One of the biggest names in golf history is coming to Calgary to build a world-class course being designed with an eye on eventually hosting the Canadian Open.

The Calgary Sun has learned Phil Mickelson has been hired to design a course near Springbank airport that will bear his name.

Initially slated to be called Copithorne Club, the 240-acre course was originally contracted to be designed by golf commentator Johnny Miller and Calgary golfer Stephen Ames.

However, the project was recently handed over to Mickelson because of his star-power, likeability and interest in the project.

The star-studded partnership will be announced at a 10 a.m. press conference Tuesday, although Mickelson isn't expected to be in attendance as he is preparing to play in the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles in Scotland Sept 23-28.

A source close to the deal says course owner Barry Ehlert, of the Windmill Golf Group, has courted Mickelson for the last six months and had a face-to-face meeting with the three-time Masters Champion in San Diego that clinched the deal.

Ehlert, whose group also owns five other Calgary-area golf courses including The Hamptons and Springbank Links, refused comment, saying only he is excited about upcoming news he considered "the biggest in the history of Calgary golf."

Ehlert has already begun selling memberships to the private course at a $40,500 price-tag that will also give golfers full access to The Hamptons and six other Windmill

Group tracks while awaiting construction to be completed as early as fall 2017, Ehlert's group also owns Northern Bear in Edmonton and the Wilderness Club in Montana.

The highly-anticipated course is slated to break ground within the next few months. If so, the course could be open as early as fall '17 with an eye on potentially building an additional nine or 18 holes soon thereafter.

"Phil thinks he can build something that's never been done in Calgary, and he will be working very closely with his team, making several trips to Calgary along the way," said the source close to the deal.

"It's still under design, but they want it to be a PGAquality golf course that is somewhere between 7,800 and 8,000 yards long. Phil will have final say on the yardage once he's on the ground during construction."

Ames has repeatedly gone on record saying the Canadian Open can't be hosted on any courses in Calgary due to the elevation he says makes them all play too short for the world's best players.

By most accounts, 8,000 yards would be plenty to attract the attention of Golf Canada officials who have long had an eye on finding a place to put the Canadian Open in Calgary. They needn't look any further than the success of the Champions' ons Tour event in town the last two years as the Shaw Charity Classic has demonstrated local fans and corporations boast a massive appetite to support world-class golf.

Phil Mickelson Design doesn't put its name on many courses as its web-site insists, "While focusing on only one or two course at a time, we are dedicated to providing the highest quality service to the owner while creating world-class golf courses that are a source of pride, strong financial success and high national rankings."

As a winner of 42 PGA events, five majors and more than US$75 million in prize money, Mickelson knows a thing or two about what makes a golf course world class. Mickelson has designed a few courses in China and is currently redoing Torrey Pines North in his hometown San Diego. His crowning achievement so far as a designer is Whisper per Rock Golf Club's Lower Course in Scottsdale, Ariz., where he is a resident.

"This will likely be the only one he'll do in Canada," said the source, adding ing Mickelson's design team spent three days in Calgary this summer.

"He'll maybe design 20 courses in his career, because he wants to be a big part of the project. Trust me, he will be in and around Calgary a lot."

The course will be built as part of the Harmony Project developed by Qualico ico Communities and Bordeaux deaux Developments west of the city with a few houses on the course as part of last phase of development.