NBC News is reporting that Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus, two of the biggest names in golf, were included in the Florida plan to put golf courses in Jonathan Dickinson State Park. The network cited a representative for the legendary golfers who confirmed their interest in the project.
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The Palm Beach Post reported last week that two companies founded by Nicklaus, but with which he is no longer affiliated with, flatly stated they were not involved in the state park proposal. But the statement also made clear they were not speaking for Nicklaus.
Plans by the Department of Environmental Protection to add golf courses, lodges and pickleball courts in nine state parks drew an outburst of anger, especially the part of the plan that included putting golf courses in Dickinson, a state park on the Palm Beach-Martin County border not far from Woods’ Jupiter Island home and Nicklaus’ North Palm Beach home.
On Wednesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis distanced himself from the plan, saying it was “half-baked” and “leaked to a left-wing group to try to create a narrative.” He said that there had been some calls for improvements at state parks, but that the DEP needed to go back to the drawing board.
Documents were leaked to environmentalists a week ago showing plans for the installation of three public golf courses at Jonathan Dickinson as part of the state’s 2024-2025 Great Outdoors Initiative.
The fervor of discontent that followed led to the state postponing public meetings that were scheduled.
NBC News said Eugene Stearns, who represents Nicklaus, said Woods and Nicklaus would do course-design work on the project.
“There were actually going to be at least two courses; one would be a Tiger course and one would be a Jack course,” Stearns told NBC News.
Stearns said Nicklaus would have done the work free of charge.
“For Jack, it was a charitable issue,” Stearns told NBC News.
Nicklaus Companies, which is no longer affiliated with founder Jack Nicklaus, told The Palm Beach Post it was not associated with the recent golf course plans. The statement from Nicklaus Companies emphasized that it was from the firms — Nicklaus Companies and Nicklaus Design — alone, not Jack Nicklaus personally.
Nicklaus Companies reiterated that it had nothing to do with the courses at Jonathan Dickinson and called the project an “ill-conceived plan.”
“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,” a statement sent to The Palm Beach Post said. “If asked to participate in such a project, we would decline.”
Jack Nicklaus resigned from Nicklaus Companies in May 2022 when he was 82 years old.
“Nicklaus Companies has no inside information regarding projects he may or may not have pursued over the last two years outside of our companies,” the statement added.
In 2011, legislators tried to add golf courses to state parks through bills that would have created the “Jack Nicklaus Golf Trail of Florida.” The only park specifically mentioned in the House’s version of the bill was Jonathan Dickinson, which is nearest Nicklaus’ North Palm Beach home.
The bills were quickly withdrawn after public outcry.
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