Ribbon-Cutting Day At Trump Ferry Point!

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Stephanie Wei files a WSJ preview for Wednesday's sure-to-be lively ribbon-cutting at Ferry Point Park, New York City's pricey public course pushed through by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, designed by Jack Nicklaus and to be managed by Donald Trump.

The three will be on hand to commemorate the completion of construction.

Priceless quote from Nicklaus:

"We had half a golf course out there before Mr. Trump got involved," said Nicklaus in an interview at the Presidents Cup earlier this month. "The problem was finishing it. They kept working at it. We spent this ridiculous amount of money for environmental issues—on a dump!"

The course is not actually opening for a while...

That finish line won't officially arrive until the spring of 2015, when the course is slated to open to the public. (Ferry Point will be used for some public programming, primarily junior golf, in conjunction with the city's Parks Department starting next summer.) Only 14 months ago, the site contained little more than dirt—millions of tons of it.

Pasadera Becomes Nicklaus Club-Monterey

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Jerry Stewart reports on the Jack Nicklaus-designed Pasadera Country Club becoming Nicklaus Club-Monterey.

It's part of a re-branding and China's to blame.

The re-branding is part of a recent deal that saw Nicklaus-China, an entity of the Nicklaus Companies, signing a formal partnership with Hainan Airlines (HNA), who owns the private club. Under the agreement, Nicklaus-China will use Nicklaus Companies and Nicklaus Design to offer turnkey development services and support to the 13 golf courses currently owned by HNA. Along with 11 courses in China, the airline company also owns Somers Pointe GC in New York and Nicklaus Club-Monterey.

"Nicklaus-China will manage the course, reporting directly to Jack Nicklaus," said Nicklaus Club-Monterey sales director Robin Shelton. "Our main focus is on operations and service delivery."

As opposed to service...

Bring Back The PGA Championship Long Drive Contest!

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While we wait for the onslaught of remembrances celebrating the 10-year anniversary of Shaun Micheel's unforgettable win over Chad Campbell in the 2003 PGA at Oak Hill--goosebumps just typing that--Jason Sobel posts a super piece on Jack Nicklaus's memories of winning 1963 PGA at Oak Hill.

He reminds us that Nicklaus won the pre-event long drive contest that the PGA of America held until some time into the 1980s. And wouldn't that be a fun way to liven up Tuesday of PGA week again? Of course today's Hogan's and Snead's would never do it, but it might still be fun to see some lesser known players and maybe a few club pros have some fun.

There was also this:

He won with a mammoth drive of 341 yards and received a money clip that was engraved, “DRIVING DISTANCE WINNER.”

He remembers this because the money clip has stayed in his pocket every day for the past 50 years.

Think about that for a minute: For all of the accolades and treasures heaped upon Nicklaus during his career, the one which has remained closest to him, joining him on journeys around the world, along for the ride on experiences fit for a king, is a money clip for winning a long-drive contest.

“That drive was 341 yards, 17 inches. I do remember that, too,” he says proudly. “That was an 11‑degree wood driver, 32 ¾‑inch Dynamic Edge shaft. Everybody used the same golf ball, so nobody had a preference on what golf ball was hit.”

Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea And Its Mounds Land '15 Prez Cup

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Look at those mounds! And that width!

The description from the press release announcing the 2015 Presidents Cup venue selected by the PGA Tour:

Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea features a par-72, 7,413-yard Signature Golf Course designed by the Golden Bear, and offers world-class amenities, including an award-winning, 60,000-square-foot clubhouse. For The Presidents Cup 2015, the course has undergone some minor renovations and the holes rerouted to accommodate hospitality and the match-play format. Songdo IBD is a joint undertaking by Gale International, POSCO E&C, and Incheon City and a model of international collaboration. Songdo IBD is globally recognized as the world’s foremost smart, sustainable city-scale development. In 2012, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) selected a site in Songdo as the home for the GCF Secretariat.  It is believed that many of the sustainable infrastructure and technological innovations being pioneered in Songdo will be applied to GCF-funded projects in developing nations. 

Video: More From The Nicklaus Museum

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More from the Nicklaus Museum. Parts 1 and 2 are here.

Part 3 is the famed one-iron from 1972 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and 1967 U.S. Open at Baltusol with insights from curator Steve Auch.



My favorite segment is part 4, the "White Fang" putter painted by Barbara, gripped by Deane Beman (with a now illegal golf pencil insert), then it disappeared, and then it was recovered after someone brought it to a birthday party for one of the Nicklaus children.



Part 5 looks into the museum's Masters display, including his 1975 shirt and the story behind the 1986 putter.

Jack On Muirfield Village's Heavily Bunkered 18th: "It looks like something I had to do to protect the hole."

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Okay, now that Jack Nicklaus has said what we all know to be the case, the 18th at Muirfield Village doesn't look as good as it used to look. But it's not Mr. Nicklaus' fault that players were taking a short cut thanks to modern equipment, so he liberally sprinkled bunkers to maintain relevancy for the finishing hole at the Memorial. A lot of bunkers.

And now he acknowledges in this Rusty Miller note, too many.

"Every time I look on television, I look down and see all those bunkers along 18 and I don't think it's a pretty look," Nicklaus said, referring to right side of the landing area beyond a walnut tree. "It looks like something I had to do to protect the hole. All the other holes on the golf course are basically played the way they were designed. Eighteen is the only hole where they are able to circumvent the design. They take it over the corner and get it out there.

"To me, the finishing hole needs to be stronger."

Monday after the Memorial, Nicklaus will meet with superintendent Paul Latshaw to evaluate the tourament and the club will proceed accordingly. Nicklaus told the press Wednesday that a new tee could extend the hole by 30 yards to return the driver to relevancy on the finishing hole.

Though Latshaw did tell me the timing could be anywhere from ASAP to a few years from now depending on what Mr. Nicklaus says. With the Presidents Cup looming this fall, I won't be surprised if the new 18th tee is built sooner than later. The added bunkers?  That may take a bit longer to deal with.