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Show Nicklaus Rumors "Premature" Reports that premier pro golfer Jack Nicklaus is considering designing the planned Park Meadows golf were confirmed last week, but labeled "very premature" by a representative of the Park Meadows Development Develop-ment Company. Vic Ayers of Gump and Ayers real estate told the Record Nicklaus "has looked at" the site of the course and that discussions have taken place, but stressed that no agreement has been reached. Ayers said the Park Meadows site was only one of several possible courses throughout the country Nicklaus is considering designing. "It's, still up in the air," said Ayers. "If we can work something some-thing out, it will be announced." The report surfaced last week in newscasts by Salt Lake television sportscaster Bill Mar-croft. Mar-croft. Marcroft said Nicklaus was also planning to build a home in the Park Meadows area and take up part-time residence in Park City. The report indicated Nicklaus would make an announcement in the near future, but that the golf great was currently devoting his full attention to the upcoming Masters tournament, which begins be-gins this week. Ayers said he had been contacted by Marcroft and urged him not to air the story, but was unsuccessful. Ayers speculated that rumors of an impending agreement may have been fueled by the discovery that Nicklaus' business manager was skiing in Park City during the Easter holiday. The business manager was only one of "a number of people" associated with Nicklaus who came to Park City this season to ski, however, Ayers said. Nicklaus looked at the site, which has been specifically zoned by the city for development as a golf course, last August while appearing in the area for a benefit golf tournament with Arnold Palmer. Ayers reported that Nicklaus was apparently attracted to the area, and that subsequent "talks" have taken place, but no verbal or written agreements have been made for Nicklaus to design the course. Ayers added that any announcement an-nouncement of an agreement would probably be made by Nicklaus himself. The city government applied for a $1.5 million federal matching funds grant last summer sum-mer to build a municiple golf course on the site, which would have been donated to the city by the Park Meadows developers, but the request was turned down by the state Bureau of Outdoor Recreation. At that time, plans called for the course to be designed by well-known golf pro Billy Casper, who is associated with a Provo-based golf course design firm. |