This muny's a real labor of love (GolfWorld.com) 1-26-06Z
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edited by Peter Finch
This munys a real laborof love
Hometown hero Jack Nicklaus
produces a handsome remake
of North Palm Beach CC
NORTH Palm Beach has never been
a golf destination, but now there's a
muny in town well worth playing on
your next trip to Palm Beach County:
North Palm Beach CC.
A long -neglected course along the
Intracoastal Waterway, NPBCC officially
re -opened last week to must -play reviews.
The event was the latest chapter in a feel -
good, community -renewal story with resi-
dent legend Jack Nicklaus, architect of the
dandy makeover, at the heart of the tale.
Just one piece of local knowledge: It's a
bear around the greens.
Located less than three miles from
Nicklaus' home in Lost Tree Village,
NPBCC takes the notion of "signature
design" to a new level. Nicklaus lavished
attention on the project. Sometimes
accompanied by one of his 19 grandchil-
dren, he would come to the site in the sum-
mer, grab an ATV from the cart barn and
drive around the property when it was just
dirt. "It's his little baby," said wife Barbara.
"He had a ball. I bet he's made 90 visits."
With a street named after hire, the ath-
letic complex at the community college
builtwith his money, and the Honda Classic
in neighboring Palm Beach Gardens ben-
efiting the Nicklaus Children's Hospital, it
made sense that Nicklaus would have his
name on the local municipal golf course
as well. But the town never wanted to do
anything about it, and Jack was always too
busy, or so he said.
Dr. Edward Eissey, a long-time Nicklaus
friend, former high school and junior col-
lege administrator, mayor of North Palm
and tennis partner, talked Jack into bid-
ding on the project and eventually
doing it for $1 ($1,999,999 less than his
usual design fee). "A labor of love should
not be paid for, so here's the dollar back,"
Nicklaus said on the first tee at the open -
North Palm Beach CC: Non-resident
green fee: $108 Fri -Sun; $99 Monday -
Thursday. Phone: 561-691-3433.
ing, handing the bill to Eissey.
In a total rerouting, he converted the
132 acres from a 6,300 -yard par 72 believed
to have been designed originally by Seth
Raynor, to a 7,125 -yard par 71 from the
tips. Nicklaus made better use of the sand
ridge that runs through the property, and
put two holes instead of one along the
Waterway the revamped layout has been
a hot topic of conversation of members
at elite private clubs Seminole and Old
Palm since last November's public open-
ing. North Palm's membership has grown
from 350 to 500 since then and there is a
waiting list of 80. The joke is, it's becoming
harder to get a tee time at North Palm than
at The Bears Club in Jupiter, Fla., where
memberships go for $350,000. And it's not
even the heart of the season yet.
The only negative buzz has been the
course's difficulty. "I'd say it's six or seven
strokes tougher," said local resident Don
Brown, 69, a former president of the club's
men's golf association. "The hard part is
the greens. [Nicklaus] buried elephants in
these greens," Brown's handicap has gone
from an 8 to something in the low teens,
but he wasn't complaining like some of the
senior citizens Nicklaus referenced in his
comments at the grand opening Jan. 19.
Nicklaus noted that there isn't much
trouble for the first 200 to 225 yards and
there isn't. And maybe he put a little too
much trouble in the greens. But he justified
the philosophy by drawing a comparison
to the redesign work he did at Lost Tree
Village, where 20 percent of the member-
ship is more than 80 years old. This course
was more for his grandchildren, and their
grandchildren.
"I play a different game now," said
Nicklaus, who turned 67 last Sunday.
"Since I stopped playing competitive golf,
I haven't three -putted a green. I hit one
putt, and if it doesn't go in, I pick it up."
Property values around the course
have doubled and so (nearly) have the
green fees, which have increased from
$65 for non-residents before the re -open-
ing to $108 on the weekends, slightly less
Monday -Thursday. "To play a Nicklaus
signature golf course, it's extremely fair,"
says head pro Mike Gray.
There are 18 guest slots open per
hour, 72 per day, with nearly 200 players
completing play during winter's shorter
days. Tee times can be made five days in
advance. Member tee times have been fill-
ing up in 10 minutes for slots seven days
out. "People have to be diligent if they
want to play here," says Gray.
Nicklaus was diligent on the course
during the opening as he played with sons
Jack II and Gary, interacted with the crowd
and explained his design philosophy. The
driver he used on the first tee was signed
for display in the clubhouse. Eventually
this will become a historic place, as future
generations play the local course that Jack
built. As townspeople gathered around the
18th green for autographs, Eissey smiled.
"It's like having Superman come in to be
our chief of police," he said. GW
—Tim Rosaforte
Golf World.com January 26,2006 15