The Furnace Creek Inn & Ranch Resort will offer its popular “Stay & Play” golf package this fall and winter. The package is for two people and includes overnight accommodations at the Furnace Creek Inn or the Furnace Creek Ranch, unlimited golf for one day at the Furnace Creek Golf Course, golf cart and club storage.
From Oct. 10 through Nov. 19, rates start at $223 at the Ranch and $372 at the Inn. The rate is $199 at the Ranch and $332 at the Inn from Nov. 23 through Dec. 18. Beginning Jan. 1 through Feb. 12, the rate begins at $204 at the Ranch and $338 at the Inn. And from Feb. 13 through Apr. 19, 2009, the package price begins at $262 at the Ranch and $438 at the Inn. Rates are for two people based on double occupancy and do not include taxes. Some blackout dates apply.
“We are able to keep the Furnace Creek Golf Course playable year-round by using state-of-the-art approaches to seeding, water conservation and course maintenance,” said Phil Dickinson, director of sales and marketing for the Furnace Creek Inn & Ranch Resort and an avid Furnace Creek Golf Course player. “Winter is such a beautiful time here, and we have many guests who come just to get in as many rounds as they can. This is the perfect package for those travelers.”
At 214 feet below sea level, the Furnace Creek Golf Course is the lowest golf course in the world. It has achieved the designation “Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary” from the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System (ACSS), the educational division of Audubon International.
The 18-hole Furnace Creek Golf Course measures 6,236 yards from the back tees with a course rating of 69.7 and a slope rating of 117. Although a relatively short course, the low elevation and challenging greens earned it a place on Golf Digest’s list of “America’s 50 Toughest Courses.”
Because the golf ball does not fly as far as it does at sea level and higher elevation courses, players must adjust their club selections as well as their mental approaches. The course also features small greens, strategically placed Palm and Tamarisk trees and water on nine holes.
Originally opened in 1931, the course underwent a major renovation in 1997 under the direction of world-renowned golf course architect Perry Dye.
The Furnace Creek Inn & Ranch Resort has been welcoming guests since the 1930s. The AAA Four-Diamond-rated Furnace Creek Inn is open from mid-October through mid-May. It features 66 rooms, including two suites with a full array of amenities, fine dining, tennis courts and a spring-fed pool.
Open year-round, the Furnace Creek Ranch is situated adjacent to the golf course and features 224 rooms in a casual setting, general store, spring-fed swimming pool, tennis courts, horseback riding and the Borax Museum.
For more information about facilities in Death Valley National Park or to make room reservations at in-park lodges, call toll free at 1-888-236-7916 or 1-303-297-2757 or go to www.furnacecreekresort.com When booking the Stay & Play package, guests should mention the promo code “GOLF.”
For more information about the Furnace Creek golf course, call the golf shop at 1-760-786-3373. For more information about facilities in Death Valley National Park or to make reservations at in-park lodges, call toll free at 1-800-236-7916 or 1-303-297-2757 or go to www.furnacecreekresort.com.
