After a four year effort to bring a Jack Nicklaus designed golf course to Buffalo, civic leader Kevin Gaughan’s initiative is gaining significant momentum. This past August, Gaughan’s Nicklaus Olmsted Buffalo Inc. purchased properties along Marilla, Hopkins and Tifft streets from Steelfields Ltd for $650,000 (see here).
Following that exciting news, Gaughan invited Nicklaus to spend a day in Buffalo, to take part in a promotional golf course roadshow, which is currently afoot today. Nicklaus is scheduled to land in Buffalo this morning, before embarking upon a whirlwind trip throughout the city.
“We’re honored to have Jack in Buffalo,” Gaughan said, “and after four years of effort by so many people who believe in our mission, we’re thrilled that this day has arrived.”
Stops along the way include Delaware Park, Canisius High School, and Merriweather Library. The fast paced itinerary places Gaughan and Nicklaus at myriad sites, with a number of proponents and orchestrators, all of which is designed to “help advance the Frederick Law Olmsted Restoration, Recreation, and Education Plan.”
Throughout the day, Gaughan, in tandem with the iconic American sports figure and world-renowned golf landscape designer, will be meeting with community leaders, visiting proposed golf course sites, and meeting with inner city youth. Part of the overall project concept is to include an education center component. Another part of the plan would be to remove the golf course from South Park which would allow for full restoration of Olmsted’s Arboretum within the park. To that end, Lucy Lawliss, Chair of the National Association for Olmsted Parks, Washington, DC., will be accompanying Gaughan and Nicklaus on their briefing excursion.
Here’s the project breakdown, per the four-year timeline that has led up to this auspicious visit from Nicklaus:
- Gaughan comes up with the multi-prong idea in 2014
- In 2016, Nicklaus agrees to come onboard, and begins to re-design the golf course located in Frederick Law Olmsted’s Delaware Park, utilizing less space and permitting restoration of a portion of Olmsted’s original meadow
- Nicklaus then designs a second Signature course on land adjacent to South Park and owned by Gaughan’s charitable company, permitting removal of the South Park golf course and full restoration of Olmsted’s renowned Arboretum
A news conference is being held at Delaware Park at 12:00 noon.
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