Nicklaus Companies distances itself from proposal to build golf courses at state park

American Dunes Golf Club. Image via American Dunes Golf Club.

The golf company founded by Jack Nicklaus is distancing itself from a now-abandoned proposal to build golf courses at Jonathan Dickinson State Park. A spokesman for Nicklaus Companies also stressed its relationship with the golfer ended years ago.

“Due to the speculation surrounding the ill-conceived plans for golf courses to be built at Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Florida, we want to reiterate that neither Nicklaus Companies nor Nicklaus Design were involved in any of the plans, at Jonathan Dickinson or any other Florida park, nor have we had discussions with any of the parties mentioned in news reports,” the statement reads.

Nicklaus Companies President and CEO James Haggerty sent the statement to Florida Politics. He made clear the statement came from the company, not from Nicklaus, the pro golfer who won the most golf majors in history.

Since retiring from competition, Nicklaus has become a renowned golf course designer. He notably designed the course at American Dunes Golf Club in Michigan. That’s a course associated with Folds of Honor, which originally released a statement on behalf of Tuskegee Dunes Foundation, the organization that said it proposed the golf courses at Dickinson Park and later abandoned the plan amid mass outrage.

American Dunes opened in 2020 at the prior site of the Grand Haven Golf Club, as reported at the time by the Holland Sentinel.

“To be clear: Jack Nicklaus resigned from Nicklaus Companies in May 2022 when he was 82,” the Nicklaus Companies statement reads.

“Nicklaus Companies has no inside information regarding projects he may or may not have pursued over the last two years outside of our companies. Nicklaus Companies purchased the Nicklaus Design golf course design firm and related businesses from Mr. Nicklaus and his family in 2007 for $145 million — along with related trademarks and Name, Image and Likeness rights. So, again, Nicklaus Companies and Nicklaus Design had no involvement in these recent plans, and only just learned about them through news reports.”

Nicklaus Companies was involved in a previous proposal in 2011 that similarly upset officials.

“In 2011, the community spoke. We listened. We cannot comment on what other parties may be doing, but Nicklaus Companies and Nicklaus Design oppose the development of golf courses in Jonathan Dickinson Park or any other Florida state park. If asked to participate in such a project, we would decline.”

The statement appeared to seek a complete separation from the bad press surrounding Florida’s Great Outdoors Initiative.

“With more than 430 golf courses worldwide open for play, Nicklaus Design is the largest golf course design company in the world and continues to service a growing portfolio of new golf course design and renovation projects on a global basis,” the statement adds.

“To address environmental issues and concerns, we have been working with environmental groups for several years and recently created our Nicklaus Green division. We are passionate about growing the game, and we are passionate about our natural environment and the communities in which we operate. Florida is our home, and many of our employees are frequent patrons of our beautiful state parks. You can be assured that everything we do is in keeping with these principles.”