Jack Nicklaus to design nine additional holes for disabled veterans’ course | Golf News and Tour Information [Video]

Having built hundreds of notable courses around the world, Jack Nicklaus has made plenty of money in golf architecture since the end of his playing career. But a special project — one Jack claims to hold closest to his heart — has the Golden Bear and his design team working for free.

Nicklaus will add nine holes to the American Lake Veterans GC in Lakewood, Wash., which, according to its website, is the only course in America completely accessible to disabled veterans.

Built in 1955, the 377-acre nine-hole course caters mainly to patients of the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, and has been supported entirely by annual pass and daily green fees since government funding was eliminated in 1995. The course is also fully managed and maintained by a staff of 150 volunteers.

“It is the greatest place to heal,” Staff Sgt. Leroy Petry told reporters in Washington. …