MICHAEL PHELPS SWINGS INTO NEXT CHAPTER FOR FIFTH SEASON OF "THE HANEY PROJECT," PREMIERING MONDAY, FEB. 25 AT 9 PM ET ON GOLF CHANNEL

Most-Decorated Olympian of All Time Attempts to Improve Game under Guidance of Famed Swing Coach Hank Haney

Phelps Follows in Footsteps of Former Celebrity Students, Including Charles Barkley, Ray Romano and Adam Levine

ORLANDO, Fla. (Jan. 7, 2013) - Michael Phelps, the most-decorated Olympian of all time, is jumping out of the pool and on to the golf course with plans for his next chapter in life - to play the world's greatest golf courses and improve his golf game under the watchful eye of Hank Haney - on The Haney Project, Golf Channel's popular series debuting its fifth season on Monday, Feb. 25, at 9 p.m. ET.

The Haney Project will feature Phelps, who won an unprecedented 22 Olympic medals, including 18 gold medals, as he attempts to improve his game from tee to green with the guidance of Tiger Woods' former swing coach over the course of eight weekly, 60-minute episodes. The series will reunite with the popular interview series, Feherty - also premiering on Monday, Feb. 25 - to form a potent primetime Monday lineup. Golf Channel's slate of original series, including The Haney Project and Feherty, have contributed to back-to-back most-watched years, which earned Golf Channel the title of the fastest-growing network on television since joining the NBC Sports Group.

"I've always had a love of golf and dreamed of seeing the world by playing all the best courses. And my competitive side wants to play them well," said Phelps. "I'm extremely motivated to develop my golf skills, and through Hank's help I've already seen progress with my game and played some really cool golf courses. This is an exciting project with the Golf Channel and it's been fun working with Hank to see how far we can take my game."

"We can stand in awe of Michael's Olympic accomplishments, but it's hard to put ourselves in his shoes except when it comes to golf," said Golf Channel President Mike McCarley. "Every golfer from a seasoned pro to a frustrated weekend warrior like the rest of us can play the same game with the same equipment and share the same frustrations and joys of the game. So, as Michael experiences the ups and downs of improving his game through The Haney Project, Golf Channel's audience can relate to his transition from Olympic icon to a guy simply trying not to spoil a good day on the golf course."

Phelps, who received a pegboard featuring the world's greatest courses as a Christmas gift last year, will follow other celebrity students who have starred on The Haney Project, including NBA Hall-of-Famer Charles Barkley, Emmy Award-winner Ray Romano and Grammy Award-winning Maroon 5 front man and mentor on NBC's "The Voice" Adam Levine. Phelps already has been filling the pegboard during the filming of the series, with stops in China, Scotland, Mexico and top spots throughout the United States.

Each episode of The Haney Project will follow Phelps on his quest to play better golf, whether it's one-on-one instruction on the golf course with Haney or developing lessons he will be able to practice on his own. The series also will showcase Phelps in his own environment with cameos by famous friends and other experts who check in on him during his journey, including his mother Debbie Phelps and longtime swim coach Bob Bowman.

About Golf Channel

Golf Channel is a multimedia, golf entertainment and services company based in Orlando, Fla. The Golf Channel cable network, co-founded by Arnold Palmer in 1995 and part of the NBC Sports Group, is available in more than 120 million homes worldwide through cable, satellite and wireless companies. Exclusive partnerships with the world's top tours allow Golf Channel to feature more live golf coverage than all other networks combined, added to a programming schedule distinguished by golf's best news, instruction and original programming. Golf Channel's digital platform of businesses is led by www.GolfChannel.com, a leading golf destination on the Internet, delivering unmatched coverage of the world of golf, as well as services that help the recreational player with how to play, what to play and where to play golf.