By Wayne Mills
The Concession Club in Bradenton, Florida has added a new 9-hole, par three course created by Nicklaus Design. The $2 million expansion at the Concession Club created an enjoyable par-3 short course, as well as, a putting course for the club.
Construction began in March on an eight-acre patch of ground tucked into a beautiful natural setting. Sprigging and sodding were completed in late June, with TifGrand Bermuda grass in the fairways and TifEagle Bermuda on the greens. The course opened to members last month. 
“This course is designed to be fun and challenging for our members and even people who may be new to golf,” explained Terry Kennelly, superintendent for The Concession Golf Club. “We’ve had a great time designing and implementing representations of some of golf’s most famous holes around the world.”
A couple of the holes resemble more recognizable holes from famous courses.
No. 3 features a very deep stacked sod bunker and green reminiscent of St. Andrews famous “Road Hole.” No. 9 pays homage to Riviera Country Club’s challenging sixth hole, which has a bunker in the middle of the green.
The new course will be named, “The Gimmee,” as a nod to the famous ‘gimme,’ Jack Nicklaus gave to his competitor Tony Jacklin in the 1969 Ryder Cup. The course will have signature markings on each of its flagsticks to signify that “gimme” distance, adding to the jovial atmosphere of play.
“We have created a Par-3 course equal in its quality and visual impact to The Concession’s championship course and complements its challenging nature with a family-friendly design that caters to beginners, juniors, seniors and die-hard golfers alike,” shared Chris Cochran, Senior Designer with Nicklaus Design. “It has been a great experience getting to work with old friends, Bruce Cassidy, Senior (President), Terry Kennelly and Jerame Miller on this long-awaited project.”
The Gimme, Par-3 and it’s partnering Snake Acre Putting Course opened to Concession Golf members on November 1st.
The Concession Golf Club was named “Best New Private Course of 2006” by Golf Digest magazine.
The Concession golf course was designed by Jack Nicklaus in association with Tony Jacklin. The18-hole, par 72 golf course is set on 520 acres of ruggedly pristine land dotted with massive oaks and majestic pines. It totals 7,470 yards and runs three miles from tip to tip. For more information, visit TheConcessions.com.
The Concession Club also played host to the first two Concession Cups, featuring a team of the best Mid-Amateur and Senior Golfers from the United States versus a team from Great Britain and Ireland. Both Nicklaus and Jacklin were on hand for those competitions to help celebrate that extraordinary feat of sportsmanship.
Read more about Florida Golf Courses at: https://floridagolfandleisure.com/
