Jack of Spades
Nicklaus, Jacklin break ground on Concession
By Matt Griswold
Courtesy of the Bradenton Herald
 | | The Concession broke ground Tuesday, January 18th. |
Prior to the arrival of Jack Nicklaus and Tony Jacklin at a groundbreaking ceremony, a small gathering waited anxiously to bump shoulders with the golfing greats.
"They're on 18 now," someone in the know announced to the crowd. People chuckled.
Right now, "18" - referring to hole 18 of The Concession golf course - is nothing more than an undeveloped piece of old Florida and a vision in the heads of Nicklaus and Jacklin. By December, the developers and designers of The Concession Golf Club and Residences say it will be a plush final hole of a championship course and ready for play.
The group broke ground on the golf course Tuesday, again paying tribute to a 35-year-old event that touched the lives of Jacklin, Nicklaus and the golfing world in 1969.
The Concession is a $600 million project. The 1,232-acre, 255-lot development sports lot prices ranging from $420,000 to $780,000, and home site packages priced between $1.3 million and $9 million. The golf course will be 540 acres.
World-renowned fashion designer Adrienne Vittadini was also on hand at the groundbreaking. She is a design and architectural consultant on the project.
"I maintain this is going to be the finest community in the state of Florida," said long-time Sarasota Realtor Michael Saunders.
Both Nicklaus and Jacklin are building homes there. For Jacklin, it will be his permanent residence. Nicklaus said he's not likely to spend a great deal of time in his new house, but will visit from time to time, offering it as a guest house when he's not there.
The Concession is a Nicklaus Signature course. Nicklaus designed it himself, consulted by Jacklin.
The challenge of designing the course is making it difficult enough for the pros and playable enough for the amateurs.
"Less than 2 percent of golfers play from the back tees," Nicklaus said.
Nicklaus and Jacklin actually made some adjustments to the course's design Tuesday.
"I'm really looking forward to playing it," Nicklaus said.
Jacklin, a full-time Bradenton resident, laughed when asked whether he was looking forward to having The Concession open.
"Are you kidding me? How long do you think these last three years have been for me?" he said.
There has been no progress on getting any kind of PGA Tour event, but Nicklaus said the course will be able to handle big-time events if necessary. Jacklin remains committed to bringing the Ryder Cup to the Concession, though the earliest possible date is 2020.
Nicklaus won 20 major golf tournaments and is considered golf's greatest player. Jacklin, no slouch himself, won the 1970 U.S. Open and the 1969 British Open.
The Concession's name is derived from the 1969 Ryder Cup match at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England. On the 18th green, Nicklaus conceded a two-foot putt to Jacklin that resulted in the first-ever tie between the American and European Ryder Cup teams. Over the past 30 years, the gesture has been labeled the greatest example of sportsmanship.
Core Development, of Sarasota and Wichita, Kan., along with New York-based Property Market Group, are developing the course, residential lots and interior roads. Iowa-based Weitz Golf will construct the course.
Heavy construction will begin next month, said Kevin Daves, president of Core Development.
Nicklaus and Jacklin said The Concession will stand on its own, when asked how the course might compare to the Tom Fazio-designed Ritz-Carlton course being built nearby, or the recently opened Founder's Club in Sarasota.
"This has been really fun," Nicklaus said. "Tony and I have been friends a long time.
"People in this area are clamoring for more golf. When you do something, it should be done properly."
The Concession is east of Lorraine Road and Lakewood Ranch and will be entered from the south along the future extension of University Parkway.
Visit Waterberg on the web at www.waterbergestate.com.
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