FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 7, 2004
Nicklaus Design enters into relationship with top installer of synthetic greens
NORTH PALM BEACH, FL. - Southwest Greens, a national leader in the design and installation of synthetic putting greens and practice facilities, has entered into a multi-year licensing agreement to produce Nicklaus Design-branded synthetic greens for residential customers.
Nicklaus Design will be involved in the entire design process of greens worldwide, from the initial site evaluation, to recommendations on size and layout, to the creation of green details similar to the plan documents provided to all golf course design clients.
"Southwest Greens and its affiliates throughout the world are excited to partner with the Nicklaus Design team," said Weston Weber, president of Southwest Greens. "We can now offer our customers the ultimate golf green, one which combines both the best synthetic grass technology and the finest natural green design available today. Nicklaus Design's reputation speaks for itself. I assure you Southwest Greens welcomes the opportunity to work with and learn from this first-class organization. This partnership brings together the best of the best."
Synthetic greens is a fast-growing faction of the golf industry, with the quality of product bringing the look, feel and playability of natural greens to the backyard without the hassle and high costs of maintenance. As the quality of synthetic greens continues to grow, the demand of the consumer grows.
"We think this is a natural marriage of businesses with proven strengths," said Bill O'Leary, vice president for Nicklaus Design. "A golf course design client would not expect one of their greens to resemble a round pool table with a hole in the middle, so why would the consumer of a synthetic green expect anything less than the best in design. If the goal is to bring to your home the next best thing to the actual golf experience, than great attention should be paid to the look, feel and playability of the green.
"Speaking for Southwest Greens, I think we are targeting those residential customers interested in greens of significant size-2,000 to 4,000 square feet, perhaps-where some imagination and aesthetics become more paramount in the design of the green."
Nicklaus Design is widely recognized as the world leader in golf course design, with 272 courses open for play around the world. They have had 36 courses appear in various national and international Top-100 lists, and at least 75 courses have played host to a professional tournament or national amateur championship.
Since 1996, when Southwest Greens installed its first green in Scottsdale, AZ, the company has installed 5,000 greens. They now have 60 certified dealers worldwide.
Southwest has greens located in 45 states, while Nicklaus Design has courses open for play in 36 states. Nicklaus Design has courses in 27 countries, while Southwest Greens is represented in Spain, Mexico, Australia, China, Canada, Korea, and the United Kingdom.
Because synthetic greens provide homeowners more consistent playability than natural greens, and without the maintenance issues, PGA Tour players from around the world have embraced the product. Southwest Greens has installed product for 20 professional athletes and 23 touring golf professionals, including Hale Irwin, Lee Janzen, Mark Calcavecchia, Vijay Singh, Sergio Garcia, and Corey Pavin. Southwest also has numerous entertainers as clients, including Grammy-winning singers Vince Gill and Amy Grant. Gill, an avid golfer who last year was named the recipient of the PGA of America's Distinguished Service Award, was one of the first to have a Nicklaus Design-branded green installed by Southwest.
Southwest Greens predominantly uses polypropylene and polyethylene "in-fill" turf systems. Putting greens are in-filled with silica sand and colored top dressing to create a bentgrass putting surface that looks and plays like a natural green with the added flexibility of speed adjustment (up to 12 on the stimpmeter). The greens also have excellent "bite," allowing the golfer to practice chipping, and given the room, even longer pitch shots. All Southwest Greens have a pad underlayment to keep the greens soft over the years.
Most first-generation greens in the industry did not use sand, were nylon in nature, and were typically installed over concrete and often limited in size to the width of the turf rolls (12 to 15 feet) to avoid seams in the greens. These greens were much thinner, had less fiber, and seams tended to show. Nylon greens also lack the bite to accept chip shots.
"When comparing real greens to synthetic greens, there might be slightly higher upfront costs, but the reduced costs in the long run due to maintenance, makes synthetic a smart investment," Weber said. "The speed, roll and bite' (chipping) performance is comparable to tour-quality greens, with a consistency that allows golfers to improve their game and have a great deal of enjoyment doing it.
"Synthetic greens are kid and pet friendly due to their durability. Using quality construction techniques, professionally designed synthetic greens have the potential to equal the level of quality associated with top natural turf putting greens."
For this release and additional information about Nicklaus Design, please visit www.nicklaus.com.
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Contacts:
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Scott Tolley
Director of Communications
Nicklaus Companies/Nicklaus Design
(561) 227-0300
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Weston Weber
President
Southwest Greens
(480) 419-1130
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