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myd golf hired to manage sky valley golf club

Posted on Jan 27, 2010 by Amanda Eldridge

SKY VALLEY, Ga. – MYD Golf, LLC, a golf design, construction and management corporation based in Athens, Ga., has been contracted to manage Sky Valley Golf Club, the recreational centerpiece of the 2,400-acre Sky Valley Resort located in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains when Georgia meets the two Carolinas.

Nestled into a tranquil valley more than 3,300 feet above sea level, Sky Valley Golf Club is within a 20-minute drive from Highlands, N.C., 15 minutes from Clayton, Ga., and just 90 minutes from either Atlanta or Athens. The resort is also within easy reach of upstate South Carolina’s rapidly growing Greenville-Spartanburg metropolitan area, making it the perfect mountain get-away retreat for many golf enthusiasts in the Southeast.

“The Sky Valley golf course, which was completely renovated in 2007 by Bill Bergin, will be a pleasant surprise to anyone who has not played it recently,” said Mike Young, owner of MYD Golf and an accomplished course designer with more than 40 courses to his credit. “The course is in impeccable shape, and with the torrid summer that is gripping most of the country, the cooler temperatures in the Blue Ridge Mountains make Sky Valley the perfect destination for anyone looking to escape the heat.”

Featuring bent grass fairways, tees and greens, Sky Valley was designed originally by Bill Watts and built in 1971. Bergin’s extensive renovation added some 500 yards to the overall length, stretching the par-71 layout to more than 6,900 yards. Some golf fans will remember Bergin from his career as a touring professional. In the 1984 British Open at St. Andrews, Bergin shot a tournament-best 66 in the third round en route to a top-15 finish.

Founded as Mike Young Designs in 1986, MYD Golf was expanded to offer facilities management services after more than 20 years in business. The company offers a unique and effective golf course management perspective, drawing on Young’s broad-based experience in the golf business, including course design, maintenance, ownership and operation.

“While most golf architects may not be well versed in fine dining and large clubhouse issues, there are many projects out there that can benefit from the experience an architect has inherited over years of designing and building projects that had to stand on their own,” Young explained. “And that is the customer we are trying to help.

“Today is a different day for all facets of the golf business and one must be able to adapt. We bring a different thought process to the operating of many facilities."

In addition to designing and developing more than 40 golf courses in five different countries, Young has also owned and operated a number of courses. Through MYD Golf, he said, he is able to use his understanding of the overall golf business to tailor a unique plan for each managed facility. And because MYD Golf takes on only a limited number of management clients, each client is assured of receiving personal and comprehensive attention focused on insuring success.

"Hacienda Pinilla is an 18 hole championship links style course with open fairways and challenging winds. Designed by famous architect Mike Young to conform to the natural contours of the land, this 7,274 yard, Par 72 course is truly masterpiece. It is one of the few courses in the world created to face the ocean, and as a result, its coastal layout offers both exhilarating play and absolutely awe-inspiring views."