Nicklaus Design Across the Globe
DaNang City, Vietnam – The Nicklaus Design business overseas is busier than ever this summer as illustrated by Sean Quinn, Nicklaus Design Associate, who is working closely with the BRG Group and Madame Gna to develop 20 golf courses in Vietnam. This week, Sean worked at the Nicklaus Course at DaNang Golf Club in Vietnam where the first redesigned nine holes are open for play, and he is currently renovating the next nine holes. Nicklaus Design is playing the lead role in developing courses across the country and promoting Vietnam as the newest premier golf destination. “Vietnam has exploded and is leading the world in growth of new golf courses,” said Nicklaus Companies President, Asia Pacific, Paul Stringer. “The country has amazing natural resources so we are working closely with Mother Nature to protect as well as feature the native environment. As a result, the courses that are evolving are stunning. Vietnam is emerging as a premier, international golf destination, and these golf courses are creating an immediate and long-term impact on the country’s economy.”
Boca Raton, FLA. – Here in our Palm Beach County home, Jack Nicklaus, Chris Cochran and Nicklaus Design staffers joined the construction team this week at Via Mizner Golf & Country Club to work on the next phase of the extensive redesign project. Working in connection with the Via Mizner team, Nicklaus Design is striving to bring South Florida a new Nicklaus gem, scheduled to have nine holes open in December and the remaining nine in early 2019. With bulldozers crisscrossing the construction site, the project is in the active stages of clearing trees and implementing the new course strategy. Jack spent Monday collaborating with the owners on everything from green contours to elevation changes and tee box placement.
“This is essentially a brand new signature course of the highest caliber that people in Boca have not experienced,” said Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Penn-Florida Companies, Mark Gensheimer, “Jack and Nicklaus Design have done an incredible job beating our expectations.”
Palm Beach Gardens, FLA. – Just down the street from the Nicklaus Companies Headquarters on PGA Blvd, you will find Chris Cochran, Senior Design Associate, in the midst of re-sodding the new greens at the Champion Course at PGA National, home of The Honda Classic. The Nicklaus Design Team is immersed in the renovation project of Jack’s Signature course and believes the new green complexes will create a fitting challenge for the world’s best players next February and an enjoyable daily golf experience for the members and resort guests year-round. Like the Nicklaus Companies, The Honda Classic’s DNA includes giving back to local charities and with it being in the Nicklaus family’s backyard, the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation is the primary beneficiary of the PGA TOUR event.
North Palm Beach, FLA. – Just east of the Nicklaus Companies Headquarters, you will find Nicklaus Design Associate, Chad Goetz, working on sprigging the fairways and grassing the new greens at the major course renovation taking place at the town’s municipal golf course, North Palm Beach Country Club. The course, located along the picturesque intracoastal waterway, is now entering the grow-in phase and is on track to open later this fall. Jack Nicklaus originally redesigned the course in 2006.
“This is probably the State of Florida’s very best municipal golf course” said Goetz. “What Jack recreated here just over a decade ago truly transformed the course. The changes and improvements we are making this year will provide a true test for seasoned golfers and incredible golf experiences for people of all skill levels.”
Dublin, OH. – The Country Club at Muirfield Village is two-thirds of the way completed of the full modernization of the existing Jack Nicklaus Signature Course. Nicklaus Design Associate, David Savic, who was born and raised in the Columbus area, is frequently returning to his hometown to work on the restoration of the Nicklaus course. Nicklaus Design was challenged by the club to keep the course open to members during construction, and the course has not been forced to close any part of the facility throughout the project. The goal from the membership was to preserve the integrity of Jack’s original signature layout while at the same time updating the course and providing new energy. Every bunker on the course has been renovated creating the most viable new effect.
2018 Jack Nicklaus Brand Council Meeting at Baha Mar!
Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, France, Spain and the Philippines were just a few of the countries represented at the annual global Jack Nicklaus Brand Council meeting hosted last week at Baha Mar in Nassau, Bahamas, home to the new Jack Nicklaus Signature Design, Royal Blue Golf Club, which opened just last year. Throughout the action-packed week, companies met to review global retail trends, country-by-country local economic conditions, cutting-edge digital media marketing strategies, and to view the dramatic release of the men’s and women’s Jack Nicklaus Apparel Spring 2019 Collections.
After individual strategy meetings with each country partner on Monday, the Nicklaus Team took the floor in the general session on Tuesday to update the international licensees on the expanding Nicklaus businesses, international market conditions, and new marketing opportunities. CEO, John Reese, and Senior Vice President of Marketing, Licensing & Communications, Andy O’Brien, analyzed apparel industry trends in the U.S., discussed plans for new international apparel partners and the lifestyle brand’s expansion strategy for the future. Other presentations included protecting Nicklaus trademark rights as well as the existing global marketing campaigns like the Jack Nicklaus International Invitational, which focuses on connecting customers with Jack Nicklaus Apparel and driving local traffic to the point-of-sale in each country.
Following the Nicklaus Companies presentations, all Jack Nicklaus Apparel licensees presented a business update on each local market and the plans for adapting to market trends and integrating digital marketing strategies to be the leaders of e-commerce.
Finally, the 2019 Jack Nicklaus Apparel Collection was unveiled, and all of the international licensees spent time reviewing new fabrications, fashion direction and collaborating to develop new styles that would work best in each country’s market. After a long day in meetings, the companies gathered for the Nicklaus Awards Dinner where the Jack Nicklaus Award of Excellence was presented to Indonesia’s P.T. Trisula Corporation. The annual award recognizes the top performing company delivering the most growth in the market as well as expanding the Jack Nicklaus brand.
“The annual meeting with our international licensees is a very strong reminder of the power of the Jack Nicklaus brand around the world,” commented O’Brien. “This energetic gathering stimulates an exchange of ideas and strategy as well as provides a platform for valuable discussions on market conditions and retail trends taking place in each country. Our partners have helped grow the brand to a $250 million business around the world.”
AHEAD Celebrates Jack’s Three British Open Victories with New Cap
This week, AHEAD unveiled the newest caps in the Jack Nicklaus Majors Collection in time for the Open Championship, at Carnoustie Golf Club in Scotland. The new collection, formed by AHEAD in partnership with the Nicklaus Companies, was launched earlier this spring with a series of four caps as a tribute to the game’s most decorated champion and the winner of a record 18 Major Championship titles.
Benefiting the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation, the newly released headwear will debut in two styles—white and blue, the colors of Scotland—stitched with the numeral “3” on the side, symbolic of the number of British Open titles won by Nicklaus. All three of the Golden Bear’s Open victories came in Scotland, which has always held a special place in the heart of the Golden Bear. Jack’s first win came in 1966 at Muirfield Golf Links, and the final two came in 1970 and 1978 both at the Old Course at St. Andrew’s Links. In 2005, Jack Nicklaus concluded his Major Championship career at the British Open at St. Andrew’s with a birdie on his final hole.
AHEAD’s complete line of Nicklaus headwear, including the Majors Collection, are available for purchase at the company’s online shop — https://aheadusashop.com/collections/nicklaus-majors-collection.
Stance Adds to the Nicklaus Collection | Fall 2018
Stance, the country’s leading hosiery innovation company, is preparing to release the Fall 2018 edition of the Jack Nicklaus Collection. Capitalizing on the remarkable success in the market of its Nicklaus introduction earlier this spring, Stance accelerated its plans for release of the new SKUs featured in the Nicklaus offering. The latest style celebrates Nicklaus’ 11th Major Championship win at the 1972 U.S. Open hosted at historic Pebble Beach Golf Links. Nicklaus has a deep-rooted history with Pebble Beach: in addition to winning the 1972 U.S. Open, he won the 1961 United States Amateur there and his son, Gary, will be competing next month in the 2018 United States Amateur at Pebble. Nicklaus played his final U.S. Open there in 2000 and has often said that if given one last round of golf, he’d choose to play it at Pebble Beach.
“When we launched our Nicklaus line prior to the Masters this year, we sold out in one week and had to immediately order additional production. Nicklaus was one of the fastest selling products in Stance history”, said Clarke Miyasaki, Senior Vice President of Stance, which also has licenses with the NBA and MLB. “The response was remarkable, and we quickly added new SKU’s around The Players Championship and the Memorial Tournament. We are now proud to offer the new Fall 2018 sock commemorating Jack’s incredible success in major championships.”
Each sock in Stance’s new Jack Nicklaus Collection will feature the iconic Golden Bear logo embroidered on the opposite sock of the Stance icon. The ’72 U.S. Open style is available online at stance.com and will be in pro shops around the country next week.
