Press Releases

SKAMANIA LODGE HOSTS 2009 WRITER'S CUP

Washington team wins Skamania Lodge’s inaugural golf media event

Stevenson, Wash. - (May 10, 2009) - Skamania Lodge, an all-season mountain resort nestled in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, hosted 22 golf writers and broadcasters from across Oregon and Washington for the 2009 Writer's Cup Golf Tournament at the Golf Course at Skamania Lodge on Thursday, April 30 through Saturday, May 2, 2009.

The inaugural event was held at the Skamania Lodge Golf Course with 36 holes played on Friday and18 holes played on Saturday. The Washington team, which included representatives from Q13 Fox News in Seattle, Inside Golf and Pacific Northwest Golf Magazine, emerged triumphant at the end of the weekend. The Oregon team, with players from KGW News 8 in Portland, KCAL News 13 in Eugene and the Daily Journal of Commerce started out strong on Friday but was unable to hang on to that momentum on Saturday. Team Washington proved victorious, winning by a score of 11 1/2 to 8 1/2.

Under clear blue skies, golf media enjoyed the friendly competition throughout the intense 54 holes of challenging golf. Sunshine and warm temperatures throughout the tournament brought out some of the wildlife that calls Skamania Lodge home. Competitors spotted deer on the greens and turtles sunning themselves in the pond at the sixth hole.

"Any weekend is a great weekend for golf, and the inaugural Writer's Cup was a great way to kick off the season," said Dave Griffin, director of sales and marketing for Skamania Lodge. "We hope that this friendly competition between the states becomes a great tradition at Skamania Lodge."

The Golf Course at Skamania Lodge is an 18-hole, par-70 course located on the resort's 175 wooded acres. Boasting breathtaking views of the Pacific Northwest landscape, the golf course services include a driving range, practice bunker, chipping and putting greens, full-service golf shop, cart rentals and an onsite staff of PGA professionals. Recently rated as a four-star course by Golf Digest magazine in their 2008 "Best Places to Play," and named by Golf for Women magazine as one of the "Top 100 Courses" in 2007, the Golf Course at Skamania Lodge provides an enticing challenge to experienced players.

Members of the media who wish to participate in the Second Annual Writer's Cup in the spring of 2010 are invited to contact Naomi Zeitlin or Danielle Zarrella at naomiz@richmondpr.com or daniellez@richmondpr.com, or call (206) 682-6979.

For more information about Skamania Lodge, please visit http://www.skamania.com/ or call (800) 221-7117. To make reservations for tee times at Skamania Lodge's Golf Course, please call (800) 293-0418.

About Skamania Lodge

Surrounded by the waterfalls, peaks, forests and canyons of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Skamania Lodge is an all-season mountain resort and conference center, situated on 175 acres, 50 minutes east of Portland, Ore., in Stevenson, Wash. With 254 guest rooms and a 22,000-square foot, International Association of Conference Centers (IACC) approved conference center, Skamania Lodge offers a destination for outdoor enthusiasts and groups. Skamania boasts the Waterleaf Spa, indoor swimming pool and whirlpools, a fitness center, onsite hiking, an 18-hole par-70 Golf Course that earned a four-star rating from Golf Digest magazine in their "Best Places to Play" for 2008, the Cascade Room, River Rock Lounge and the U.S. Forest Service Information Center located in the lobby. Skamania Lodge is centered in a Pacific Northwest playground with hiking, biking and Sternwheeler cruises along the Columbia River in the summer; skiing and snowshoeing in the winter; and golfing, fishing and whitewater rafting all year long for outdoor enthusiasts. Skamania Lodge is a spectacular location to soak in the natural beauty and to enjoy a vast array of outdoor activities. http://www.skamania.com/.

About Destination Hotels & Resorts

Skamania Lodge is one of more than 30 independent, upscale hotels, resorts and conference centers by Destination Hotels & Resorts, the fourth largest independent hospitality management company in the country. To protect and preserve the unique communities in which the company operates, Destination launched Destination Earth, an environmental sustainability program in 2008. New for 2009 is the 582-room Terranea Resort situated on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in southern California. The 102-acre ocean front resort will feature a 25,000-square-foot destination spa, three swimming pools, three restaurants and a Todd Eckenrode-designed par three golf course. In addition to Terranea in the greater Los Angeles area, Destination operates properties in key metropolitan areas and resort markets including Washington, D.C., Denver, San Diego, Santa Fe, Aspen, Palm Springs, Houston and Lake Tahoe. Destination is a subsidiary of Los Angeles-based investment, development and management firm Lowe Enterprises. For more information on the properties in the Destination Hotels & Resorts collection, please visit http://www.destinationhotels.com/.

Back to Listing