Perhaps the new mantra for Nicklaus Design should be: Resort to the Best.
In the recent ranking by Golf Digest of the “75 Best Golf Resorts in North America” for 2009, 12 resorts were anchored by a Nicklaus Design golf course, including seven of the top 13.
The Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, a popular destination in Hawaii for tourists and a perennial early season stop for the Champions Tour, made the No. 4 spot for the second ranking in a row.
Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina, which has hosted the Ryder Cup and is home to the 2012 PGA Championship, jumped up seven spots to No. 7. The other top-10 resorts to feature a Nicklaus course are The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, W. Va., which came in at No. 8.
Just outside the top 10 was a run of resorts featuring not only high-profile Jack Nicklaus Signature Courses but recent Nicklaus Design additions. The One & Only Palmilla, featuring Jack’s first work in Los Cabos, Mexico, was No. 11, followed by The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. The site of Jack’s first U.S. Amateur victory 50 years ago this week, The Broadmoor had Nicklaus Design redesign its Mountain Course and it re-opened July 2006 to national acclaim. Grabbing a tie for 13th was The Four Seasons Resort Lanai at Manele Bay, Hawaii, and The Ritz-Carlton Lodge at Reynolds Plantation, Greensboro, Ga., which is anchored by Jack’s award-winning Great Waters design.
Others in the 2009 “75 Best Golf Resorts in North America” for Nicklaus Design are:
No. 48: Grand Traverse Resort & Spa in Acme, Mich.
No. 56: La Quinta Resort & Club at PGA West in California.
No. 60: Kauai Marriott Resort & Beach Club in Hawaii.
No. 66: Grand Cypress Resort in Orlando, Fla.
No. 67: The Lodge & Spa at Cordillera in Edwards, Col.
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