Nicklaus Design and GOLF Magazine, two brands under the 8AM Golf umbrella, have launched the inaugural GOLF Magazine + Nicklaus Design Challenge, a contest that gives everyday golfers a chance to test their design skills and submit their visions for the perfect par 4 hole. 

The winning entry, as selected by the Nicklaus Design team and GOLF Magazine/GOLF.com editors and readers, will inspire the design of an actual par 4 on an actual Nicklaus Design course. 

The winner will also receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, for a tour of Nicklaus Design headquarters and a round of golf at a Nicklaus Design course.  

Submissions will be accepted through March 15. In addition to detailed sketches of their holes, contestants are required to submit a brief description of the strategy behind their designs. (All rules can be found at GOLF.com/designcontest.) Ten finalists will be selected before April 15. The designs of the finalists will be rendered in 2-D models by the Nicklaus Design team. Those renderings will be published on GOLF.com, where users will vote for their favorite. These votes will help determine the winning design, which will be announced on GOLF.com on or before May 15. 

“We’re looking forward to seeing all of the sketches from aspiring golf course architects and those golfers who just love the game,” said Paul Stringer, Nicklaus Design President Asia-Pacific. “At Nicklaus Design, we have designed over 420 golf courses in 45 countries and have sketched over 10,000 golf holes. Teaming up with GOLF Magazine for this contest was a perfect fit and we encourage contestants to be creative and innovative with their drawings.” 

To assist contestants with their sketches, GOLF.com has published a beginner’s guide to golf-hole design, leaning on the expertise of Chad Goetz, a design associate with Nicklaus Design.    

“This contest isn’t only a fun and engaging way for our audience to show off their course-design talents but it’s also a great example of the power of the 8AM Golf brands,” said Jason Adel, GOLF’s chief executive officer. “It’s an incredible benefit for the GOLF team to be able to seamlessly collaborate with an industry-leader like Nicklaus Design.”  

For more information on the GOLF Magazine + Nicklaus Design Challenge, visit GOLF.com/designcontest.