ClubCorp moving ahead with Bear's Best concept

Golf Course News, Dec 2001 by Joyner, Joel

LAS VEGAS, Nev. -October marked the soft opening here of ClubCorp's first Bear's Best branded golf course. A joint venture between Dallas-based ClubCorp and Jack Nicklaus' North Palm Beach, Fla.-based Golden Bear International, the Bear's Best Las Vegas layout will be followed by a second Bear's Best opening in Atlanta next year.

The branded concept will apply to each course with one unique difference. Nicklaus will create two separate18-- hole layouts by selecting his favorite holes to be replicated from the nearly 200 courses he has designed.

"We're working very closely with the host clubs," said Dave Richey, ClubCorp's senior vice president, development. "They have graciously embraced this entire idea and are proud that Jack has selected a hole from their course to be replicated. They pretty much have pledged their support any way they can."

Convention trade in Las Vegas and Atlanta's strong base of Fortune 500 companies made the locations attractive for establishing Bear's Best facilities, said Richey. Future club locations may be developed within cities like Dallas, Los Angeles, Chicago or Washington D.C. "Other locations are being considered, but our main focus right now is on the Las Vegas and Atlanta courses," he said.

GRAND OPENINGS

The purpose of the soft opening is to introduce key people in the Las Vegas area -- local golf pros, casino managers, destination management companies and members of the chamber of commerce - to the club. They will have opportunities to play complimentary rounds at the course continuing through this month, according to Richey.

"The actual grand opening will probably be in late spring or early fall of next year," he said. "We'd like to coordinate it in conjunction with the grand opening of the course in Atlanta. We're thinking we might try to have Jack open both courses in the same week."

The Atlanta course is expected to be open for play this summer. "For the most part, 16 holes are completed, grown in and ready for play," Richey explained. "We've got a county issue right now with a sewer line that they want to run under a couple of holes, so we're going to let them do that first before we finish the last two holes."

Total development costs - including course construction, clubhouse and maintenance equipment - amounted to $21 million for the Las Vegas facility. "Las Vegas is an expensive place to build with all the rock in the area," mentioned Richey. "Ibe Atlanta project will be in the $14 million range."

MARKETING APPROACH

A fore caddie system will be in place at the two courses. "They will be able to provide strategy for players as well as any background information on individual holes," said Richard Ellis, managing director of Bear's Best. "On each tee, there also will be signs marking the hole that's been replicated. Our Web site, www.bearsbest.com, offers a detailed description of each hole at both the Las Vegas and Atlanta layouts.

"We want to make sure that people who experience the Las Vegas course know that there's more than one," Ellis said. "The bag tags we give players when they arrive, hats and even menus are labeled Atlanta/Las Vegas. The course in Atlanta will be identical, all except the hole selections. Clubhouse, carpets, everything in detail will look the same at each establishment."