Nicklaus Design to create Ute Lake Ranch
Golf Course

25,000-acre lake resort community in New Mexico seeks "higher standard" of golf course design the world's leading design firm delivers

NORTH PALM BEACH, Fla. Ute Lake Ranch, a 25,000-acre lakefront resort community now underway in Logan, New Mexico, is proud to announce that Nicklaus Design, the golf course design firm founded by legend Jack Nicklaus and privately owned by the Nicklaus family, has been commissioned to create the development's new golf course. The golf course, which is scheduled to break ground in the first half of 2006, will provide Ute Lake Ranch buyers and visitors one of the finest and enjoyable golf experiences in the nation.

"We wanted to work with a design team that would elevate our golf course to a higher standard, and there's no doubt Nicklaus Design will help us to achieve that goal," said Barry Freedman, owner and developer of Ute Lake Ranch. "The Nicklaus Design team of professionals will provide golf lovers with a course they will never forget, and one they will want to play over and over again. It's a tremendous partnership, and with a name like Nicklaus behind our course, its value is enhanced and that value will only grow with time."

Design plans will make the Ute Lake Ranch course challenging and enjoyable for players of all skill levels, while maximizing the beauty of the lakefront property. The Nicklaus Design Associate assigned to Ute Lake Ranch is Jon Garner, whose recent work with Steve Nicklaus at The Bridges at Black Canyon in Montrose, Colo., earned a spot in GOLF Magazine's prestigious "Top 10 New Courses You Can Play"-a list of the 10 best new public-access courses in the country. Nicklaus Design has placed at least one course in the list for nine straight years, which is this is the longest active streak by any firm in the rankings' history and tied for the longest run by any designer or design firm. Since the first Top 10 You Can Play was released in 1990, Nicklaus Design has placed 16 courses, including 12 from 1997-2005.

Ute Lake Ranch features 25,000 acres of land, with 175 miles of shoreline and plans that include a Nicklaus Design championship golf course, a full clubhouse, 26 navigable miles of water, a Mariner Village and beach club, an equestrian center and a gated community with as many as 12,000 homes once completed. Prices in the first phase will range from $360,000 to $500,000. Information is available at www.utelakeranch.com.

"For those who are willing to look beyond traditional markets in Arizona, Nevada and other parts of the Southwest-where waterfront property is nearly impossible to find or costs two or three times more to own-our development is the perfect choice," Freedman added. "People love to be on the water, and we're giving them that option."

About Nicklaus Design:
For close to 35 years, the mission of the Nicklaus Companies has been to enhance the golf experience, and to bring to the national and international consumer golf-related businesses and services that mirror the high standards established in the career and life of Jack Nicklaus. These services include golf-course design, the development of golf and real estate communities, and the marketing and licensing of golf products and services. Nicklaus Design, recognized as the world leader in golf course design, has been involved with 294 courses open for play in 28 countries and 37 states. At least 47 Nicklaus Design courses have been ranked in various national or international Top-100 lists, and by the end of 2006, at least 79 Nicklaus Design courses will have hosted a combined total of over 500 professional tournaments worldwide or significant USGA national championships.