From Director John McCarthy:

The Ultimate Game - California Golf Tour to Host the Play-In Qualifying

The Ultimate Game is golf's most exciting reality show, where very good yet not well know professional golfers buy into a $50,000, 2-person entry fee and vie against 63 other teams for a winner's purse of $1,000,000.  It's been said for years the PGA Tour golf  is not real pressure, real pressure is playing for your own money--The Ultimate Game delivers the perfect reality sporting event. 

This year there is a new format for the event, a lower entry fee and a 2 person team rather than individual play.  Last year's winner in the individual format was Scott Piercy, of Las Vegas, NV.  Scott won a whopping 2 Million Dollars and it changed his life.  This year the same thing will happen to the winners of the team event.  The dates for The Ultimate Game are March 6-11, 2008 and will be played at PGA West Stadium Course.  Sixty four teams will compete in a match play format. 

The entry fee structure has two levels, a $50,000 fee to buy a spot, or a $10,000 fee to play-in the event.  If you buy a spot there are three fee schedules based on the dates entered.  They are: now until Nov. 30, $45,000 per team; Dec. 1-31, $50,000 per team; after Dec. 31, $60,000 per team.  Or you may enter the Play-In qualifying event to be played on February 5-7, 2008 at Eagle Falls GC @ Fantasy Springs Resort Casino paying a team entry fee of $10,000.  There will be three Play-In qualifying sites held world-wide, Spain, California and Florida.  It is anticipated by the organizers that at least 40 teams will try and win spots into The Ultimate Game through the Play-In events.  The California Golf Tour will promote and organize the event at Eagle Falls. 

Play-In Event Eagle Falls GC Indio, CA

The California Play-In Tournament will consist of three rounds of "four ball" matches.  In the first round of the CPT , the teams will be paired against each other by blind draw.  The losers are eliminated from the CPT, and the winners advance to round two where they will be paired against each other by blind draw.  The losers of round two are eliminated from the CPT, and the winners advance to round three, where they will be paired against each other by blind draw.  The losers of round three will win $10,000 and the winners will win a place in the 2008 Ultimate Game worth $50,000.    The winners of round three may: a) use their Place to play in the 2008 Tournament, or b) use their Place for any other two eligible players to play in 2008 Tournament, or c) sell or transfer their Place to any third party or parties, who shall have the right to enter two eligible players in the 2008 Tournament.

Entry forms are available by e-mailing the office of the California Golf Tour at www.golfwjohn@al.com or downloading an entry on line.  The deadline for pre-qualifyng events are January 7, 2008 for the Play-In event and the deadline for the Buy-In event is January 10, 2008.  Entry fees can be mailed to:  California Golf, 50-969 El Dorado Drive, La Quinta, CA 92253.  For further information call 760-564-3570.  To fax an entry the number is 209-795-1311.    For those needing lodging Fantasy Springs Casino Resort is ofering special rates of $139 for singles or doubles.  There will be a welcome party on Monday Feb. 4, at 5:00 pm and the first round blind draws will be held at that time.  For the next two rounds the blind draw will be held at a special player party at the Casino at 5:00 pm each night.  Food and beverages will be served.    

Buy-In Qualifying Events Lower Rates

For the majority of players, club pros or mini-tour players coming up with $50,000 or $10,000 is a stretch regardless of the purse at the end of the line.  As the organizer of the Play-In event, we have created an event that will allow anyone to play and not have to come up with thousands of dollars.  The Buy-In event will allow players to pay an entry fee of $300 per player and take a chance of winning $10,000 and a spot in the California Play-In Tournament.

We are working with the two PGA Sections in California and will have three of these Buy-In events.  The first will be on January 14 at Goose Creek GC, and that will be for SCPGA Section members and apprentices.  The open qualifying in Southern California will be played at Eagle Falls GC in Indio on Monday January 21.  For Northern California the Buy-In event will be played on Thursday January 24 at Boundry Oak GC in Walnut Creek for NCPGA members and mini tour players.  In order to have a qualifying event there needs to be a minimum of 30 teams per location.  The winning team will win $10,000 to be used for the Play-In entry fee for the February event.  A small purse will also be contested for at each of theses events.  If there are more than 50 teams at the sites on Jan. 14 and Jan. 24, two teams will qualify for the February event. These events will be 18 holes played at stroke play.  If there is a tie for first place there will be a sudden death playoff held to determine the winner.olf Tour will promote and organize the event at Eagle Falls.  olf Tour will promote and organize the event at Eagle Falls.