JACK NICKLAUS VISITS TABOO FOR LOOK AT RE-DESIGNING GOLF COURSE

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

GRAVENHURST — Nigel Hollidge believes a Taboo “renovation” will make it “the single most important golf course to play in the Muskoka region.”

Most golfers and Canadian pros already agree it’s by far one of the best north of Toronto.

Since it opened 20 years ago its magnificent 18 holes on Lake Muskoka have always ranked among the top public and club courses in the country.

But it should get better, says Taboo’s managing director, with a “full re-design.”

By Jack Nicklaus, one of golf’s greatest players.

“Potentially, yeah,” says Hollidge.

The Golden Bear landed in Gravenhurst three weeks ago, at the Muskoka Airport, with his wife Barbara and a couple members of his Nicklaus Design team.

Hollidge and Taboo Resort owner Elly Reisman hosted the 18-time American PGA champion and his group for the afternoon “and a late lunch” at The Boathouse.

Reisman’s brother, Norman, and partner in Great Gulf Homes, who helped launch the changes died last January.

But “there were a few other people there, our superintendent was there and one of the project managers,” said Hollidge who has been with Taboo from the start with just a few years off between 2005 and 2013.

The course was originally designed by Ron Garl another of golf’s top designers, amid an explosion of great new Muskoka courses around that time.

Taboo’s latest “renovation” began a few years ago when the Reismans had Pete Dye, a guru of golf designers, “do a complete renovation plan,´ Hollidge told MuskokaTODAY.com this week.

“And we’re looking at Jack to come in and help put together a complete Pete Dye-Jack Nicklaus re-design,”

Dye had been at the course “a few years back,” said Hollidge.

“Jack came up to see it. He’s looking at Pete’s plans and he’s going to do his own plans and then we’ll make a decision if it all works.

“He’ll do the planning and we’ll look at the planning and just decide when we will do the renovations.”

Hollidge expects to have the plan back “some time over the winter.”

Nicklaus, 81, who doesn’t play more than a couple of rounds of golf a year and is suffering from a recent slip on a pickle ball court, “drove around the golf course and spent the day (Aug. 28) with us.”

So what were his impressions?

“He loved it. He loved Muskoka. Thought the lake looked great. Thought Taboo was wonderful and he thought the land was fantastic.

“Very excited and looking forward to working up here.”

Taboo was built in 2001 and “we are looking at completely redeveloping the golf course,” Hollidge said on Thursday.

He said “it’s a complete redevelopment,” fairways, approaches, greens, holes.

“All of the golf course would be either refreshed or changed.”

The work would also include a new housing component.

“We are looking at a redevelopment as well — looking at all our options.”

Asked if any of work would involve the original 1930 nine-hole Sands golf course, Hollidge had sad news for local players who loved the Stanley Thompson-designed course that didn’t open the past two years due to the pandemic.

“No it will never re-open. There will be no golf course ever there”

He said “it’s time to transition in to the redevelopment, the new era of the property.

“It’s only the Taboo 18” that is being redeveloped.

Will there any more holes?

“Maybe, maybe not,” said Hollidge.

Will it be tougher or designed for the best players?

“No, it’ll be different,” said Hollidge.

“We hope to make it the best golf course in the region. We already think we’re one of the best golf courses in the region.

“We certainly believe that the changes will make Taboo the single most important golf course to play in the Muskoka region.”

So will the course have to close for a season?

“It depends on how we do the renovation. That’s part of the process, figuring out how you phase in the renovation. Whether you close nine holes or do some of the work that’s not on the existing golf course. There’s still lots of questions that need to be determined. We’re just not at that stage yet.”

So would that likely fall to the Nicklaus team to determine the time frame.

“Kind of,” said Hollidge.

The work began with Dye, who died in January 2020.

“Pete did his work and then he got sick. Pete at the end, he had dementia.”

So the course will be a ‘Pete Dye-Jack Nicklaus course.’

“That’s correct,” adds Hollidge.

“But we’re not really in the position where we’re starting to promote everything as of yet. We’re just in the beginning stages. We don’t have a finished contract with Jack yet. We’re still in that process. Once that’s done, at that time we will do a release of information. But we’re not at that stage yet.

“And we do not have a signed contract with Jack yet.”

Hollidge expects to have the contract this fall and the design over the winter.

So, will Nicklaus be back?

“Maybe.”

It’s already been a great year for Taboo, “yep, very busy,” said Hollidge. “Busiest year in years.”

The resort, too, has done well, despite the pandemic, says Hollidge.

“It’s been an amazing year.”

And it looks to get even better next year.

“We’re going to stay open all winter this year and the golf course will close Oct. 17.”

So you’d better get out and play a round soon after Canadian Thanksgiving if you want to enjoy your ball sailing beneath the famous Muskoka cavalcade of colour canopy.

You never know who you’ll run into on the course.

Beware of bears.

For more of Muskoka’s rock and roll golf courses, see Brian Kendall’s story on the Canadian Golf Traveller sit https://canadiangolftraveller.com/challenge-muskokas-rock-n-roll-fairways/

 

EMAIL: news@muskokatoday.com

28 years of ‘Local Online Journalism’

Twitter: @muskokatoday, Facebook: mclairmont1

Leave comments at end of story

SUBSCRIBE for $25 by e-transferring to news@muskokatoday.com

Or go online to https://muskokatoday.com/subscriptions