Panama City Beach, FL – Bay Point Golf Club at Sheraton Bay Point Resort and KemperSports announce The Nicklaus Course at Bay Point will reopen for public play on March 1, 2019, following extensive cleanup and repairs from Hurricane Michael. As the only Nicklaus Design in Northwest Florida and one of the premier destination golf experiences in the Florida Panhandle, the course reopens with newly renovated greens and bunkers.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the work our team has put in at Bay Point to get The Nicklaus Course back into playing shape,” said golf general manager, Ryan Mulvey. “It has been a very difficult time for our community since the storm hit in October, but this golf course has been a real rallying point for our team and the work we’ve done has helped provide a sense of normalcy for all of us.”
Hurricane Michael hit Panama City and the eastern tip of Panama City Beach where Bay Point is located as a Category 4 storm on October 10, 2018. Cleanup of the Nicklaus Course included the removal of trees, extensive debris removal and repairs to the clubhouse and cart storage facility. Cleanup and debris removal continues at the almost 50-year-old Meadows Course.
Prior to the storm, the overhaul of The Nicklaus Course, which began June 25, 2018, included the conversion of all 18 greens from Tif-Dwarf Bermuda grass to Ultra-Dwarf Tif-Eagle Bermuda, creating more consistent putting surfaces with a better tolerance for lower mowing heights and faster green speeds year-round. Twenty-three renovated green-side bunkers complement the greens and include sand and drainage throughout, promoting a better playing experience from around the greens.
Originally designed by Bruce Devlin in 1986 (as Lagoon Legends) and renovated by Nicklaus Design in 2005, Bay Point Golf Club is the only Nicklaus Design golf course in Northwest Florida. The par-72 Nicklaus Design championship layout stretches over 7,100 yards from the back tees with a challenging course rating of 74.3 and slope of 143. The course has hosted numerous regional and local events, including the USGA U.S. Open Qualifier in 2016. Bay Point Golf Club is also a home course of the Florida State University Women’s Golf Team.
Bay Point Golf Club is owned by Torchlight Investments, LLC and managed by Northbrook, Ill.-based KemperSports.
For more information about Bay Point Golf Club or Sheraton Bay Point Resort, visit www.baypointgolfclub.com or www.sheratonbaypoint.com and connect with the Bay Point Golf Club socially on Facebook and Instagram.
