A couple of months ago, planning officials in New South Wales approved the long-delayed Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Australia, which is supposed to eventually become a link in a chain of 25 world-class private golf enclaves built on properties personally selected by Jack Nicklaus. These spare-no-expense clubs are to feature Nicklaus “signature” golf courses and amenities approved by the Golden Bear himself, not to mention reciprocal playing privileges.
The Australian club will be built by Capital Corporation, as part of a 600-acre community in Cessnock that will consist of 300 high-end single-family houses, 250 villas and apartments for short stays, and a 50-room, Hilton-branded hotel. Capital Corporation expects the course, which will also be open to the hotel’s guests, to someday host the Australia Open or a comparable professional event.
Cessnock is located in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales, which is already a hot-spot for wine connoisseurs. Capital’s managing director told a local newspaper that his community would help turn the area into “a major international tourist destination,” and a local elected official said that it would be “a massive economic driver for this area over the next 20, 30, and 40 years.”
Capital Corporation initially lodged its development application in 2005. The company hasn’t announced when it’ll start building the golf course, but its desire to follow through on its plans gives renewed hope to the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club concept, which has been stymied by economic hard times.
As best I can determine, the network currently has only about a half-dozen properties. It includes previously existing clubs in the United States (in Florida, Ohio, and Nebraska) that were grandfathered into the system, as well as clubs in New Zealand and the Dominican Republic. However, only one freshly developed property (in New Songdo City, South Korea) has been added to the chain since the Great Recession took hold. Clubs planned in Mexico and Anguilla have recently showed signs of life, but others in Canada, Scotland, Argentina, St. Lucia, and other desirable locales are either dormant or dead.
Assuming it’s built, the course in Cessnock would be Nicklaus’ fourth in Australia. The North Palm Beach, Florida-based architect has produced one other course in New South Wales, Australian Golf Club in Rosebery, as well as Heritage Golf & Country Club in Melbourne, Victoria and Lakelands Golf Club in Robina, Queensland.
I suppose it’s worth noting that Nicklaus’ firm will begin a renovation of Australian Golf Club this summer.
A slightly different version of this story appeared in the April 2012 issue of the World Edition of the Golf Course Report.
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