New Beginning Napa’s


Johnny Miller is going to hang his hat on this. You may be thinking of his U.S. Open win at Oakmont made possible by an out-of-this-world closing 63 or the British Open victory at Royal Birkdale, maybe his 25 PGA Tour victories or his career as the most honest television golf announcer in the world. No, the 64-year-old hall of famer talks about hanging his hat on restoring Silverado Resort in famed Napa. Miller became part-owner this year when an investor group purchased the land.


“This was really a dream come true


to work on this property,” explained Miller. “Silverado is a world-class place with 36 holes in Napa; this rare prop- erty is a big advantage because it cannot be duplicated in the area.” Miller has a long history with Sil-


verado; he competed and won (’74 and ’75 at the Kaiser International Invi- tational Open) on the North Course, bought a condo right after getting married and then built a house on the 11th hole in 1974 where he and his wife Linda raised their six children. While competing on tour in the 1970s and ’80s Miller represented Silverado with pride, always with an eye on how he would improve the 36-hole layout. “I immediately fell in love with the


weather, the smells, the openness and the country feel here at Silverado but I knew it could be improved,” Miller described. “You can go to any course and have five- 10 changes to make it a better course; I don’t care what course it is. All of these holes (at Silverado) I had probably re- designed 10 different times, 10 different ways over the years of playing here.”


24 / NCGA.ORG / SUMMER 2011


GOLF LEGEND AND PART-OWNER JOHNNY MILLER LOOKS TO


PUT SILVERADO BACK ON THE MAP


The resort has the undeniable advantage of a perfect location in Napa Valley accentuated by acreage of rolling hills and towering oak and redwood trees, some of which are more than 100 years old. The resort spreads out over 1,200 acres including two champion- ship golf courses (North and South), 10 swimming pools, 16 tennis courts, three bocce ball courts, a 16,000 square-foot spa and three dining facilities. A California landmark for more than


140 years, the white-pillared mansion greets guests upon arrival. Visible from the entrance are the cottages that com-


BY HILARY HEIECK


PHOTOS : J OANN DOS T


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