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Golf Course Review - Applecross Country Club
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It's hard to believe that one of the leading golf design firms in the world, Jack Nicklaus Design, had not penned a course in the Philadelphia region. That is, until now.
The Golden Bear's design team, led by youngest son Michael, has crafted a venue just west of thewholesale golf clubs city of Brotherly Love in Downingtown ... Applecross Country Club.
Surprisingly, Nicklaus Design had built only two courses prior to Applecross in Pennsylvania, Great Bear Golf & Country Club in the Poconos and The Club at Nevillewood in Western Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh.
Applecross, penned as "Philadelphia's only Nicklaus Design," is the first new course to open in the region in over five years. In fact, it took four years just to build the layout and almost another 10 to create the development. When all is said and done, the entire community is expected to be completed by 2017.
Most scribes and those in the know are aware of Jack's wonderful U.S. designs, Muirfield Village, Shoal Creek, Castle Pines and Harbour Town (with Pete Dye) to name a few, but it was his 37-year-old son Michael, who got the nod for Applecross. "Being part of Nicklaus design, I was part of a rotation with my brothers,Titleist 910 D2 Driver so it was my turn in the rotation for Applecross," said Nicklaus.
"Being the youngest has its advantages," continued Nicklaus, who has been involved with design projects from North Carolina to Southern Spain to Japan. "I have been able to take what my dad and brothers have taught me about their individual design styles and blend them with my own. They've shared their philosophies and strategies for taking undeveloped land and creating works of art that are not only enjoyable to play, but are aesthetically pleasing. This is a challenge that I have embraced. I hope people will see that manifested at Applecross."
Recent economic times, among other factors, certainly put a damper on the immediacy of the project, but Nicklaus and company were patient, prudent and persistent. Hey, with the kind of money bandied about these days, you have to be. "We did a routing early on and I think it took them 4-5 years to get to the point where we were actually going to build a golf course. They had water commission Titleist 910 D3 Driver and management issues and permit after permit that had to be in place before we did anything."
The price tag 10 years ago was $45 million. Not bad, considering the property encompasses over 700 acres of rolling farmland, natural wetlands, creeks and thick wooded areas. "We were extremely excited about the property because of the nice rolling hills," Nicklaus continued. "It was a real good piece of property for a golf course."
Nicklaus' design beliefs are similar to that of the Golden Bear. "My dad's golf course philosophy influenced me a lot. His designs are to be played by all levels of golf. When he was younger, he may have designed courses more for the pro. He is designing courses now that are designed for everybody and that is what I tried to do at Applecross. We do that with five sets of tees, but also Titleist 910F fairway wooddifferent course carries. Trying to work with the land, instead of against it."



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