Originally opened in 1961 then redesigned twenty-two years later by Robert von Hagge with Bruce Devlin, the Catalina course at the 36-hole Omni Tucson National Resort has hosted the Cologuard Classic event on the PGA Tour Champions circuit since 2015.
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Originally opened in 1961 then redesigned twenty-two years later by Robert von Hagge with Bruce Devlin, the Catalina course at the 36-hole Omni Tucson National Resort has hosted the Cologuard Classic event on the PGA Tour Champions circuit since 2015.
Omni Tucson National (Catalina)
Robert Bruce Harris originally designed the Catalina course at Omni Tucson National during 1961, and then the duo of Robert von Hagge and Bruce Devline completed a total redesign during 1983. The course is among a rare few in golf, featuring more par fives than par threes. The five longs to four shorts results in a final strokeplay par of 73.
This was a more tenable setup during a PGA era of shorter distances off the tee, and the course held the Chrysler Open from 1986 until 2006. Although the modern muscle would eat up the 7,200-yard course, there’s more appeal in the variety of par fives for the layman player.
One interesting example is No. 10, which takes inspiration from the Road Hole. Players can challenge the pond along the left with their tee shot (as well as a “wall” of trees) and then strike at a lateral green with a very large version on the Road’s greenside bunker. At just 508 yards, the distance is easily attainable for modern players but the accuracy required remains vexing.
Eight lakes and eighty bunkers lurk elsewhere around the route.