Nicklaus dishes dirt on The Concession
MIKE HENRY
Herald Staff Writer
Jack Nicklaus balked when Sarasota realtor Michael Saunders issued the order to shovel during Tuesday's ceremonial ground-breaking ceremony at The Concession Golf Club.
"I don't dig dirt," said Nicklaus, drawing hearty laughter from dignitaries and media members. "I just direct it."
For about two hours, Nicklaus and Concession partner and Bradenton resident Tony Jacklin toured the 540-acre site east of Lorraine Road and Lakewood Ranch, tweaking the proposed design and applying their personal stamps.
If construction goes as scheduled, the course could open in December.
"Primarily, our organization (Nicklaus Design) is doing the golf course, I'm doing the golf course, and Tony is consulting with me on the golf course," said Nicklaus, whose company has 275 courses open for play worldwide.
The Concession Golf Club and Residences project is part of a private-course boom in East Manatee and north Sarasota, joining the Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed Founders Club on Fruitville Road and the Tom Fazio-designed Ritz-Carlton near Lakewood Ranch.
Developer Kevin Daves, Saunders, Nicklaus and Jacklin are firm in their belief the Golden Bear's reputation will ensure a sellout of The Concession's 300 memberships, currently priced at $75,000.
"When Jack lays it out, home values are higher than any other home values on courses laid out by any other designer," Saunders said.
"I've done an awful lot of golf courses for real estate developments and average golfers that are very well accepted," Nicklaus said. "We want to design more here from the members' tees than the back tees, making sure it's playable for the people who are going to play it on a day-to-day basis. I think we've been relatively successful with that through the years."
The Concession celebrates Nicklaus' gesture of conceding a two-foot putt to Jacklin on the final hole of the 1969 Ryder Cup at Royal Birkdale in England, resulting in a 16-16 tie between the United States and Great Britain (the defending champion U.S. team retained the Cup).
"It's a great thrill for me to be involved with him in this project," said Jacklin, who originated the Concession concept.
Jacklin said he and Nicklaus will continue to refine the design on subsequent site visits to the property, which is dotted with huge oak trees and towering pines.
"It's using what is here and taking the best advantage of it we can," Jacklin said. "We're trying to keep variety in the shape of the holes and using the environment we have to enhance it.
"It's going to be a wonderful walk among nature - like golf when I started playing more than 50 years ago in Britain."
Nicklaus, who turns 65 Friday, hasn't played on tour since his own Memorial in June. He underwent a surgical procedure on his lower back Nov. 23 to alleviate recurring pain in his legs.
"I had a huge desire to get my legs to stop hurting," he said. "It hurt like hell for 17 days after (the procedure), but I haven't had a pain for six weeks."
He plans to return to action in two weeks at the Wendy's Champions Skins Game in Hawaii.
Concession set for December debut
Elite development nabs honorary member Connery
MATT GRISWOLD
Herald Staff Writer
EAST MANATEE - The back nine is set, the first phase of home lots are sold out, and the elite golf club has nabbed its first honorary member: famed actor Sean Connery.
With plans to fly to Scotland and tee it up at the British Open next month, the two golfing greats behind The Concession Golf Club & Residences are juggling a lot of balls. Even so, developers are on pace to open The Concession in December.
The Concession is a Jack Nicklaus Signature development designed in conjunction with Bradenton resident and former British Open champion Tony Jacklin.
"The course has evolved as we said it would early on," Jacklin said Friday. "It's a great piece of land. Everybody's curious to see what it's going to be like, but the truth is, you don't know how it's going to be 'til you play it."
Nicklaus and Jacklin are working to balance the course - making sure dog-legged holes are of similar quantity in both directions - as well as making the course as "playable" as possible.
"We like what we've come up with," Jacklin said.
The Concession is a $600 million development on 1,232 acres just east of Lakewood Ranch. The first phase, totalling 155 lots, is sold out. Buyers are spending more than $800,000 per acre in some cases and dropping $1.5 million to $15 million on the homes themselves.
Golf memberships will be in the $100,000 range.
Developers have carved out a 33-lot portion of Phase 1 for a special neighborhood they'll call Nicklaus Manor. Homes in Nicklaus Manor could be considered modest compared to some of the estates planned for The Concession, but full-maintenance service for homeowners living there will make the community "the ultimate in care-free, luxury living," said Concession spokeswoman Cindy Cockburn.
Homes in Nicklaus Manor will range from about 3,900 to 5,300 square feet. Naples-based Landmark Development Group has been tapped to build all 33 homes.
"We feel these maintenance-free manor homes will have a huge appeal to baby boomers," said Michael Saunders, owner of Michael Saunders & Co., which sold more than $2.5 billion in high-end real estate last year. "They'll be very elegant - very sexy."
Renowned fashion designer and architectural consultant Adrienne Vittadini is involved in the design process.
Most of the buyers are relocating from Naples, the barrier islands along Manatee and Sarasota counties, and Lakewood Ranch, Saunders said.
"And of course we have Sean Connery as an honorary member," she said, with a follow-up quip: "If it's good enough for James Bond... as the saying goes."
Nicklaus and Jacklin will finalize the front nine of their golf course upon returning from the British Open, Jacklin said Friday.
Jacklin, 60, said this will likely be the last championship he plays in. The British Open is scheduled for July 14-17. Jacklin is playing to commemorate Nicklaus' final British Open, to be played at the hallowed Old Course at St. Andrews Links.
Jacklin has been friends with Connery for more than 30 years. He hopes to meet up with the actor during his trip to Scotland. Jacklin's son, Sean Jacklin, is named after Connery. Jacklin said he hopes Connery, who lives in the Bahamas, will visit the Bradenton-Sarasota area semi-frequently to play The Concession.
The high-profile names, the eye-popping dollar figures and the top real-estate market in the country have generated a sizable buzz for The Concession.
Project developer Kevin Daves said scarcity of beachfront property has driven demand at the club. He said he's going to wait until membership is beefed up a little before building the 30,000-square-foot golf clubhouse and 8,000-square-foot sports clubhouse. Membership will be capped at 300. More than 50 have been sold.
Not even a heavy rainy season will slow down development of The Concession, Daves said.
"In December, people are going to be able to play this golf course," he said.
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