The Nicklaus empire’s Chinese affiliate has snuggled up to one of the true high flyers in the nation’s golf industry.
Nicklaus China, an entity created last year, will lend its development expertise and design talents to the golf operations of Hainan Airlines, which hopes to elevate the quality of its 13 golf properties in China and the United States. “Golf course developers in China are looking for leadership and expertise in the golf and real estate arenas,” Jack Nicklaus noted.
According to a press release, the partnership is expected to “lead to the re-design and re-branding of many of the HNA facilities.” The properties to be upgraded haven’t been identified, but HNA Development Company says it owns seven on Hainan Island, among them Kangle Garden International Golf Club and Sun River Golf Club, and four others elsewhere in the People’s Republic. And at one time or another it had also planned to build courses in Chengde (Hebei Province) and Tianjin.
Nicklaus’ architectural team is expected to evaluate the two properties that HNA owns in the United States, starting with the former Pasadera Country Club in Monterey, California, which is now known as Nicklaus Club Monterey. If the name change is a harbinger of things to come, we may soon see the Nicklaus name on other HNA-owned properties, including Somers Pointe Golf Club in Somers, New York.
