A new par-3, 9-hole short course and 1-acre putting course has been designed at The Concession Golf Club, Bradenton, Florida, by Chris Cochran, ASGCA (Nicklaus Design). The grow-in process is taking place, following construction that began in March.
“We have created a Par-3 course equal in its quality and visual impact to The Concession’s championship course and complements its challenging nature with a family-friendly design that caters to beginners, juniors, seniors and die-hard golfers alike,” said Cochran, Senior Designer with Nicklaus Design. “It has been a great experience getting to work with old friends on this long-awaited project.”
“This course is designed to be fun and challenging for our members and even people who may be new to golf,” explained Terry Kennelly, superintendent for The Concession Golf Club. “We’ve had a great time designing and implementing representations of some of golf’s most famous holes around the world.”
Hole #3 has a very deep stacked sod bunker and green reminiscent of St. Andrews famous “Road Hole” (#17) in Scotland, using new Permaedge® artificial sod technology. Hole #9 is a take-off of California’s Riviera Country Club’s challenging #6, which has a surprise bunker right in the middle of the green.
The highly anticipated facility has been given its own name and identity, The Gimme, to distinguish it from the championship course. In a nod to that famous moment of sportsmanship in golf at the 1969 Ryder Cup between the U.S. team’s Jack Nicklaus and Great Britain’s Tony Jacklin, the “Gimme” signifies that short putt that Nicklaus conceded to Jacklin, resulting in the first Ryder Cup tie and a moment forever etched in golf history. The course will have signature markings on each of its flagsticks to signify that “gimme” distance, adding to the jovial atmosphere of play.