The Jack Nicklaus Academies are expanding with the opening of a new location at LeoPalace Resort in Guam, joining a network of 22 Jack Nicklaus Academies in nine other countries. The new academy, which will open in August, complements 18 holes of Jack Nicklaus-designed golf at LeoPalace Resort—the only Nicklaus Design course in Guam. The location will become one of five Nicklaus Academies in the world located at a Jack Nicklaus Signature Course.
The Academy at LeoPalace will be the first of its kind in the world, bringing in students from Asia and around the world who wish to pursue the game of golf and their academics at the highest level. Students from ages 13-19 will live full-time at LeoPalace Resort in dorms, attending a U.S.-accredited school each morning, followed by golf and sports training in the afternoon. Curriculum will encompass the golf swing and how to play the game properly and with respect, as well as various aspects of sports training, including sports psychology and nutrition. Students will have access to LeoPalace Resort’s world-class facilities, including its fitness center, Olympic-size swimming pools, a running track, and soccer fields. Cross training is aimed at improving the students’ golf skills and creating healthier, better-functioning athletes, thus hopefully extending their playing careers.
In addition to this group of athletes, the Jack Nicklaus Academy at LeoPalace will service the citizens of Guam and their junior programs; the members and guests at Leo Palace Resort; and tourists traveling to Guam to vacation and play golf.
As part of the worldwide network of 23 Jack Nicklaus Academies, TenTimes Golf and Hot Springs Resort in Qingdau, China, hosted the inaugural Jack Nicklaus Academy Cup in June. The multi-day event featured a Pro-Am with a field of over 100 players. Professionals in the tournament hailed from China, Korea, Guam and Japan, and included members of the Shandong Provincial Golf Team who train at the Nicklaus Academy at TenTimes.
The event also featured a gala dinner and awards ceremony. Highlights included live entertainment and speeches from Chairman Wang Ruoxiong of TianTai Real Estate Corporation, David Kurniawan, CEO of CHS Management, and Ted Simons, Executive Vice President/COO for Nicklaus Academies.
In addition to the Pro-Am, professionals from various Jack Nicklaus Academy locations in Japan, Korea, China, as well as the Jack Nicklaus Academy at LeoPalace Resort in Guam, participated in various clinics. The setting allowed instructors to exchange best practices that are used at different Jack Nicklaus Academy locations. The schedule also included a Media Day and Golf Clinic that was widely attended by various news outlets.
The second annual Jack Nicklaus Academy Cup is tentatively scheduled for summer 2014 at Nayar Vidanta in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico.
