder Cup Trophy. Together, the three facilities comprise the magnificent PGA Village golf resort.

The guide is a compilation of reviews from more than 6,050 avid golfers who play an average of 8.8 rounds per year and rate nearly 1,100 of the best courses in the United States, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands. The consumer golf reviewers for Zagat's America's Top Golf Courses 2009/10 play roughly 640,000 annual rounds. The publication is edited by noted golf authors and writers Joseph Passov, Tom Bedell, Brandon Tucker and Ken Van Vechten. Each golf entry was rated on the basis of Course, Facilities, Service, Value and Cost.

Designed by legendary golf architects Tom Fazio and Pete Dye, the PGA Golf Club features 54 holes of Championship golf, owned and operated by The PGA of America, and open to the public year-round.

The three courses received impressive acclaim...

• Wanamaker Course -- Renovations have made it better than ever...So you simply must play this traditional Florida Course. An excellent Tom Fazio design that's always in superb condition as it travels over varied terrain with a mix of short and long holes, including a couple of good risk/reward Par 5s and a finishing hole that brings lots of pressure to any close match. It's fun to play, and given that it also benefits from the site's awesome teaching facility, it can be a real value for a buddy trip.

• The Ryder Course -- Dollar for dollar, you can't beat the three courses at PGA Village. This Carolina-style track designed by Tom Fazio features generous landing areas framed by pines as well as large, undulating greens.

It's professionally run by a uniformly superb staff, and the practice area is worth the trip alone. P.S. History buffs should check out the golf museum.

• The Dye Course -- Links-style layout is one of the more user-friendly Pete Dye designs, although it still sports humps, carries and sectioned greens, as well as tall grasses and waste areas...The professional staff really does treat you like a member for a day, and the top-notch teaching facility is another reason it's a tremendous value.

"The PGA Golf Club is honored and extremely proud to receive such tremendous praise and recognition in 'Zagat's America's Top Golf Courses Guide,'" said Bob Baladassari, PGA general manager, PGA Golf Club, which also received "excellent" ratings in the previous edition released two years ago. "To receive stellar ratings once again from Zagat's is a testament to the Ultimate Golf Experience that enthusiasts worldwide enjoy when they stay, play, live and learn the game at the PGA Golf Club, PGA Center for Golf Learning and Performance and PGA Historical Center."

About PGA Village

The Ryder, Wanamaker and Dye Courses form a trio of world-class public courses at the PGA Golf Club,

at PGA Village in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Named by Golf Digest as one of the "75 Best Golf Resorts in North America," PGA Village also features the award-winning, 35-acre PGA Center for Golf Learning and Performance (formerly the PGA Learning Center) and PGA Historical Center golf museum. The PGA Golf Club exists to be one of the premier daily fee facilities in America, and to serve as a home club for our 28,000 PGA Professionals. For more information, please visit www.pgavillage.com/stlucie.

About The PGA of America

Since 1916, The PGA of America's mission has been twofold: to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf.

By establishing and elevating the standards of the golf profession through world-class education, career services, marketing and research programs, the Association enables PGA Professionals to maximize their performance in their respective career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in the multi-billion dollar golf industry.

By creating and delivering dramatic world-class championships and exciting and enjoyable golf promotions that are viewed as the best of their class in the golf industry, The PGA of America elevates the public's interest in the game, the desire to play more golf, and ensures accessibility to the game for everyone, everywhere. The PGA of America brand represents the very best in golf.

About Zagat Survey, LLC

Known as the "burgundy bible," Zagat Survey is the world's most trusted source for information about where to eat, drink, stay and play around the globe, and as such has become a symbol of quality. Zagat Survey rates and reviews airlines, restaurants, hotels, nightlife, movies, music, golf, resorts, shopping, spas, and a range of other entertainment categories in more than 100 countries and has been lauded as the "most up-to-date, comprehensive and reliable guides ever published" and as "a necessity second only to a valid credit card." Zagat content is available in print, on the Web, on the mobile web, iPhone, BlackBerry, and on TV. For more information, visit ZAGAT.com.