Jack Nicklaus Announces Final Design Plan For The Retreat

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. (Sept. 23, 2002) - Jack Nicklaus and his Nicklaus Design firm have finalized plans for The Retreat, an exclusive private golf club being created by The Bonita Bay Group(TM) in South Lee County. The Retreat, the first Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course built to Audubon Signature Sanctuary standards, is located on a magnificently wooded and secluded 275-acre site.

The Retreat is being created as a free-standing amenity, and no residential development will ever occur on the site. The private club, with membership limited to just 275 and no tee times required, will also offer a caddie program for ladies and gentlemen who prefer to walk the golf course.

"Every golf course design evolves during the construction process, but during the planning stages of The Retreat, the lack of a residential component allowed us to concentrate exclusively on the golfing experience," Nicklaus said. "We also had great latitude in working with the site's natural elements, as well as the ability to preserve native vegetation, including oak hammocks and the cypress slough that is part of the natural flow way that divides the course. The mature trees and vegetation will add to the character of the course and give it the feel of a club you might find farther north."

According to Nicklaus, The Retreat's routing takes players in and out of wooded areas and across the flow way via bridges. The course is also designed to accommodate those who prefer to walk, so there is not a great distance from greens to tees. "We try not to repeat features on different holes, and we continually do design modifications in the field to make each hole distinct from all the others." Nicklaus said.

The final design places emphasis on shot values and requires players to use strategies to play each hole. In the final design plan, the back nine's hole No. 11, the course's longest hole at 597 yards, is a dramatic par 5. Nicklaus also decided to move the green, bringing water into play on the third shot of this hole. The design for No. 12, a par 3, has been reworked to bring water features into play, and No. 13 has been modified from a par 5 to a par 4 to complement the changes on 11 and 12. Nicklaus also has added a fourth set of hole distances to accommodate different skill levels.

"The Retreat has been designed for golf aficionados who appreciate the traditions of the game and enjoy the exclusive, golf-only character of a club," said Ed Rodgers, vice president of The Bonita Bay Group and general manager of the Amenities Division. "Members and prospective members are particularly drawn to the casual ambience of the clubhouse."

The Retreat's clubhouse design is by Richard Diedrich of Diedrich NBA in Atlanta, one of the world's leading clubhouse design firms. Diedrich NBA also designed The Club at Mediterra's clubhouse and the Bonita Bay Club East clubhouse.

"The Retreat is the perfect name for this private club," said Diedrich. "We have designed the clubhouse to complement the site's outstanding natural assets. It will have the character of an estate-house retreat with an abundant use of wood and Florida limestone."

All permits for The Retreat are in place and groundbreaking will occur when 80 Founding memberships are reserved. For information about The Retreat, membership opportunities, or to request a private tour of the site, please call Jay Severson, marketing consultant, at (239) 390-1181.