china Nicklaus and Jones Pair Up

Two celebrity architects have designed three 18-hole golf courses for a ski resort near the highest mountain in northeastern China.

Jack Nicklaus and Robert Trent Jones, Jr. have designed the courses for the Changbaishan resort, which spreads over 4,000 acres in Baishan City, Jilin Province. The resort takes its name from Changbaishan Mountain, a dormant volcano –- it reportedly last erupted in 1215 -– that looms in the distance. The “ever-white mountain” is already a popular tourist destination and part of an area that local authorities intend to market to international travelers as “the Oriental Alps.”

The master plan for the resort includes vacation villas, hotels, a horse-racing track, an adventure park, a spa, conference center, and RV park. With those attractions plus the golf courses -– a 7,414-yard “signature” track by Nicklaus and a pair of 18s by Jones -– the resort figures to attract 3.5 million visitors a year by 2020.

While the courses are under construction, they aren’t expected to open for several years.

“The season is short,” says John Cope, one of the design associates at Nicklaus’ firm, “and it will be a few seasons before we complete anything.”