NASHVILLE, Tennessee and PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida (July 19, 2021) — Cheekwood Golf Club in Franklin, Tennessee, has partnered with Nicklaus Design – the world’s acknowledged leader in golf course design – to create an innovative, environmentally friendly expansion with multiple golf and outdoor recreational opportunities for people of all ages in Middle Tennessee and beyond.
Todd Jester, a Franklin resident and nationally renowned golf course architect with more than 30 years of experience, is leading the transform of Cheekwood’s existing course into a premier golf facility.
“While golf has been around for more than 500 years, in the past decade technology and innovation have enhanced our timeless game by developing new traditions and experiences that make the sport more accessible and enjoyable for multiple generations,” Jester said.
The centerpiece of the expansion is a par three, nine-hole course accessible to the public and capable of hosting local, state and national tournaments, along with a seven-hole par three that wraps around the driving range.
Nicklaus Design, which has completed more than 425 golf courses all over the world, will work in association with Jester Golf to create the course.
“Nicklaus Design is pleased and honored to be working with Todd Jester,” said Paul Stringer, president of Nicklaus Design. “We look forward to creating something very special for Franklin and all the golfers in Tennessee.”
Mike Hathaway, founding principal of 906 Studio Architects + Interiors, has been selected as the project architect for the collection of new buildings that will make up Cheekwood Golf Club. Based in Franklin, 906 has built a reputation as one of the region’s most respected architecture firms, most notably serving as the design architect for the Harpeth Square Development in downtown Franklin.
The full Cheekwood expansion will include:
- Three-tier covered hitting stalls combining state-of-the-art technology with a family friendly atmosphere
- A driving range with soft, contained lighting
- Uncovered hitting stations and practice areas that enable year round golf instruction and recreation
- The Golf Performance Center, where students of all ages will be taught by PGA professionals
- A restaurant, golf house and club facilities, with space to host social, corporate and community gatherings
- A public trailhead and attractive greenways connecting Cheekwood to Franklin’s park system
“There is a great need in our community for a place like this where businesses and families can come together and enjoy an entertainment venue that is well-run, well-respected and meets the high standards of Franklin,” said local businessman Paul Pratt, an investor in the project.
Cheekwood’s dress code will be similar to that of the PGA and LPGA tours. Operating hours will be until 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
The City of Franklin owns the 54 acres on which the proposed expansion will take place and is working with Cheekwood on a long-term lease agreement. When completed, as currently designed, the expansion is expected to generate a probable revenue of nearly a quarter-million dollars annually for the city. Franklin’s Board of Aldermen will vote on August 10 on the project.
