View Photos of Firekeeper Opening 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Randy Towner, General Manager, 785.966.2100 or rtowner@firekeepergolf.com 

 

 

 

MAYETTA, KS (May 3, 2011): Sports celebrities Notah Begay III, four-time PGA Tour winner, and national champion basketball coaches Bill Self (University of Kansas) and Roy Williams (University of North Carolina) will be on hand to play in a celebrity skins game along with Randy Towner, head golf professional and general manager of Firekeeper, at the grand opening of the newly constructed Firekeeper Golf Course on May 15.  A dedication ceremony is also on tap for the day.

 

Media representatives are invited to play the course on Saturday, May 14 and can book tee times through the Firekeeper clubhouse by calling 785.966.2100. In addition, media representatives who want to cover Sunday’s event will also need to acquire media credentials that will give them the opportunity to meet the sports celebrities from 9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Sunday morning.

 

The grand opening event will kick off at 9:30 a.m. with a dedication ceremony featuring Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation (PBPN) We-Ta-Se (Wah-Ta-Say) American Legion Post #410 color guard, the Little Soldier Singers drum group, and speeches from members of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Tribal Council. Following that, the celebrity skins game will get underway that will be played on Firekeeper’s back-nine.

 

The event is open to the public and parking will be available across the street with shuttles to the course.  Firekeeper is Begay’s first signature course and sits on 240 acres owned by the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation that is across the street from the Prairie Band Casino & Resort.

 

The course opened on April 1 and includes a 2,750 square foot clubhouse with full-service golf shop and snack bar. General public rates are $50-Monday through Thursday ($23 twilight) and $60-Friday through Sunday ($33 twilight) with carts included.  Discounted rates are available for tribal members.

Begay’s company, NB3 Consulting, designed the course in conjunction with Jeff Brauer, an award-winning golf course architect of GolfScapes, Inc., and Landscapes Unlimited, who constructed the course.  It is an 18-hole traditional-style course that is 7,400 yards of Bent Grass (greens/fairways) and Turf Type Tall Fescue (roughs), and has a few creeks (water challenges) with five sets of tees. 

 

The course was built by the partners to respect the land and tribal traditions of the Prairie Band Potawatomi and is also the first course designed by a Native American on Native American land.  

For more details about Firekeeper Golf Course go to www.firekeepergolf.com; Prairie Band Casino & Resort go to www.pbpgaming.com and Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation go to www.pbpindiantribe.com. 

 

 

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Side Bars

 

Notah Begay III is a four time PGA Tour winner and only full-blooded Native American on the PGA Tour. Begay is also well known for being a color commentator for the Golf Channel.  Firekeeper was designed by Begay’s company NB3 Consulting. 

 

Bill Self is Head Basketball Coach at the University of Kansas and was recently voted Big 12 Coach of the Year for the fourth time.  In 2008 he led the Jayhawks to the 2008 NCAA national championship and he has received the National Coach of the Year award from Sporting News and the Associated Press as well as several other coaching awards.

 

Roy Williams is Head Basketball Coach at the University of North Carolina and former head basketball coach at the University of Kansas. Williams boasts a 643-163 winning record and won national championships in 2005 and 2009 at North Carolina.  He has also taken his teams to seven NCAA Final Fours at Kansas and North Carolina. 

 

Randy Towner is the General Manager and Head Professional at Firekeeper and was voted  Golf Professional of the Year by the Midwest Section of the PGA in 2010.   He was the head professional at Alvamar Golf Course in Lawrence, Kan. for 22 years before coming to Firekeeper.

 

Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation-The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation is located on approximately 77,000 acres located in Jackson County, Kan. 20 miles north of Topeka, Kan.  There are around 5,000 tribal members in the United States and Canada with around 800 living on or near the reservation.  They are one of four tribes in Kansas and operate with a Tribal Council of seven members who are elected by the general membership. 

 

Prairie Band Casino & Resort- The casino offers the ultimate in gaming action including over 1,100 slot machines featuring the newest in slot technology and more than 32 of the most popular table games, including live poker.   There are three delicious dining options to choose from; The Longhouse Buffet is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner and also offers a delicious Sunday brunch buffet.  The Three Fires Steakhouse & Bar opens at 5pm Wednesday through Sunday and offers some of the best steaks in the area.  The Buffalo Grill is located in the hotel lobby and is open 24 hours a day.  The Prairie Band Casino & Resort also has 297 luxurious hotel rooms that surround a beautiful courtyard complete with a hot tub that is filled by a cascading waterfall.  There is also a 67 space state-of-the-art RV park.  The newest amenity and the newest course in the Midwest, the Firekeeper Golf Course makes a visit to Prairie Band Casino & Resort a complete package and the perfect vacation destination.