Jack Nicklaus and Gleneagles put rough patch behind them

Published on Friday 15 May 2009 22:05

IT was a row that threatened to mar the build-up to one of the biggest sporting events ever held in Scotland – the 2014 Ryder Cup.

But The Scotsman can reveal an embarrassing rift between Jack Nicklaus – the world's greatest golfer – and the cup venue at Gleneagles looks set to be healed after a face-to-face meeting between the two parties.

The Ryder Cup – a biannual event between the best golfers in the US and Europe – will be played on the Nicklaus-designed PGA Centenary course at the Perthshire venue.

But the 18-time major winner had threatened to remove his prized signature from the course after Gleneagles began to plan major changes to his 1993 design without consulting him.

Nicklaus, who has enjoyed a great relationship with Scottish golf fans, insisted the Ryder Cup venue would no longer benefit from his work after Scottish course designer David McLay Kidd was brought in.

The schism was particularly sensitive for the course's owners as many golfers – including major professionals – have described elements of the course as inadequate for such a tournament. This week, however, Nicklaus returned to Gleneagles to review those alterations and make recommendations on how the course can be further improved. "We went to Gleneagles to try and mend fences," he explained.

"What happened was we built the golf course and in my contract there was a clause which states they can't make changes without consulting me. I don't care if someone else makes those changes – just as long as I get consulted and then we can agree something.

"What they did was to make-over the golf course. I guess David McLay Kidd was the one who did it. I knew Jimmy, his father, who was the course superintendent.

"All Gleneagles had to do was call me and say, 'Jack, we're planning some changes. We want David to make them, and are you okay with that?'

"Instead, they ignored us. First of all they didn't tell us, then they ignored us.

"That's when we said to them, 'Look at the contract, you can't do that'. When we didn't get a response, I finally said, 'Let's write to them and tell them to take my name off because it's not my golf course any more'."

The American, who won three Open championships said: "Gleneagles called and said they wanted to mend fences. I hope it works out.

"I'm going to see what's been done there to find out if there are things which don't fit and shouldn't be there. I'll make suggestions and we'll see what happens. There's plenty of time (before the Ryder Cup in 2014] to do these things."

Gleneagles expects to have spent more than 2 million on alterations at the PGA Centenary by the time the 2014 tournament gets underway.

The changes are intended to improve the course amid rumblings from some top players that a few of the holes are too easy, and too dull.

Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood, both Ryder Cup players, have been critical. Patrick Elsmie, managing director of the Gleneagles Hotel, was "very confident we'll have a coming together of views". He added: "What we want to do is ensure our relationship with Jack is as strong as it can be.

"We would like any misunderstandings removed. We do want that good relationship with Jack because he was the person who put this course together in the first place."

Originally known as the Monarchs course when it first opened in 1993, the Perthshire course was renamed the PGA Centenary in preparation for the first Ryder Cup held in Scotland since 1973.