Columnist Victoria Sun: New Las Vegas golf course was challenge for Nicklaus

Victoria Sun

Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2001 | 11:46 a.m.

Victoria Sun's golf column appears Wednesday. Reach her at 259-4078 or victoria@lasvegassun.com

When Jack Nicklaus agreed to design courses that would incorporate different holes from courses he had already completed, he never imagined it would be so hard.

"Most of the golf courses I design as we go along," Nicklaus said Monday afternoon at the Ridges at Summerlin, a master-planned community and future site of the Bear's Best Las Vegas golf course. "I'd go from hole to hole, changing this and doing that.

"But here, I've already done these holes. I wonder, 'How do I change what I've done before?' Let me tell you, after trying to put all those holes within the land, frankly it's a heck of a lot easier to do a golf course from scratch."

The Bear's Best, designed by Nicklaus and developed by ClubCorp of Dallas, is scheduled to open for play this November. Each of the 18 holes is a replica of a hole from Nicklaus-designed courses primarily in the Southwestern U.S. and Mexico.

The first hole is a copy of hole No. 6 at Nicklaus' PGA West private course in Palm Springs, Calif., and the final hole is a copy of No. 18 at the PGA West resort course, also in Palm Springs.

Nicklaus praised the dedication of Nicklaus Design associate Frank Henegan to the project. Henegan spent several months poring over hundreds of holes to determine which ones would fit the topography of the land mapped out at the Ridges.

That was the deciding factor for which holes would be replicated.

The Bear's Best Las Vegas will be the first of several Bears Best courses in the United States. The total cost of the golf course and clubhouse is $22 million.

Construction has already started on a Bear's Best Atlanta and it is scheduled to open shortly after this one.

"We're considering having a Bear's Best in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., our base in Dallas and Orlando or Palm Springs," ClubCorp senior vice president of new business and development David Richey said. "We want them to be located in destination cities.

"It's going to be a very high-end golf product and the price and experience will reflect that."

No price has been set for individual tee times, though Richey estimated that the minimum fee will be between $100-$150 during the off-season and $250-$300 during peak season.

Each of the Bear's Best courses will be designed for group play.

"We can accommodate social groups of 15 golfers to 60 golfers in town for a convention," Richey said. "We're looking for law firms that want to take their partners and wives out for golf and are willing to spend the money."

Don't feel like paying the high greens fees?

Your only solution would be to buy a home at the Promontory at the Ridges. Homeowners will receive discounted rates, preferred tee times and other amenities.

Gibson, a member of the Ladies Professional Golf Association teaching and club professional division, is the only woman head professional in Las Vegas.