October 17, 2026

Gary Player

Phase One Delivers New Dining Venues, Culinary Upgrades, and Refreshed Amenities; Course and Practice Facility Enhancements Underway for Fall 2026 Completion.

Evans, Georgia (April 23, 2026) — Champions Retreat Golf Club—the only property in the world featuring individually designed courses by Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Gary Player—has completed the first phase of a multi-million-dollar campus transformation. Phase One delivers reimagined dining, social, and hospitality spaces. including three newly conceived venues within the Grille House. Phase Two golf course and practice facility upgrades are underway and targeted for completion this fall.

Acquired by Arcis Golf in 2023, Champions Retreat is taking a significant step forward in enhancing the member and guest experience while honoring the club’s deep connection to championship golf and Southern hospitality.

“With this first phase of renovations, we’re not just updating spaces—we’re creating a sense of place that honors our heritage and elevates every moment on property,” said Blake Walker, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Arcis Golf. “This is only the beginning, as we look ahead to even greater enhancements in the months to come.”

At the heart of the recent renovations is the Grille House, reintroduced as three distinct and imaginatively designed venues.

  • The upstairs of the Grille House has been reborn as Three Kings, a members-only speakeasy honoring Nicklaus, Palmer, and Player. Designed to evoke a classic, prohibition lounge, Three Kings is approached via a hidden stairway entrance. This gathering place is designed to promote post‑round conversation and camaraderie.
Three Kings, a members-only speakeasy honoring Nicklaus, Palmer, and Player
  • A newly renovated Private Dining Room will serve as an intimate extension of the main dining area in the Grille House. The space features custom-built wine displays, showcasing extraordinary collections of wine, plus increased seating.
  • Downstairs, the Champions Room now serves as the primary dining and bar area. The fully reimagined Champions Room is themed around the club’s rich architecture and heritage, with custom-designed trophy display cabinets lining the walls.
Downstairs, the Champions Room now serves as the primary dining and bar area. (Dining & Bar area)

  • Nearby, The Barn has been redecorated with furnishings and an atmosphere that can accommodate any special occasion with a variety of exciting culinary options. The Barn kitchen remodel will commence this summer, and upon completion will offer an open space “culinary laboratory” and a new bar in the pre-function and private dining spaces.

Beyond dining, a new concierge and cottage check‑in area in the Locker House welcomes arriving members in a luxury setting, befitting a private club with both local and national members. Champions Retreat opens to the public one week each spring, offering outside guests a rare opportunity to play its golf courses and partake in distinctive hospitality.

For most of the year, club life revolves around the Foursquare, a collection of well-appointed cottages and gathering spaces. The club offers 84 rooms in 14 unique cottages consisting of four- and eight-bedroom ensuite configurations for use by members and guests.

Phase Two

While the current renovations mark a major milestone, Champions Retreat’s evolution is far from complete. Phase Two extends beyond the clubhouse, focusing on the golf course, practice facilities, and expanded outdoor amenities to enhance daily member play and championship-hosting capabilities. Course updates include bunker renovations across all three nines; major improvements to the practice facility and short‑game area; and the addition of new putting greens, including a warm‑up putting course north of The Barn.

Golfers can also look forward to a Trackman‑equipped driving range with covered hitting bays, a new halfway house serving both on‑course players and practice‑facility guests, and an indoor racquet sports facility. Together, these investments underscore Champions Retreat Golf Club’s ongoing commitment to honoring the game’s traditions while continually delivering southern hospitality in a superior setting for members and guests.

To learn more about Arcis Golf, visit arcisgolf.com.

About Arcis Golf

Arcis Golf is a premier owner and operator of 88 private, resort, and daily fee courses in the United States. Arcis Golf continues to transform its portfolio of clubs into inclusive, lifestyle hubs with dynamic programming and unrivaled amenities. Golf and country clubs are elevated to levels of excellence designed to exceed the needs and expectations of families, friends, members, and guests of all ages. The Company is also known for innovative management, with a best-in-class leadership team committed to enhancing service levels and reinventing the modern club experience. Headquarters: 8343 Douglas Avenue, Ste. 200, Dallas, TX 75225. Phone: (214) 722-6000. Website: arcisgolf.com.

Press Release by: Karen Moraghan, Hunter Public Relations

email: kmoraghan@hunter-pr.com

Gary Player Receives 2025 Legacy Award from Robert Trent Jones Society on 60th Anniversary of his historic U.S. Open win at Bellerive Country Club

Denver, Co. (June 4, 2025) — The Robert Trent Jones Society has announced that professional golfer Gary Player is the recipient of the fourth annual Legacy Award, in recognition of his lifetime contributions to the game of golf. Previous recipients of the award include Al Geiberger, Lee Trevino, and Hollis Stacy.

Player is recognized as golf’s premier international ambassador, having won golf’s Grand Slam with his U.S. Open win in 1965 at Bellerive in St. Louis, an RTJ Sr. original design and Society member. Player has more than 160 wins over seven decades and is also a highly successful golf course architect. He single-handedly ushered in an ethos of fitness to professional golf and has raised tens of millions of dollars for his charities, most notably cancer research and education for underprivileged youth.

In announcing the award, David Leigh, President of the Robert Trent Jones Society, said, “The Legacy Award was established in Mr. Jones’ name to honor individuals whose lifetime is committed to expanding the game we all love. It is with great pleasure that we honor Mr. Playerfor his countless contributions to the game, on and off the course.”

Leigh made special note of Player’s win at Bellerive in 1965, which completed his career modern Grand Slam, joining only Gene Sarazen and Ben Hogan at that time. Earlier this year, that feat was matched by Rory McIlroy at this year’s Masters and previously earned by Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.

“Bellerive is sacred soil,” Player said in accepting the award. “I prepared for that Open like no other.”

He also shared stories from his long career and playing alongside greats like Sarazen and Hogan. Player spoke highly about RTJ Sr. and his two sons, “working tirelessly to create outstanding golf venues. Mr. Jones had a tremendous work ethic well into his 90s.”

The video interview of Mr. Player accepting the award and recounting his playing at Bellerive can be found here.

Robert Trent Jones and the Legacy Award 

Robert Trent Jones is remembered for his genius in golf design, ushering in a modern, post-war feel for the game as represented by iconic course designs and redesigns such as Bellerive, Hazeltine, Firestone, and The Broadmoor. That list is virtually endless.

The Robert Trent Jones Society is committed to preserving how Jones expanded the game— for example, modern industrial construction techniques, use of statistics to shape course design for all players, care for the environment, improving turf conditions, and, of course, “heroic” shot values. He supported municipal golf available to all, mentored countless architects, and expanded modern designs around the world across different climates.

Most importantly, Jones pioneered a deep appreciation for the tapestry of the game. He said it best himself in his autobiography, “Golf’s Magnificent Challenge”: “If I am to be remembered, I hope it is not just for the golf courses I built but for the other contributions as well to the game I love, to the game that has been my life.”

The RTJ Society created the Legacy Award to honor similar individuals who have electrified the game by their presence and given so much to golf over a lifetime.

About the Robert Trent Jones Society

The Robert Trent Jones Society was created in 2004 and consists of 40 member clubs worldwide designed by Robert Trent Jones Senior. The mission of the Society is to honor Robert Trent Jones Sr. and his work, to preserve the historical information and documents pertinent to the golf courses he designed, and to encourage and support the education of member clubs on the design principles of his courses. The Society holds an annual general meeting hosted at one of its member clubs.www.rtjsociety.com

Media Contact:

David Leigh, President – Robert Trent Jones Society

Ph# 720-219-6784  Email: David.Leigh@rtjsociety.com

Press release by: Kerry Maveus, Hunter PR

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