Golf Legend to Donate His Services to Help Launch Fundraising EffortsFor Renovation of Historic Public Golf Course in North St. Louis County
LOUIS, – Jack Nicklaus, the greatest champion in the history of golf, and his renowned Nicklaus Design firm have agreed to join the philanthropic effort to renovate Normandie Golf Course (Normandie), the Metropolitan Golf Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association (MAGA), with its partner Beyond Housing (BH), the famed community development organization, announced today.
Nicklaus Design will lead the project and Mr. Nicklaus will donate his services for the renovation of Normandie, which was built in 1901 and is one of the oldest public golf courses west of the Mississippi. Nicklaus will not only lead the design effort, but he will support the group’s fundraising efforts to purchase the property from the University of Missouri-St. Louis, as well as the necessary funding for facility construction of the project. Upon completion of the project, Normandie will become a JackNicklaus Signature Golf Course.
“The appeal of this project to me was to be involved in an effort that could serve as a catalyst to change needed in our country today, beginning with parts of St. Louis County,” Jack Nicklaus said. “Restoring Normandie for a community in need will have a long-lasting positive impact on the lives of youth in St. Louis.”
Nicklaus was introduced to the Normandie project in late 2020 by friend Tom O’Toole, Jr., past USGA President and MAGAFounder. He was quick to lend his support to the revitalization effort.
“To have Jack agree to be involved in this project immeasurably changes its viability,” O’Toole said. “Now, this is an effort that a metropolitan area and the businesses who thrive here can get behind to forever change the lives of youth in our region.”
This project is so much more than the renovation of a historic public golf course. It is about retaining a community asset for the benefit of a region by being a catalyst for socio-economic change in an under-served community.
“Once a community loses an asset of this magnitude, seldom is it regained,” said Chris Krehmeyer, CEO of Beyond Housing.“This project expands and complements the successful projects BH has developed in this region.”
Once funding is secured for Normandie, construction could begin by year’s end. It is important to note, the golf course will remain open and continue to be operated by Walters Golf Management through the 2021 golf season.
Jack Nicklaus has other philanthropic ties to St. Louis through his involvement with the Ascension Charity Classic presented by Emerson, a PGA TOUR Champions event, which also supports north St. Louis County communities and will be held September 6-12, 2021 at Norwood Hills Country Club.
About MAGA
MAGA is an Allied Golf Association licensed by the USGA to provide amateur golf services in the Metropolitan St. Louis, Central and Southern Illinois regions. MAGA provides service to 150 member clubs and 20,000+ individual golfers. For more information, visit www.metga.org.
About BH
BH is a nationally recognized community development organization focused on creating a stronger, more equitable, and prosperous St. Louis for all. BH has invested more than a $150 million in the 24:1 Community which comprises the geographic district of the Normandie Schools Collaborative. For more information visit, www.beyondhousing.org.
About Nicklaus Companies
For 50 years, the mission of Nicklaus Companies has been to enhance the golf experience and to deliver quality branded products and services on a global basis that mirror the high standards established in the career and life of its Founder, JackNicklaus. The Nicklaus Companies businesses include golf-course design, the development of golf and real estate communities, and the marketing and licensing of lifestyle products worldwide under the iconic Jack Nicklaus and Golden Bear brands. NicklausDesign, recognized as the world leader in golf course design, has created over 420 courses worldwide, open for play in 45countries and 40 U.S states.
In 2007, Jack Nicklaus partnered with Howard Milstein to further the growth of the company and expand the branded businesses. In addition to institutionalizing the Nicklaus brands for the future, Milstein has instilled a personal philosophy of “ABrand That Gives Back,” with products and partners committing to donations to help the Nicklaus Children’s Health CareFoundation and other charities. A leading entrepreneur in the golf industry, Milstein also created 8AM Golf http://www.8amgolf.com/, a family of companies that also includes GOLF Magazine and GOLF.com https://golf.com/, MiuraGolf https://miuragolf.com/, Club Conex https://www.clubconex.com/, True Spec Golf https://truespecgolf.com/, GolfLogixhttps://www.golflogix.com/ and Chirp https://www.getchirpgolf.com/. All share a common mission to help players at all levels enjoy the game more. We leverage our winning heritage to achieve excellence, foster growth and champion social good. We activate modern strategies and techniques to enhance our customer’s lives and match the high standards set in the career and life of Jack Nicklaus.
For more information on or to support the Normandie Golf Course project contact Curt Rohe, Executive Director, MAGA at curt@metga.org or (314) 567-MAGA.
