Legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus may have retired from the limelight of tournament golf, but he continues to leave his mark on links around the world, designing remarkable golf courses in some of the world’s most desirable destinations
By Dylan Scott

The sun was creeping its way behind Kilada Hills, creating an orange glow that consumed the placid Gulf of Argolis like a splash of olive oil envelops a bread plate. A brilliant day was quickly giving way to a cool night in this little corner of Peloponnesus paradise in Greece, located about two hours from Athens. The rolling hills dotted with olive trees that have made this area famous were now quiet in dark silence.
Well, at least for a few more moments.

Jack Nicklaus, two countries and two site visits into his day, was not about to cry uncle over a small matter like the impending darkness. Though he had exhausted every minute of sunlight and most of the design team, the day’s work was far from done. He promptly gathered everyone around a conference table to pore over plans for the first Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course in Greece—the centerpiece to a new residential, resort community that will set the standard of luxury there. Eager to solve a routing issue, Nicklaus gathered the troops, a few flashlights, and headed into the darkness. Several hours into the night, his solution was confirmed and everyone finally broke bread. Pass that olive oil, please. The next morning, Jack was back on site at daybreak, eager to wrap things up and move on to his next country and project.

“I have been with Jack for over 20 years, and during that time, I have seen him exhaust many men half his age,” said Tim Kenny, Executive Vice President of Nicklaus Design. “He seems to have boundless energy, especially when it comes to golf course design. It is as if design not only motivates him but energizes him.”

In July 2005, as Nicklaus stood atop the Swilcan Burn Bridge on the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland, following his final British Open and last major championship appearance, he allowed the full array of the moment’s emotions to wash over him. While the Golden Bear was waving goodbye to competitive golf, he was hardly waving goodbye to the sport. In many ways, golf’s greatest player was merely crossing a bridge into the next phase of his life—a chapter in his life that might be the busiest.

“I keep saying that most people work their entire life to retire to play golf, but I played golf my entire life to retire to work,” Nicklaus said. “That has become my running joke for well over a year, but it really has all the undercurrents of sincerity.”

Decades of spending one week in a town at a tournament have been replaced by weeks of non-stop travel, where Nicklaus might hit four or five cities or even several countries in a matter of days. In 2006, Nicklaus logged more than 550 hours—a personal high—on Air Bear, his Gulfstream V. “I don’t play golf anymore; this is what I do,” Nicklaus said. “I love to compete, and golf was always my vehicle to competition. Now I have the opportunity to approach golf course design with that same competitive passion. It’s me against a raw piece of ground, or in some ways, me against me or my own creativity.”

Jack Nicklaus is, without equal, the hardest-working man in the business, and as the game’s popularity continues to soar worldwide, Jack is on the first tee of this growth, designing courses in emerging markets all over the globe.

Already with close to 315 courses open for play in 30 countries, Nicklaus Design again started 2007 as the world leader in golf course design with projects under development in 37 different countries—23 of which he had never worked in before.

From Costa Rica to Kazakhstan; Panama to Portugal; Norway to Nicaragua; Bulgaria to Brazil; Tortola to Tuscany; St. Lucia to Sweden. Coming soon to a country near you: Jack Nicklaus.

“And I am having a blast!” he said. “I love going into these new countries and introducing golf. We are probably close to 70 percent international now. We are introducing the game and introducing it to people by designing a quality facility that they can learn to play golf on. I really get a big kick out of that. I love being part of that.

“Design allows me to stay connected to golf and to give back to the game that has given me and my family so much. I have always believed course design could be my lasting legacy, but helping lay a foundation for golf in another corner of the world is very gratifying.”