THE WOODLANDS, TX – (Friday, April 13, 2012) – The Club at Carlton Woods, home to a Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course and a Tom Fazio Championship golf course, has been named "Best Overall Country Club" in the Houston area by Avid Golfer magazine in its April/May 2012 issue.  This is the fifth time in the past six years that The Club at Carlton Woods has achieved this honor, according to William E. Langley, CCM, vice president managing director of clubs for The Woodlands Development Company. The rankings are judged by a team of panelists and staff at the magazine.

In the same edition, the Nicklaus course at The Club at Carlton Woods was named the #2 "Best Overall Golf Course" in the Houston area by Avid Golfer while the Fazio course was named the #4 "Best Overall Golf Course". Also, the Nicklaus course was named the #2 and the Fazio course was named #3 "Best Golf Experience" in the Houston region by the magazine.

In the "Best of the Private Clubs 2012" article, Avid Golfer stated, "...The Club at Carlton Woods continues to dominate and take home the title year in and year out. This year, they are our choice as the Best Overall Country Club for the Houston area, the fifth time in six years that they've been bestowed this honor. Their drive to five (they previously won the award in 2007, 2009 - 2011) should not come as a surprise. Not when you have a Jack Nicklaus and a Tom Fazio golf course as amenities for members, plus an opulent 53,000-square-foot main clubhouse, another superb clubhouse for the Fazio Creekside Course, first-class service and other upscale amenities throughout."

The Nicklaus course is located in the gated community of Carlton Woods, and the Tom Fazio Championship golf course is situated in the gated enclave of Carlton Woods Creekside. Both 18-hole, par-72 courses are for play by members of The Club at Carlton Woods. Carlton Woods is one of only two gated communities in the United States to offer a private Nicklaus/Fazio combination.

"It is rewarding for The Club at Carlton Woods to be recognized as the 'Best Overall Country Club' along with accolades for both the Nicklaus and Fazio courses," Langley said.  "The Nicklaus and the Fazio courses take full advantage of the beautifully wooded terrain in The Woodlands. Together, they are the centerpiece of The Club at Carlton Woods and continue to be recognized in Houston, Texas and America."

Most recently, both the Nicklaus and the Fazio courses were ranked as "Top 100 Best Residential Courses in America" by Golfweek, 2008 – 2011;   "Top 10 Best in State Private Courses in Texas" by Golf Digest, 2011; and "Top 12 Courses in Texas" by Dallas Morning News, 2007 – 2010.  Also, The Club at Carlton Woods was named "Best Private Course in Houston" in the Houston Chronicle's Golf Guide, 2010.  For more information on The Club at Carlton Woods, visit www.carltonwoods.com. 

The Woodlands is a 28,000-acre master-planned community located 27 miles north of downtown Houston. For more information, visit www.thewoodlands.com and www.thewoodlands.net.  

PHOTO CAPTION: The Club at Carlton Woods (Fazio Clubhouse, pictured) was named "Best Overall Country Club" by Avid Golfer magazine in its April/May 2012 edition. The Club at Carlton Woods is home to a Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course and a Tom Fazio Championship golf course.