Troy Renck: Jack Nicklaus designed Castle Pines, and he couldn't be happier with the reboot

CASTLE ROCK, Colo. — When Jack Nicklaus talks golf, all seems right in the world.

After a breathtaking flyover christened the BMW Championship, Nicklaus took a seat in a golf cart and opened up about Castle Pines Golf Club, the course he designed in 1981 and renovated over the last decade.

I was on the driving range reliving old times with former Rockies third baseman Garrett Atkins when the PR staff asked if I wanted a few minutes with Nicklaus.

Other than my wedding, I have never said “I do” faster. Discussing golf with Nicklaus is like going over sonnets with Shakespeare or lyrics with McCartney.

In a sport known for Ben Hogan’s ball-striking, Arnold Palmer’s recklessness and Tiger Woods’ brilliance, no one has ever done it better than The Golden Bear. He owns the record with 18 major championships, 16 more than current World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who carded a 1-under 71 on Thursday.

Nicklaus is as much a part of this course as the pine trees. His passion, however, comes from his blueprints more than the greens. At the height of his powers, Nicklaus dominated the 1960s and 1970s and one glorious day at The Masters in 1986.

Nicklaus, it was often said, thought he was going to birdie every hole.

“But, honestly I never played that well here. I didn’t win. I don’t know why I didn’t play the course well, but there are really a lot of golf courses I didn’t play well,” Nicklaus said of Castle Pines. “But I didn’t design this golf course for me. I designed it for what the land gave me. And this is what the land gave us here. I think the guys are really going to enjoy it.”

George Solich, president of the club, and his brother Duffy, the tournament chairman, spearheaded efforts to bring the PGA Tour back to Colorado for the first time since 2014 and to Castle Pines for the first time since 2006. Ideally, the tour would return to this sanctuary annually.

But it’s complicated by traffic issues, housing logistics and the question of whether members want interlopers every year.

“It depends on the club. I think George would love to have an event come back, maybe the BMW every other year or something like that. It’s a nice thing to have,” Nicklaus said. “Denver has always been a great golf town. Bring people here for an event and let them see it.”

Castle Pines is considered one of Nicklaus’ best courses. As the golfers were introduced on the first tee above us, Nicklaus went hole by hole on the nips and tucks he supervised. A common thread emerged. He sought a course that would test the pros, while not spooking the well-heeled members with its difficulty.

Nicklaus, 84, displayed a photographic memory when explaining how, after 40 years, “we fixed some things.” The highlights, like those of his career, were numerous.

The first hole tee box came down a little bit, a chef’s kiss for a “hole that was always a short par 5 at 630 yards or whatever it was,” Nicklaus laughed.

The fairway on the second hole was piped across the left “so the average golfer could run the ball up.”

The third hole bothered Nicklaus when sandwiched between fairways. He closed his eyes and added a lake and widened the green to make it more accessible.

The sixth hole had a way of snatching souls with the shots rolling back down the fairway 100 yards if miscalculated. “So we put a bunker just short of the green,” Nicklaus explained.

The next three holes featured tees pulled back, a bunker here and there and changing the pitch of the fairway. I felt like I was listening to Ted Williams talk about hitting.

“That’s quite a bit for the front nine. I assume you are recording this?”

Yes sir, I responded.

Nicklaus nodded and began the turn on the back nine. I could practically see his eyes widen behind his sunglasses as he talked about three holes in particular, the 12th, 14th and 16th.

The 12th was opened up on the right side to give members hope with the green extended closer to the hazard. “I think it’s one of the best holes on the golf course.”

But he reserved one adjective for the 14th and 16th — gorgeous.

“At 14 we kept walking until we found we were off the property,” Nicklaus joked. “It’s a long way back. But the hole needed it because it was playing short and downhill.” And for good measure he changed the direction of the creek, so from your second shot, it is an Instagram heart hands view.

The original design of the 16th included bad intel on the elevations. So, they fixed the math and brought the tee up a bit and dropped the green a smidgen and “now it’s a gorgeous golf hole,” Nicklaus said.

Adam Scott made his professional debut at The International in 2000. He missed the cut, but it doesn’t mean he doesn’t like the course.

“There are so many similarities between here and Muirfield Village (in Ohio),” Scott said. “That has Jack Nicklaus’ fingerprints all over it and so does this place.”

Alex Noren, tied for third, marveled at the beauty of the course and the ambiance.

“They love having us,” Noren said. “It was like a major out there.”

Jack Vickers spared no expense when he founded Castle Pines. He wanted his version of The Masters. So, of course, he teamed with the man who won it six times.

Professional golf returned to Colorado on Thursday. And I’ll tell you one thing, it never felt more legitimate than when viewed through the eyes of Nicklaus.

“I think the course will play nicely, especially if we don’t get rain,” Nicklaus concluded. “You will be able to throw the ball onto the green and it will go splat. And nobody likes that. These guys don’t. They like it a little more challenging with the way the ball bounces. It should be a lot of fun these next few days.”