Nicklaus to Design New Course in St. Lucia


When Jack Nicklaus first saw the land that is now known as The Pointe at Cas en Bas on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, he described it as perhaps one of the five most spectacular pieces of property he has ever seen. "It's Pebble Beach warm," he used as a description of the site.

The Pointe at Cas en Bas, a private golf club and residential resort, is owned by Point Hardy Development, LLC. The "private reserve" is attempting to set new standards for the luxury resort residential market in St. Lucia and throughout the Caribbean. In addition to a members-only 18-hole championship Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, which represents the Golden Bear's first design work in St. Lucia, The Pointe at Cas en Bas will feature 113 luxury villa home sites, a 140-key "five star" resort hotel, 224 luxury condominiums, and a 20,000-square-foot spa.

The Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course will be the centerpiece of a magnificent site on the Caribbean. The Pointe occupies 360 acres at the northeast point of St. Lucia. It’s part of Cap Estate, a former sugar plantation located between the Atlantic Ocean on its north shore and the Caribbean to the south and west. The property, enclosed by water on three sides, affords great views, cooling breezes and a series of secluded bays and white-sand beaches.

The bowl-shaped, water-engirded property provides a sense of privacy for the home sites and greater security. Elevations range from sea level to 350 feet, allowing wonderful views of the ocean, beaches and the golf course. As the property is still undeveloped, The Pointe at Cas En Bas will undergo proper land planning and site design before it’s built out.

Nicklaus’s reference to "Pebble Beach warm" may be because he will design seven holes along the water, with the remaining 11 holes featuring stunning views of the ocean. The course will be built on a tropical island where the average temperature of 82 degrees actually feels cooler due to the prevailing trade winds.

Jack will not only design the course but is a partner in the project. The partnership grew out of a long-standing working relationship with developers Dennis Nardoni and Robert Petrallia, and with Howard Gintell of Urban-Nicklaus Holdings.

For more information on Nicklaus and Nicklaus Design, visit www.nicklaus.com.