INTRODUCTION
Defined by dedication, hard work and a determination to be the best.
On his way to being inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame Nick Price has established a legendary golfing career and a distinguished reputation. His golf course design career is taking a similar path, in that it too will be defined by dedication, hard work and a determination to be the best.
Nick’s success in reaching No. 1 in the world in 1994 led to a host of offers to design golf courses. Those offers stirred his interest but he knew that he did not want to share a legacy with others that had put their names to golf courses in which they had little or no involvement. Credibility is important to Nick and he felt that if the course was to bear his name, he wanted to be involved in the entire process, particularly the construction of the course. So he set out to learn the technical side of the business to compliment his renowned knowledge of strategy and expertise of shot-making. Nick began the process of learning when he teamed up with Steve Smyers and over the next decade, went on to work with several other renowned designers, including Tom Fazio. He has designed courses in the United States, Zimbabwe, Europe and the Caribbean. Through this process of working with others, Nick experienced first hand a variety of business structures, design styles, philosophies and techniques in planning, designing and constructing several golf courses in a variety of settings. With a credible foundation of technical experience and knowledge, Nick formally established his own company in 2001 with a goal to create golf courses that are special, unique and lasting.
Nick has established an approach to his design work that limits the projects he accepts so that he and his team can be involved with the design process at every level. Relationships are at the heart of any undertaking and Nick, long-established as one of the great personalities on the PGA Tour, connects easily with people. As a result, the trust and friendship established with our clients has made the development process relatively simple and enjoyable for our clients.
A traditionalist at heart and long-recognized as one of the best ball strikers in the game, Nick understands the importance of substance over style in the design of golf courses. Nick passionately believes that it is this simple design principle that has seen so many of the older courses firmly established as the great courses of yesterday, today and tomorrow.
Since branching out on his own, Nick has gone on to design courses in Florida, Dominican Republic, Ireland, South Africa and Mexico.
OUR APPROACH
People talk about handcrafting a golf course – well, that is exactly what we do.
Our goal is to create golf courses that are special, unique and lasting. The only way to do this is to be able to spend the time required on the site, making sure we find the best routing and then making sure that the course evolves to its full potential. We therefore limit the work we take on to one or two projects a year so that we can all dedicate the necessary time to design and build each one of our courses.
People talk about handcrafting a golf course – well, that is exactly what we do. We personally guide and shape the outcome of every aspect of our courses. We design it, and we manage the design and construction process every step of the way, taking care of each and every detail.
Having seen the evolution of the mass production mentality so prevalent in our industry today, we know that our approach creates a better development experience and result for our clients. Rather than fleeting visits now and again, we spend time on our projects and with our clients to ensure that all aspects of the project are properly planned; that the course is built under our direction; and that it is completed on time and within budget at the highest level of quality.
We look for clients with whom we share a common agenda and philosophy and we work hard to win their trust and support. We acknowledge the responsibility of designing a client’s golf course and we believe our approach demonstrates our commitment to deliver what we promise.
We look for design opportunities that will challenge us, help us grow as designers and where we can help a client reach their goals.
Nick has chosen not to build a golf course design empire. Rather than spending our time traveling from country to country, bouncing from project to project, we want to spend time on site and with our clients, enjoying the creative process of building a golf course. We also want our clients to have fun with the development of their course. In doing so, we hope that we make a contribution to the great game of golf.
WHAT WE DO
We begin the design process by spending time with our clients, getting to the heart of what they want and understanding what their expectations and goals are. We then begin studying the property, defining areas for golf and laying out the course.
We typically look at several routing options and make several trips back and forth to the site, and together with input from planning meetings, we make adjustments and narrow the options to finalize the best layout.
With a final approved routing we then begin the detailed design of the golf course itself. We create a comprehensive set of drawings that together with the technical specifications, bill of quantities and detail sheets, form the basis for obtaining bids from contractors and suppliers.
We begin the design process by spending time with our clients, getting to the heart of what they want and understanding what their expectations and goals are. We then begin studying the property, defining areas for golf and laying out the course. We typically look at several preliminary routing options and make several trips back and forth to the site, and together with input from planning meetings, we make adjustments and narrow the options to finalize the best layout. During this phase we typically establish the conceptual look and styles that will be incorporated later into the detailed drawings. At this time we will also begin to establish preliminary construction budgets and schedules for the golf course.
With an approved routing plan we then begin the detailed design of the golf course. We create a comprehensive set of drawings that include clearing plans, hole by hole contour plans, drainage plans and grassing and landscape plans.
These plans together with the technical specifications, bill of quantities and detail sheets, form the basis for obtaining bids from contractors and suppliers.
Highly detailed hole by hole contour plans provide our on site personnel and contractors with traditional contour plans and also now include a variety of high resolution 3-D perspectives (not concepts) that accurately reflect the design of the hole in a 3 dimensional format along with all of the construction quantities for each hole. The sophisticated CAD software we utilize provides the basis for the creation of life-like 3-D perspectives and high resolution video fly-through that can be used as tremendous marketing tools on the web, brochures and other media.
Our software delivers plans that are not only a technical document but also a marketing piece for our clients that provide the opportunity to envision what each hole will look like in still images and video. The software also ensures the creation of a highly accurate, detailed and disciplined construction budget and, together with our on-site presence through the construction process, we are able to eliminate any surprises and deliver the golf course within budget and on time.
Nick Price brings his renowned international reputation and credibility to each of his projects. We provide advice and assistance to our clients to skillfully incorporate Nick’s involvement in the design process, his name, likeness and signature in a comprehensive marketing and public relations plan that will create maximum value and exposure of their project.
Nick Price’s primary role is that of golf course designer but each of his visits to the project provide a host of marketing and public relations opportunities. We work with clients to coordinate these visits, provide support writing press releases and news information on the projects status as well as ensuring that appropriate photographs and video material is captured for further marketing and public relations use.
Our clients have the rights to use the Nick Price trademarks and logos in their promotional materials, advertising, website, apparel, scorecards and other materials. We also provide our clients with appropriate photographs and video of Nick Price for their approved use. In addition, we have a selection of Nick Price memorabilia, available only to our clients, for use in sales centers and the clubhouse.
We encourage our clients to take advantage of special events, particularly those that involve Nick personally. Project launches, site visits, media days, the Grand Opening are important days in the clubs history and we work closely to coordinate, provide support and to ensure that each event is successful.
Through a partnership program with equipment manufacturers, we are able to offer our clients a buying program with preferred pricing advantages for the finest turf care equipment and golf car fleets.
In addition to our on-site team, we visit the site constantly, providing on-site observation, direction and problem solving; attending meetings with all project personnel, reviewing budgets, schedules and quality of construction methods and materials to ensure an accurate and efficient work process. Nick spends a lot of time on each of his projects, involving himself in every aspect of the design process from planning to design and through construction. We provide direction of the construction work including flagging of clearing work; direction of earthwork, shaping and features construction; marking out bunker edging; delineating the grassing limits of the tees, greens, fairways and roughs; reviewing and approval of materials; approval and certification of payments that will ensure that the golf course evolves into the best that it can be, remains within budget, is on time and will look and play the way it was intended. This process continues through the grow-in, maturation and maintenance of the turf grass areas up until the opening of the facility for play.
Following the opening of the course we continue to consult, advise and assist our clients beyond the date of opening into the ongoing operation of the club.
We begin the design process by spending time with our clients, getting to the heart of what they want and understanding what their expectations and goals are. We then begin studying the property, defining areas for golf and laying out the course. We typically look at several routing options and make several trips back and forth to the site, and together with input from planning meetings, we make adjustments and narrow the options to finalize the best layout.
With a final approved routing we then begin the detailed design of the golf course itself. We create a comprehensive set of drawings that together with the technical specifications, bill of quantities and detail sheets, form the basis for obtaining bids from contractors and suppliers.
DESIGN THOUGHTS
Over the years we have been faced with such a wide range of properties, each with their own special character ….and some with very little character! We avoid forcing a pre-determined design style or concept onto land. Rather we choose to approach each project by evaluating the property and letting the land dictate what will be suitable.
We are not a member of any minimalist club that seems to be the in thing these days. It is a misunderstood term and maybe more of a popular marketing term that appeals to those who misunderstand or misinterpret it. Common sense dictates that it is foolish to move dirt where nature has done the work for you. Similarly, in cases where dirt needs to be moved, why let creativity be stifled by a one dimensional philosophy? Ultimately it is about the game of golf, developing a course that embodies what the game has stood for and will continue to stand for as time moves on. Applying time tested strategies in combination with contemporary design solutions requires a dedication of time on site so that the best solution for each property can be achieved. This is the commitment we have made to this profession.
It is with attention to detail and a focus on the art of strategy that we are able to incorporate the ground game of golf into our work. The ground game has largely been ignored in the past few decades and absent in most modern day American designs. Instead the strategy has been one-dimensional in that golfers have been required to fly the ball an exact distance over hazards to reach safety regardless of their abilities. We believe the ability to utilize the ground game provides golfers with different skill levels more options to get to the flag behind a hazard or to a certain side of the fairway that will open the shot into the green. Sound strategy provides more options that require the golfer to make decisions about how to play the hole, ultimately resulting in a more enjoyable, challenging round of golf for everybody.
Being on site as much as we are allows us to really focus on the details. It is the details that separate the good from bad, the great from good. Details do not cost more money; they merely require focus and being on-site to attend to them. By taking care of the details we leave nothing to chance.
We do not limit ourselves to working only on certain types of sites. We have always worked on a wide range of properties and enjoy the challenge and creativity that variety brings. Our preference would be to always work with sandy soils on moderately rolling topography; unfortunately this is not a realistic expectation. For every great site opportunity there are far more that come with challenges. Our experience around the world with a wide range of sites, from flat with solid rock to rolling sandy hills, has prepared us to use our creativity to face what ever challenges any site may pose.
PORTFOLIO
Nick Price’s second design project in Mexico opened for play in June 2012. The 7,367 yard South Course forms part of the Cancun Country Club, Cancun’s latest premium residential and golfing community. The development is located just 5 min from the Cancun International Airport and just 15 minutes from both downtown Cancun and the hotel zone. The 1,116 acre master planned resort community will feature a residential community with both single family homes and condominium units, a boutique style hotel, 36 holes of golf, a clubhouse, health spa, commercial center and a beach club.
Open to the public, the course plays between 5,127 and 7,029 yards that provides flexibilty when playing in the changeable sea breezes that makes the course challenging. Price has intergrated the course with the natural vegetation that gives tourists and locals alike, a secluded and intimate setting.
While open for play, the course still has many large open areas that have not yet been planted with tall grasses.
The 2nd 18 holes, the North Course will be designed by Tom Fazio with Nick Price as the Design Consultant.The Cancun Country Club is a licensed Tournament Players Club, the first in Mexico.
Location
SM.46, MZ 01, LT 1-08
Km388 Carretera Federal 307,
C.P. 77580 Cancun,
Mexico.
Tel (52)998-800-1072.
www.tpccancun.com
Grand Coral Riviera Maya is a unique urban resort within the city limits of the resort town of Playa del Carmen that is just 40 minutes south from Cancun’s International airport in Mexico. Price’s first design in Mexico will be the centerpiece for the residential developments within the 561 acre property that has almost a mile of world class beachfront.
Opened in March 2011, the course has been designed with a primary goal oo providing fun for both homeowners and resort guests. The course plays between 5,188 and 7,043 yards and features probably the widest playing corridors in the region.
Nick Price Residences, a 123 unit upscale multi family residential community located adjacent to the clubhouse, is the first development within Grand Coral Riveira Maya.
Within the Grand Coral Riviera Maya property, is a second development, Mareazul, a 300 unit luxury beachfront condominium. In addition to the golf course, homeowners and guests will enjoy a private beach club, a world class spa, a commercial area and a host of other ammenities that will make Grand Coral the ultimate in luxury living in Playa del Carmen.
Information:
Carretera Federal 307, Km 294,
Playa del Carmen,
Quintana Roo, Mexico.
Tel 52-984-109-6020.
www.grandcoralgolf.com.mx
Located outside Parys, just an hour from the city of Johannesburg, is an island in the Vaal River, so unique in its beauty and location, that it is has become the most exclusive residential golf estate in the growing South African market.
The course, opened in December 2008, has maintained a distinctly natural feel and look to it with a design that has minimally impacted the natural African bushveld of the property.
Fourteen of the holes are played on the island, and after crossing the river, the remaining 4 holes are played on the mainland. The golf course has been laid out to capture the essence of three distinct areas. Golfers will enjoy the rhythm of being briefly exposed the to river early in the round on holes two and three, then crossing the bridge to play holes five through eight. Here, the land is open and rolling, prairie-like, providing golfers with spectacular long-range views. Returning to the island, the internal holes nine through thirteen capture the natural, bushveld charm of the property. Holes 14 through 18 are routed along the perimeter of the island exposing golfers again to the beauty of the river, providing a fun, memorable finish to a unique round of golf.
Information:
The Island,
Parys 9585,
South Africa
Tel: 056-811-2013
www.vaaldegracegolfestate.co.za
Awards:
South African PGA Tour Qualifying School
2011 South Aftrican Amateur Championship
Located at the eastern tip of the Caribbean island nation of the Dominican Republic, the Punta Blanca Golf Club is the center piece of a unique residential development. The golf course is conveniently situated amongst an enclave of luxury resort properties and has been designed primarily to meet the needs of resort guests.
Opened in May, 2007, the golf course plays to a par of 72 and ranges in length from 5,372 to 7,159 yards. Winding its way through native vegetation, among natural wetlands and coral rock outcroppings, the golf course has a distinct tropical feel. Resort golfers will appreciate the wide fairways that provide varying angles of approach to the greens and the strategic placement of hazards. The course takes golfers for an easy walk through tropical vegetation, along native wetlands and through wooded corridors.
Information:
Carretera Arena Gorda,
Punta Cana, Republica Dominicana.
Tel. 809.468.4734
www.punta-blanca.com
McArthur is a design collaboration between Tom Fazio and Nick Price. The result of that partnership is a stunning and truly unique golf course that opened in October, 2002.
The site on which the golf course is built is located in a natural sand ridge, and contains a variety of natural features that were incorporated into the concept for the golf course, such as sand dunes, protected sand scrub areas, and low wetland areas. This visual mixture of topography and vegetation were the basis for the routing of a golf course that has a dramatic, new look on every hole. The natural white sand present on the site has been exposed into natural transition areas on the golf course and provides a spectacular contrast to the manicured turf. The existing mature vegetation of slash pine, sand pine, dahoon holly and loblolly bay have been augmented with an environmentally sensitive landscape palette, consisting solely of plant species native to the microclimates of the site, which blends seamlessly with the existing vegetation to give the course a finished and mature look.
The course contains generous landing areas with the opportunity for level lies, and water and wetlands are not overly used as in-play, strategic hazards. The main strategy for playing the course is the placement of tee shots to set up the best possible approach angle into the bold green surfaces and green surrounds. Areas around the greens have been contoured to create varied chipping areas. The course is a walking golf course, and greens and tees have been closely situated to minimize the connection to the next tee. This was accomplished by integrating the greens and tees into large landforms, which provide elevation and drama on the golf course as well as the opportunity to reduce the length of the green/tee relationship. The natural elevations and those created on the course provide the golfer with spectacular long-range views within an intimate setting.
McArthur is a private golf club for those who enjoy a classic golf experience in a pristine Florida sanctuary. The club is located in Hobe Sound, Florida.
Information:
6550 SE Osprey Street,
Hobe Sound, FL 33455.
Tel (772) 545-3838.
www.mcarthurgolf.com
Awards
2007 US Open Qualifying
Quail Valley is an exclusive family club that offers a golfing experience unlike any other in Florida. Opened for play in December 2001, it is the largest 18-hole course in the state. Quail Valley’s most distinct feature, however, is elevation, with it’s highest point at 62 feet – the equivalent of a six-story building. 2.7 Million cubic yards of dirt was moved to create the dramatic and unique elevation changes on what was once a flat grove of orange trees.
The complete site totals more than 400 acres with almost a quarter of that water. The course boasts a sparkling 47-acre centerpiece lake, which is home to the unique Island Hole, a 17-acre lake and a 12-acre “fishing hole” just south of the golf course, which is stocked with large-mouth bass for the relaxation and enjoyment of members.
The features at Quail Valley are extensive, with a 35-acre practice facility with real greens as target areas and six par 3 practice holes, a climate-controlled golf learning center with classrooms for group or individual lessons and a 12,000-square foot putting green and chipping area. Quail Valley has no residential component, no tee times and a full caddie program.
Services and amenities are key at the exclusive Quail Valley club. The Golf Clubhouse, which is modeled after the famed Shinnecock Club both in style and tradition, specializes in impeccable service. The luxurious oceanfront beach club offers members casually elegant dining along with a cozy lounge overlooking the Atlantic where members can enjoy a pleasurable social gathering before or after dining-all conveniently located in the heart of the Vero Beach social district.
Information
6545 Pinnacle Drive,
Vero Beach, Florida 32967.
Tel: 772.299.0093
www.quailvalleygolf.com
Awards
Stretched between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway in the vacation haven of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina lies Myrtle Beach’s newest private golf course, The Members Club.
Opened in June, 2005, the 7,029 yard course winds its way around wetlands and natural wooded areas that have been preserved and incorporated into the design to retain the property’s natural look and feel. The holes have been designed with a simple strategic approach that provides variety, interest and challenge to each hole. Focusing on the ground game, firm approaches to greens and a variety of slopes that assist golfers have been created to add additional elements of fun and variety to the game.
The Members Club is situated within Grande Dunes, a 2,200-acre master planned gated, luxury community of residential neighborhoods, that features oceanfront estate homes, custom homes and home sites, golf and waterway villas and condominiums, a 130-slip marina, a private clubhouse, tennis center and the beachside Ocean Club.
Information:
880 Marina Pky,
Myrtle Beach, SC 29572.
Tel:1-888-866-8877
www.grandedunesgolf.com/memberscourse.aspx
Awards:
#15 in Golfweek Magazines Top 50 New Courses
Top 100 in Golfweek Magazines Best Residential Golf Courses
The Members Club at Fourstreams is designed to be an exhilarating and challenging in a serene setting totally devoted to the enjoyment of the game of golf. Laid out over some of Maryland’s finest rolling land, the course provides golfers with visual drama from many vantage points. The course opened in 1998 and meanders throught a striking forest area, with some holes offering a classic, parkland-style golf with dramatic bunkering. A world-class practice range offers all the shots required to master the 7,100 yard golf course.
Four Streams Golf Club provides a golf experience unquestionably different from any other private golf club in the Washington, DC area. Designed to meet the needs of the discrimating golfer who is searching for a superior place to play, Four Streams is a pure golfing experience, with no tee times and a caddie program. The member-owned private golf-only club is located north ofthe Patomac in Maryland.
Location
19501 Darnestown Rd,
Beallsville, MD 20839
Tel 301-349-2900.
www.fourstreams.com.com
Public. 5,536 – 7,267 Yds.
6701 S. Heartland Blvd.,
Camby IN 46113
Tel 317-630-1785.
www.heartlandcrossinggolf.com
Gramacho Golf Club is located on the Algarve in Portugal. A unique course with 18 holes and 27 greens, it meanders through the rolling countryside adjacent to the ocean. Natural stone out croppings, historical dry walls and ancient trees have all been incorporated into this resort course.
Information
8401-908 Carvoeiro,
Lagoa, Algarve,
Portugal.
Tel (351) 282-340-900.
www.pestanagolf.com/Golf/gramacho-golf-algarve.html
Awards
Hosted the Ladies Portuguese Open in 2005 & 2007.
Voted 2006 Best Worldwide Golf Destination by International Assoc. of Golf Tour Operators
Hosted 2013 Seniour Tour qualifying