Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus find themselves in a tough spot after new golf course plans go awry- Reports
Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus were involved in a plan to develop golf courses in a Florida state park. The plan had the support of Governor Ron DeSantis' team and Woods and Nicklaus would be in charge of designing the courses.
The plan was to take place at Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Southeast Florida. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection, part of Ron DeSantis' executive branch, is the institution that initially approved the plan, which in turn was proposed by the Delaware-based Tuskegee Dunes Foundation.
However, the proposal was withdrawn in the face of opposition from local residents. In the process, it was learned that legends Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods would each design a golf course.
Nicklaus' attorney, Eugene Stearns, confirmed (via NBC News) that the 18-time Major champion would take on the design and do it for free. In the case of Tiger Woods, his participation was confirmed to the same media outlet by a representative of the DeSantis administration.
The reason for the opposition to this plan was the ecological damage that, according to the opponents, could be caused by the construction of the courses in these areas.
Among those who opposed the plan was Republican Representative Matt Gaetz, who took to X to urge Governor DeSantis to reverse the plan:
"@GovRonDeSantis - I know you love our Florida environment. We campaigned together on saving the environment in 2018. I saw your sincerity firsthand, up close. Please use your excellent leadership skills to kill this anti Florida Man initiative. Keep our parks natural."
According to NBC News, Governor DeSantis did not personally approve the plan, even though it was an initiative backed by an agency in his administration.
The history of Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus in golf course design
Both Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus have left their mark on golf course design around the world. Nicklaus, in particular, has signed his name to the designs of more than 400 courses.
Nicklaus has been involved in golf course design since the 1960s. Under his direction, several renowned courses have been built, including Valhalla, Muirfield and Greenbrier.
To date, Nicklaus has designed courses in 45 countries in Asia, Australia, Europe and the Americas. It is estimated that about 1% of the world's golf courses have been designed by him.
As for Woods, his course design activity has been less prolific, but has also reached several countries. Currently, the PGA Tour plays the World Wide Technology Championship on a course he designed (El Cardonal in Diamante, Mexico).
Woods even founded a golf course design company (TGR Design) that is currently working on several high-profile projects, including Major League Baseball (MLB) and star Mike Trout's course in New Jersey (Trout National The Reserve).