Southport, N.C. - Nicklaus Design, a golf course design firm, has been retained to create the newest course in the coastal Carolinas—The Reserve Club at St. James Plantation.
Jay Atkinson, president of St. James Properties, confirmed plans to develop an 18-hole course in the community’s newest neighborhood, The Reserve. Earlier plans called for nine additional holes, but the growth of St. James Plantation and the demand for more golf, led to the decision to upgrade to 18 holes and hire Nicklaus Design.
The Reserve Club will bring the number of golf holes available to the members and guests of St. James Plantation to 81, making it one of the largest residential golf community in the coastal Carolinas. The golf course will be four miles west of Southport, N.C.
“With Nicklaus Design’s reputation for tying in the existing, surrounding natural environment, The Reserve Club will look on opening day as if it has been there for years," Atkinson said.
The Nicklaus Design team will be led by Michael Nicklaus, the youngest of Jack Nicklaus’ four sons.
“The Reserve Club will be a nice complement to the three existing golf courses, yet at the same time, it should be unique in its characteristics and design strategy," Michael Nicklaus said. "The course will fit nicely there but also stand out.”
The Nicklaus Design team said the par-72 layout will play more than 7,100 yards from the back tees, but will offer enough tees to accommodate players of all skill levels. Nicklaus said the terrain is rolling and is made up of sandy soil, which is ideal for building golf courses. The team complimented the native vegetation and the variety of wooded wetlands.
“I think you will see a golf course that is traditional in nature, one that will be enjoyable and playable for all levels of golfers, but challenging for the better players,” Nicklaus added. “At Nicklaus, we’ve always placed a higher premium on precision rather than power, but you will see enough holes that place an emphasis on power and precision. You will also see a fair share of risk-reward holes.
“Still, we are in the very preliminary stages of the design process, so it is difficult to be specific. As we open up the land and start to see more of what is there and what the site has to offer, the property will dictate the design and the course itself will evolve.”