Nicklaus Course at Bay Point Golf Club Set to Re-Open October 8

New Greens and Bunkers Highlight Renovations


(Panama City Beach, Fla.) – Bay Point Golf Club at Sheraton Bay Point Resort and KemperSports announced The Nicklaus Course at Bay Point will re-open for public play on Oct. 8 following a three-month renovation process.  The course overhaul, which began June 25, included the conversion of all 18 greens from Tif-Dwarf Bermuda grass to new Ultra-Dwarf Tif-Eagle Bermuda, creating a more consistent putting surface that is tolerant of a lower mowing height for faster green speeds year-round.  Complementing the new greens are 23 newly renovated green-side bunkers that saw new sand and drainage throughout, promoting a better playing experience from around the greens.   The changes make the only Nicklaus Design in Northwest Florida one of the premier destination golf experiences in the Florida Panhandle.

"Pairing a championship golf course with the best available ultra-dwarf technology for these greens is a game changer that will elevate the Nicklaus Course to one of the top in the Southeast” said General Manager Ryan Mulvey, who helped oversee the renovation project for KemperSports, the club’s management partner.  “Our golf guests and members will now be treated to an unprecedented playing experience with this fun and interesting design, making it possible to maintain excellent playing conditions year-round with minimal transition from spring to summer.”

The Nicklaus Course greens conversion involved the full-till process where the old sod was stripped from all 20 greens and 6 inches of soil was removed.  New soil and sand were introduced, tilled, and then fumigated to remove any fungus, disease, nematodes, or other issues in the soil to create brand new greens.  After the full-till process was completed, the soil was graded to the original Nicklaus specifications, approved by Nicklaus Design, and sprigged with Tif-Eagle Bermuda.  The grow-in process took approximately eight weeks, and the course will re-open on Oct. 8 to the public.  Bay Point’s Meadows Course has remained open throughout the process and continues to welcome play.

Originally designed by Bruce Devlin in 1986 (as Lagoon Legends) and renovated by Nicklaus Design in 2005, Bay Point Golf Club is the only Nicklaus Design golf course in Northwest Florida. With 36 holes of Championship Golf, Bay Point Golf Club at Sheraton Bay Point Resort is one of the top destination resorts along the Emerald Coast. The par 72 Nicklaus Design championship layout stretches over 7,100 yards from the back tees with a challenging course rating of 74.3 and slope of 143. The course has hosted numerous regional and local events, including the USGA U.S. Open Qualifier in 2016. Bay Point Golf Club is also a home course of the Florida State University Women’s Golf Team.

KemperSports was selected in 2015 to manage the overall golf operation at Bay Point Golf Club, part of the Sheraton Bay Point Resort, which opened in fall of 2016 after a $30 million renovation. Bay Point Golf Club has won the Panama City News Herald's "Best of Bay" golf course for three consecutive years (2016-2018). Bay Point was also nominated for Resort Merchandiser of the year for the Dixie Section of the PGA in 2017 due to the transformation of its retail shop. In recent years, the property has added a new fleet of EZ-Go carts, the only Golf Boards in the Florida Panhandle, as well as the renovation of the clubhouse, restaurant, and a new outdoor patio space.

Bay Point Golf Club is owned by Torchlight Investments, LLC and managed by Northbrook, Ill.-based KemperSports.

For more information about Bay Point Golf Club or Sheraton Bay Point Resort, visit www.baypointgolf.com or www.sheratonbaypoint.com and connect with the Bay Point Golf Club social media channels on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BayPointGolfClub/ or on Instagram @baypointgolf.