BY: JESSICA MARKSBURY – GOLF.com
Jack’s Bay, the luxe, 1,200-acre private club community in the Bahamas, is adding another feather to its already impressive cap: Construction has begun on the world’s first Jack Nicklaus Heritage® Championship Golf Course, in collaboration with Nicklaus Design. The course, which is slated to open for play in 2025, will join The Playground, a 10-hole Tiger Woods and TGR Design that opened in August 2020 and features an inventive, fun-for-all-abilities layout with holes that range from 71 to 163 yards.
“We’re embarking on something truly spectacular at Jack’s Bay,” said Jack’s Bay Director of Development and Construction Doug Maslo in a press release. “The unparalleled standard associated with the Nicklaus Design philosophy is centered on blending natural elements with strategic challenges for players of all skill levels to enjoy in a Nicklaus experience. Together with the Nicklaus Design Team, we look to both preserve and enhance the incredible natural beauty of the land. Several holes will hug the ocean, while the inland terrain offers remarkable features like rolling elevations, lakes, and even ‘blue holes’ leading to the ocean. When I first took the Nicklaus Design team on a tour of the property a few years back, they suggested that our property is one of the best properties they had ever seen for a golf course.”
Nicklaus Heritage, a brand born from Nicklaus Design’s Jack Nicklaus Signature® brand, is comprised of senior designers from Nicklaus Design. Those designers, who have worked with Nicklaus throughout their careers and share his design philosophies and values, will build original course designs under the Nicklaus Heritage brand, beginning with the project at Jack’s Bay.
Jack’s Bay is located on the island of Eleuthera, on a stretch of Atlantic coastline renowned for its pink sand beaches. When the championship course opens, Jack’s Bay will become the only destination in the world with Jack Nicklaus Heritage® and Tiger Woods golf courses. Jack’s Bay is also the first Nicklaus-branded real estate community in the Caribbean. The initial Founder’s Offering of beachfront and ocean view homesites has already sold out, and the development has officially launched its 2024 Residential Collection, which features 12 Atlantic Club Cottages and Phase 1 of branded Nicklaus Village residences.
“This may be the most spectacular piece of land that I have been blessed to work with in my career — this is the opportunity of a lifetime,” Chad Goetz, who has designed golf courses around the world working for Nicklaus Design over the past 25 years, said in the release. “We want to create a course at Jack’s Bay that harmonizes with the environment and features strategic shot-making opportunities. Most of all, we want to create a course that is fun for all types of players and immerses them in the natural splendor of this remarkable piece of land.”
“Jack’s Bay is going to be a very special place for both golfers and homeowners alike,” added Andy O’Brien, Nicklaus Brands president. “When I was given the opportunity to experience Jack’s Bay for the first time, we toured homesites with incredible golf and ocean views and then meandered our way along the coastline to holes 7, 8, 9 and 10. The setting reminded me of several oceanside golf courses I’ve seen, but in particular, Pebble Beach.”
In addition to the one-of-a-kind golf experience, additional homeowner perks include a member-only day dock, sports complex, spa village, beach club, tennis, pickleball, a fitness and wellness program and multiple dining venues.
You can find more information about Jack’s Bay here.
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