Mission Hills Golf Club announced that Jack Nicklaus will visit on April 17 and receive a Lifetime Achievement award from the China Golf Association.
Winner of a record 18 professional major championships and designer of Mission Hills' World Cup Course, Nicklaus will also discuss his association with the new Mission Hills Jack Nicklaus Junior Masters and conduct a short golf clinic. To commemorate his work on the World Cup Course, Nicklaus will place his handprints in cement near the first tee.
"Jack is revered in China for both his record as a player and his accomplishments as a businessman," says Tenniel Chu, executive director of Mission Hills. "He was one of the first people to recognize the untapped promise that China held for golf."
Nicklaus has designed 13 courses in China to date, including Mission Hills' World Cup Course. Opened in 1994, it has hosted a variety of international events, including the 41st World Cup of Golf in 1995. Known for its large, speedy greens and deep bunkers, it's widely regarded as one of the finest courses in Asia.
The Golden Bear's commitment to developing the sport in China continues through his association with the new Mission Hills Jack Nicklaus Junior Masters.
"Mission Hills is dedicated to promoting golf among Chinese youth and welcomes Jack's involvement," says Chu. "His name is associated with greatness and lends even further credence to our efforts to foster the next generation of major championship contenders."
Nicklaus' visit to Mission Hills also coincides with the Omega Mission Hills World Cup's recent return to prominence, thanks to Mission Hills' involvement through 2018. No stranger to the event, Nicklaus played on the winning team a record six times -- in 1963, 1964, 1966 and 1967 with Arnold Palmer, 1971 with Lee Trevino and 1973 with Johnny Miller. Nicklaus was the individual champion three times (1963, 1964, 1971), also a record.
About Mission Hills Golf Club
Since opening in 1994 and hosting the World Cup in 1995, Mission Hills Golf Club has emerged as one of the world's leading venues for international golf events, hosting more than 50 tournaments including the 2001 Tiger Woods China Challenge. Mission Hills and the Olazabal Course will be the permanent home of the Omega Mission Hills World Cup through 2018. In addition, Mission Hills has firmly entrenched itself as the epicenter of golf in China, one of the fastest growing markets in the world for the construction of new golf courses and grass roots growth of the game via junior golf programs.
Mission Hills seeks to create international goodwill through golf. The club occupies over 15 square kilometers of land and boasts 12 signature courses designed by golf legends from five different continents: Jack Nicklaus, Pete Dye, Jose Maria Olazabal, Ernie Els, Nick Faldo, Zhang Lian Wei, David Leadbetter, Greg Norman, Jumbo Ozaki, Vijay Singh, Annika Sorenstam and David Duval. In May 2004, Mission Hills was accredited by the Guinness World Records(TM) as the World's Largest Golf Facility, making a name for itself in the world of premier golf through its exceptional ability to deliver an unsurpassed level of service excellence.
The Chu family has also invested heavily in practice facilities and instructional academies in order to promote the sport through retention of players. There are three practice ranges on site. And Mission Hills has the rare distinction of having two teaching facilities from renowned instructors in the same location: the David Leadbetter Academy and the Mission Hills Golf Academy by Cindy Reid. In conjunction with international golf star Nick Faldo, the club hosts the Faldo Series Asia grand final. The Faldo Series provides the best young golfers in Asia with grass roots level access to the game through a series of goodwill competitions.