Nicklaus Companies’ Global Influence Looms Large at 2019 PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando
A premium network of partners, vendors, and licensees set to demonstrate Nicklaus’ industry-leading footprint
We are days away from the industry’s largest annual gathering of organizations, business leaders, golf professionals and owners at the 2019 PGA Merchandise Show. We head to Orlando with our industry network at the Nicklaus Companies having never been stronger, deeper or more dynamic, as our portfolio continues to grow and diversify.
During the exhibition, Nicklaus Executive Chairman Howard Milstein, Nicklaus CEO John Reese and the entire executive team will be meeting with our valued partners and prospects from around the world, including many domestic and international clients from Asia, Europe and the Americas.
“This is the premier business gathering of the year for the industry and for our company,” said Reese. “On both the domestic and international fronts, we are meeting with our current partners on plans for 2019 as well as perspective companies on several new opportunities for the brand. We will have our entire Nicklaus executive team as well as the key people from 8AM Golf on hand to cover a hectic few days. We are very bullish on the golf business for 2019.”
The Nicklaus Companies growing footprint in the lifestyle space will be hard to miss on the convention floor this year, as the brand will come to life in the realm of presentations from a variety of partners including Jack Nicklaus Apparel, AHEAD headwear, Stance, E-Z-GO, and Southwest Greens with new contracts to be signed while in Orlando.
Nicklaus Partners on Display at the PGA Show
- Jack Nicklaus — Booth #3165
- 8AM Golf — Booth #900
- AHEAD — Booth #4757
- E-Z-Go / Textron — Booth #2431
- Golf Links to the Past — Booth #3259
- GOLF Magazine — Booth #MTGROOMW207B
- Miura — Booth #1921
- PGA REACH / Jr. Leagues — Booth #4457
- Southwest Greens — Booth #2819
- Stance — Booth #4080
AHEAD’s exhibit will include the highly successful Jack Nicklaus Majors Collection, while Stance will be displaying an expanded line-up of Jack Nicklaus collection socks for 2019 that launched last year. The updated Stance product line carries the momentum of a hugely successful launch year for our licensing partnership in which the debut product sold out the week of The Masters. We’ll also be visiting with longstanding Nicklaus Companies partners at E-Z-GO, a leader of the business that will once again be displaying their latest and greatest products for the golf world.
Meanwhile, we can’t wait to swing by the booth of our partner Southwest Greens, which is making its PGA Show debut in 2019. Valued and exclusive partners with Nicklaus Design, Southwest Greens’ synthetic turf products are safe, comfortable, high performance surfaces with advanced backing systems that conform to contours and ensure maximum drainage, delivering an unmatched variety of products. Southwest’s showcase product this year is its Golden Bear Turf product line, which represents the ultimate in quality, look and performance for synthetic turf grass products.
Additionally, we are looking forward to connecting with our wide range of partners and colleagues from Milstein’s 8AM Golf and representatives across its distinctive portfolio. This week notably marks the rollout of the first issue of the relaunched GOLF Magazine. Personally directed by Milstein, the magazine’s publisher, GOLF features a brand new look and feel that promises to be a spectacular experience for the readers in addition to its new digital platform and online golf shop. The suite of brands under 8AM Golf — some of which will be exhibiting at the PGA Show including GOLF.com, GOLF Magazine and Miura — offer consumers a comprehensive approach to enjoying the game.
Importantly, as social purpose is a foundational value that we serve at the Nicklaus Companies, we will be exploring the exhibit by PGA REACH, an organization to which Milstein recently donated $1 million to honor his friend and partner Jack Nicklaus. In November 2018, recognizing Milstein’s dedication to helping the game, he was named a Trustee of PGA REACH.
Video Spotlight: Executive Chairman Howard Milstein Strives to Institutionalize Nicklaus Brand
“What could be better than being partners with Jack Nicklaus?” asks Milstein, reflecting on a landmark partnership with one of the industry’s preeminent figures
In this week’s edition of the Nicklaus News video spotlight, Executive Chairman Howard Milstein reflects on more than a decade of success and transformation in partnership with Jack Nicklaus and imagines an even brighter future for the organization.
Elite Company: Golf Advisor’s 2018 Rankings of the Top 50 U.S. Courses You Can Play Includes Five Nicklaus Design Properties
Congratulations to the Nicklaus Design courses ranked in Golf Advisor’s recently-published 2018 list of the Top 50 courses You Can Play in the U.S., based on its 144,000+ player reviews last year. The list includes the Nicklaus Course at Pinehills (#12), Harbour Town (#17) King & Bear (#30), Grand Cypress (#46) and English Turn Golf and CC (#47). Recognition is always humbling for our team at Nicklaus Design, especially when it is earned with everyday golfers around the country. Below is a brief snapshot highlighting each course and snapshots of the first-person reviews featured in the Golf Advisor rankings:
Nicklaus Course at Pinehills Golf Club | Plymouth, Massachusetts (No. 12)
Designer: Jack Nicklaus II
Year Built: 2002
Golf Advisor Reviewer: “No doubt that this and the Jones course are two of the best public courses in the state if not in all of New England. The course is always in great shape, the staff is phenomenal and the practice area is top notch.”
Harbour Town Golf Links | Hilton Head Island, South Carolina (No. 17)
Designer: Jack Nicklaus, Pete Dye
Year Built: 1969
Golf Advisor Reviewer: “Playing at Harbour Town isn’t just a round of golf but is an entire experience. Make sure you get there early to walk around and take in the world-class facilities.”
King & Bear at World Golf Village | St. Augustine, Florida (No. 30)
Designer: Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer
Year Built: 2000
Golf Advisor Reviewer: “The course was in perfect condition. Every hole you are reminded of where you are and who designed this gem.”
Grand Cypress North-South-East | Orlando, Florida (No. 46)
Designer: Jack Nicklaus
Year Built: 1984
Golf Advisor Reviewer: “My personal favorite of all the courses around the attractions and resorts. Immaculately kept, greens were some of the best I’ve seen all year.”
English Turn Golf and CC | New Orleans, Louisiana (No. 47)
Designer: Jack Nicklaus
Year Built: 1988
Golf Advisor Reviewer: “Greens were excellent, putted true and not nearly as curvy as a typical Jack Nicklaus design. Good mix of long and short holes. The island green 15 was fun. Lots of bunkers add to the challenge.”
Partner Spotlight: Perry Ellis and Jack Nicklaus Join Forces to Showcase
Three Tiers of Nicklaus Brands
Led by CEO, Oscar Feldenkreis, our industry-leading partner is built for innovation in 2019 and beyond
The Feldenkreis family takes great pride in what they have built at Perry Ellis International, a multinational corporation which first partnered with the Nicklaus Companies in 2013, and today employs some 2,400 employees generating more than $1 billion in retail revenues around the world. Perry Ellis Founder, George Feldenkreis, recently completed a $437 million buyback of the company, the first step in the strategic plan to transition the business from a public organization back into to a private entity.
After a record year of sales in 2018, Perry Ellis and the Nicklaus Companies will celebrate five years of a distinctive and successful international licensing business when the apparel powerhouse once again exhibits at the PGA Show. The Perry Ellis showcase this week is set to include the freshest styles from the Jack Nicklaus Apparel Collections, including both men’s and women’s clothing, as well as some of the first products from our new line-up of Nicklaus golf accessories.
“Our market share in golf has been growing sharply and we’re excited to be adding a golf accessories business for the Jack Nicklaus brand,” said Oscar Feldenkreis, CEO, Perry Ellis International. “The Nicklaus brand is known and revered worldwide, and we are happy to report our business has almost doubled in the last 12 months. From green grass shops to the largest retailers, our distinctive three-tier label strategy of Nicklaus Black, Blue and White product lines continue to resonate with lifestyle consumers, and we’re optimistic that our current growth trajectory and record sales is a sign of more great things to come”
“We have a huge admiration for Oscar and the leadership at Perry Ellis,” said Andy O’Brien, Senior Vice President, Nicklaus Companies. “It’s hard to believe that we’re only halfway to a decade and are achieving remarkable global success together. That is the result of quality product, a talented design team and an expansive sales force. Obviously, Oscar has been a critical figure and catalyst for the growth of the Jack Nicklaus lifestyle brand, and he’s leading in a way that is surely making his legendary father, George, his colleagues and our Nicklaus family proud.”
Looking to Make a Winter Getaway? Explore Nicklaus Design’s Remarkable Collection of Properties in Mexico and the Caribbean
You probably know the old saying: “It’s five o’clock somewhere.” At Nicklaus Design, with our unparalleled portfolio of more than 423 courses open for play in 45 countries and 39 states, we live by the mantra that it’s always golf season somewhere! This month, as most of the U.S. endures the dog days of winter, we’re making time to highlight some of our finest destination properties in Mexico and the Caribbean. From the Yucatan Peninsula to the shores of Cabo Del Sol, we hope this collection highlighting some of the most brilliant Nicklaus Design courses awakens your golfing spirit (and maybe even inspires a phone call to your travel agent). Enjoy!
The Nicklaus Design Course at Vidanta Puerto Peñasco
Year Built: 2005
Designer: Jack Nicklaus
Website: lagunadelmar.com
On a beautiful peninsula surrounded by a natural estuary, inlet, and the Sea of Cortes, the Nicklaus Design Course at Vidanta Puerto Peñasco is a special collaboration between Jack Nicklaus and Jack Nicklaus II. The deep blue ocean and the warmth of its waters surround what’s been called “one of the 20 best and most fascinating golf courses in the world.” Carved through the massive sand dunes indigenous to the area, the course was more uncovered than created, allowing the character of the land to shine through. Desert vegetation lines each hole, along with spectacular panoramic views of the surrounding inlet and sea. The Nicklaus Design Course at Vidanta Puerto Peñasco is a true hidden gem and a pleasure to play—the par 72 has water on three sides of the property and has unlimited natural beauty.
El Jaguar at Yucatan Country Club
Year Built: 2008
Designer: Jack Nicklaus
Website: yucatangolf.com
El Jaguar Golf Club at Yucatan Country Club is a Jack Nicklaus Signature Course that has quickly earned a reputation as an architectural masterpiece. It is today widely regarded as one of the very elite courses in all of Mexico, including Los Cabos, Cancun and the Mayan Riviera. Travelers who have been to its host city, Merida, know what a well-kept secret the beautiful city really is. Merida, the capital of Yucatan, is a stunning 550-year-old colonial; its close proximity to the relaxing beaches of Progreso allow for its visitors to enjoy both ocean pleasures, and the cultural sights and sounds of a true colonial Mexican city. Additionally, Merida is less than a three-hour drive to Cancun where you can enjoy other Nicklas Design and Signature Courses.
Quivira Golf Club
Year Built: 2014
Designer: Jack Nicklaus
Website: quiviragolfclub.com
Located on the true Land’s End of the Baja Peninsula with more than three miles of sparkling white beaches, picturesque desert cliffs and panoramic ocean views, the exclusive resort community of Quivira Los Cabos is a paradise of elegance, serenity and service. A dynamic ecosystem of mountain, desert and ocean is featured in a spectacular natural setting with a Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, private beach clubs, an exclusive clubhouse and more — the property all comes together to create the ultimate destination for guests to celebrate life in style.
