BRADENTON, Fla. — The Concession Golf Club, Golf Digest’s Best New Private Course of 2006, has announced that the enhancements to the 7,470-yard course that started in April have recently been completed.
Jack Nicklaus, who designed the Nicklaus Signature Golf Course in association with British great and fellow World Golf Hall of Fame member Tony Jacklin, visited The Concession at the end of March to play and assess how the course had matured since it opened in 2006.
Nicklaus and Jacklin, Global Ambassador of The Concession, were joined by Bruce Cassidy Sr., owner of the Club; Chris Cochran, lead course designer on The Concession; and Superintendent Terry Kennelly.
The 520-acre award-winning course was designed in honor of the 1969 Ryder Cup singles match between the two where Nicklaus conceded a putt to Jacklin. That gesture, known as "the concession," rendered the two teams in a 17-17 finish, for the first tie in Ryder Cup history. The U.S. retained the Cup, having won it in 1967.
After Nicklaus and Jacklin toured the course in March, both agreed that improvements could be made to make the multiple award-winning premier private club even better. They didn’t want to make the course less challenging, but simply more forgiving in a few landing areas and certain pin placements.
As part of the improvements, five new tee boxes were constructed, a new set of gold tees was added between the blacks and the blues, some palmetto trees and foliage were removed and a couple of bunkers were modified.
"The changes were strategically designed to make the course more playable for Members while maintaining the challenge for the lower handicap golfers," said Cassidy. "Now that the changes are complete, I can say that we definitely accomplished that."
Complementing the 7,470-yard championship golf course is one of the world’s largest private practice areas that is recognized by Golf Digest as one of the "75 Best Practice Areas in the United States." The vast 23-acre practice facility features two driving ranges, one of which includes an elevated tee area, a 10,000 square-foot flat and undulating putting green and a 14,000 square-foot flat and undulating chipping green. Both the putting and chipping greens offer several bunkers, giving Members the opportunity to recreate every shot on the golf course.
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