The 2016 Charles Schwab Cup Championship returns to Desert Mountain November 9-13

- Cochise Course to provide spectators with a memorable tournament experience -

The Cochise course at Desert Mountain has hosted PGA TOUR Champions events 17 times since opening in 1988.
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The Charles Schwab Cup Championship, the season-ending event of the PGA TOUR Champions, returns to beautiful Desert Mountain in Scottsdale November 9-13 on the award-winning, Jack Nicklaus Signature Cochise course.

Tucked into 8,000 acres of lush Sonoran desert, this golf and recreational community offers an exceptional private club experience and diverse lifestyle, fitness and outdoor amenities that the entire family can enjoy.

Featuring the 36 top points leaders at the end of the season, the Charles Schwab Cup Championship is a rare opportunity for fans to watch great golf played by some of the greatest players in the world. Adding to the experience is that Cochise is an especially enjoyable course to walk. Hillsides surrounding the fairways make it spectator-friendly by offering clear views that are close to the action, especially on the ninth and 18th holes.

This year, the PGA TOUR Champions season will conclude with the new Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs following the SAS Championship October 10-16. The leading 72 players will advance to the first playoffs event, the PowerShares QQQ Championship, at Sherwood Country Club in California, October 28-30. The second event, the Dominion Charity Classic at The Country Club of Virginia in Richmond, is November 4-6 and will feature the top 54 players who advanced from the PowerShares QQQ Championship.

The top 36 players in the Charles Schwab Cup standings will qualify for the final leg of the playoffs, the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, which becomes a 54-hole event. In 2015, Bernhard Langer won the season-long Charles Schwab Cup points race, and Billy Andrade took the championship beating Langer with a birdie on the first hole of a playoff.

“This is the fourth time we’re hosting the event on Cochise and each time (2012, 2014 & 2015), the course conditions were considered to be the best on the TOUR Champions tournament schedule by the players,” said Desert Mountain COO and GM Robert Jones, adding, “The 2016 tournament will be the 17th PGA Tour Champions event played on the course since it opened in 1988.” Cochise was also the home of the Regions Tradition from 1988-2001 (one of five major championships of the PGA TOUR Champions), “which was won by Nicklaus four times,” Jones pointed out, once with a famous two double eagle on the 12th hole.

Cochise, one of six Nicklaus Signature Golf courses at the club, plays at 7,019 yards but will be played as a 6,929-yard, par 70 course, known for its challenging par 3, 7th hole and par 5, 15th hole, which share a double green situated on an island and approached from two different directions.

Desert Mountain Director of Agronomy Shawn Emerson and a staff of 60 will log a total of 10,000 hours during the event to maintain the course in prime condition. During this time, the mowing schedule will be increased to four times daily to achieve quick, firm greens and a Stimpmeter at 13-plus feet.

Daily tournament grounds tickets start at $30 and weekly passes are $70. Youth 18 and under are admitted free all week when accompanied by a ticketed adult. In addition, tickets are available for an upgraded tournament hospitality experience at the Legends Lounge, a VIP viewing area located on 18 offering premium food and a full premium bar service for purchase the entire day. This ticket also includes grounds access, access to private restrooms, TVs with local service, and complimentary spectator guides with pairing sheets. There are several options available. All tickets can be purchased on schwabcup.com or contact the championship office at 480.237.2100 x14.

The tournament also offers complimentary tickets for active duty, reserve, military retirees and non-retired veterans, as well as their dependents, with a valid military ID along with a voucher to the event.To download tickets, visit https://birdiesforthebrave.sheerid.com/CharlesSchwabCup/ or email Kristi Lee Fowlks at kristileefowlks@pgatourhq.com. There is a $1 verification fee per military individual order. The program, presented by United Rentals, will also offer the Patriots’ Outpost on the 18th fairway where all military guests can watch the event and receive complimentary refreshments November 10-13.

Spectator parking at Skyranch Airport, 8302 E. Cave Creek Rd., Carefree, is $10 on tournament days from Friday, November 11-Sunday, November 13 and free during the official pro-am days on Wednesday, November 9 and Thursday, November 10. Parking is open from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. sharp (30 minutes after play ends).

In 2015, the worldwide exposure that Desert Mountain, Scottsdale and the surrounding communities of Carefree and Cave Creek received from broadcasts of the tournament on the Golf Channel reached 3.1 million viewers in the U.S. and 145 million households in 212 countries and territories. “Attendance reached more than 38,000,” Jones pointed out, adding, “The tournament provided a rare opportunity to showcase our golf and lifestyle amenities as well as our beautiful location to a targeted group of golf fans and enthusiasts.”

It also provided a venue for many of Desert Mountain Club members to serve as volunteers during tournament week. Aside from golf, Jones said that the event helps to raise funds for local charities, which received more than $144,300 in 2015. “We want to build on last year’s success for Desert Mountain and the community this year.”