Wildflower Resort, a 36-hole project in Dallas-Fort Worth area, will feature Jack Nicklaus Signature Course and Sergio Garcia's design debut

Artist rendering.

Nicklaus Design has entered into an agreement with Dallas-based Wildflower Resort Company for a 36-hole project that will include a Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course and Sergio Garcia's first golf course design. Nicklaus Design has been contracted to support the design work of Garcia, the PGA Tour star and one of the world's most popular players.

The 18-hole Nicklaus course and 18-hole Garcia design will be the centerpiece of a project spread across a 1,000-acre lakefront peninsula in Grand Prairie, Texas, and located just south of the DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) Airport. A 7,500-acre lake, with 4.5 miles of shoreline, highlights the site.

The $200 million resort will include a 500-room, four-star luxury hotel, and a 60,000-square-foot conference center designed as an international group-meeting destination. The project is scheduled to begin construction by the end of 2002, and both the resort and golf courses are expected to be open and fully operational in late 2004.

"Jack Nicklaus and the Nicklaus Design team bring to Wildflower the experience and reputation for the exceptional golf course design that this special project demands," said Raymond J. Goad, President & CEO of Wildflower Resort Company. "The teaming of one of golf's true legends with the youth and promise of Sergio Garcia complements our concept of a traditional grand resort hotel reinterpreted for the new century in avant-guard Texas style."

Nicklaus and Garcia are part of ABC's telecast (8 p.m. ET) tonight of the Lincoln Financial Group "Battle at Bighorn." In one of the most anticipated groupings in Bighorn's history, Nicklaus will team with Tiger Woods to take on Garcia and Lee Trevino.

"We are pleased for Wildflower to be the site of our first Signature Course in the Dallas area, and, particularly, for the opportunity to support Sergio in his first golf course design," Nicklaus said. "Sergio is, without question, one of the brightest stars on Tour today, and I am certain that he will take his talent and passion for the game into his design work.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for our firm and for Sergio. It's a special piece of property, and with four and a half miles of shoreline to incorporate into the strategy, it should produce an exceptional golf experience."

Aerial view.

"I entered into a relationship with Nicklaus Design, as I wanted to begin to learn the business of golf course design from one of the industry's most respected firms," Garcia said. "My plan is to work only on a very few courses, to maintain my focus on professional golf, and, at the same time, associate myself with unique and special projects. The Wildflower Resort will be a spectacular start to my design career."

Nicklaus Design, recognized as the world leader in golf course design, has been involved with over 250 courses open for play in 27 countries and 35 states. Of those, Jack Nicklaus has designed, co-designed or re-designed 208 courses around the globe, 35 of which have been ranked in various national or international Top-100 lists. Nicklaus has also left his signature throughout the state of Texas, with as many as seven courses that will be open for play by year's end. Although Nicklaus redesigned both courses at Dallas Athletic Club, he has yet to do a Signature Golf Course in the Dallas area and is excited about this opportunity.

"Based on our initial routing of the golf courses so far, it appears that all four nines will have multiple holes on the lake," Nicklaus added. "But the strength of any waterfront golf course is the variety, strategy and playing experience of the inland holes. Our challenge with this project will be to balance each course, yet develop design concepts that will differentiate the layouts from each other and offer variety to the guests of Wildflower. I'm looking forward to working with Sergio to develop these design ideas."

Tom Hart, City Manager of Grand Prairie, responded to the Nicklaus Design announcement with the statement: "The City of Grand Prairie is working closely with Wildflower Resort Company to support the development of what will surely become recognized as a landmark international destination resort in the DFW Metroplex. The City is delighted to welcome Jack Nicklaus and Sergio Garcia to Grand Prairie and the Wildflower team."

The melding of Nicklaus' legendary name with the enthusiasm and current marquee value of Garcia will give the golf experience at Wildflower a unique flavor, very compatible with the Resort experience, Goad said.

"The hotel complex recalls the Texas ranch configuration with a forecourt, main 'house' and numerous ancillary buildings," Goad added. "The gentle curving metal roof over the main hotel building acts as the resorts icon. It embodies several notions of rural Texas: the low rolling hills; the standing seam metal roofs of indigenous ranch buildings and, of course, the armadillo. The introduction of natural stone chimneys and walls enhance the analogy.

"The hotel interior design concept reflects a similar juxtaposition between tradition and modern. The public spaces place contemporary furnishings and textures against a backdrop of warm wood tones and Texas stones. The guestrooms will offer a sophisticated, monochromatic palette with elegant detailing and handsome built-ins that communicate Texas hospitality with a decidedly cosmopolitan flair."

Goad also announced that the Resort is being developed under a unique design-build arrangement with Turner construction and Gensler architects, with interiors by Wilson Design. Comprehensive golf development and course management services will be provided by Troon Golf, based in Scottsdale, Ariz. Troon Golf manages operations at more than 115 golf courses located in 24 states and 10 countries.

"We're honored to accept our new role in this exciting project," said Hud Hinton, President and COO of Troon Golf.

For this press release and additional information on Nicklaus or Nicklaus Design, please visit www.nicklaus.com.