Development begins on the Jack Nicklaus Golf Academy in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico

Grupo Vidanta, one of Mexico's leading resort and golf course developers, has commenced development for the first-ever Jack Nicklaus Academy of Golf in the greater Nuevo Vallarta area of Mexico. The new world-class facility under construction at the Vidanta Resort is scheduled to be open spring of 2012 and will be one of the most complete golf instruction and training facilities in all of Mexico.

The Nicklaus Academy will accompany the newly re-opened course at Grupo Vidanta Resort. When it opened a decade ago, the Nayar Vidanta Golf Course in Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit, Mexico, was regarded as one of the country's absolute best. Now after a thorough four-year renovation by Nicklaus Design, this stunning layout is quite likely to gain even higher acclaim. Situated between the Pacific Ocean and the meandering Ameca River and with the Sierra Madre Mountains serving as a spectacular backdrop, the course is a joy to play for the higher handicappers while still being a stern test for players of the highest caliber. Golfers will find room to roam off the tee, but approach shots require a tad more precision thanks to seven shimmering lakes and plenty of strategically-placed bunkers. A keen putting touch comes in handy to navigate the perfectly-manicured greens.

In addition to the exclusive Jack Nicklaus Academy facility, the Nayar Vidanta Golf Center will have the finest practice range in Vallarta including covered hitting stalls, natural grass tees, multiple target greens, putting and short game areas, and will be lit and open to the public.

The Nicklaus Academy features climate-controlled teaching bays with an array of technologies including:

• The Jack Nicklaus Coaching Studio and the Nicklaus Academies Analysis Software, multiple high-speed video cameras, an integrated pressure/balance mat, automatic studio lighting, an integrated ball flight monitor and more. Also included is the latest in training and fitness technologies from FreeMotion Fitness with the Vertex Whole Body Vibration machine and the FreeMotion Dual Cable Cross.
• In a second bay is K-Vest Movement Analysis Technology. Sensors on the student along with the computer capture data from sensors positioned on the student's body. With this 'data' the computer creates an accurate animation of the student's body and swing that is now viewable from virtually any angle. The information provided through this very special technology will shorten the learning process by four to five times.
• Inside the teaching facility is also a computerized putting lab with technology used by Tour Professionals called TOMI. This technology allows the Nicklaus Academies instructors to analyze your putting stroke from face alignment to stroke path, impact tempo and speed. Since 30 percent of strokes come on the putting green during a normal round of golf, time spent in the Nicklaus Academy putting lab is well worth the time.
• Additional features include a comfortable lobby, mental evaluation and training tools, custom club and ball fitting sessions, a Nicklaus Academy putting green and chipping area, and its own practice bunker, short game practice area, and artificial turf hitting area.

The opening of the Nicklaus Academy caps a year of firsts for Grupo Vidanta on the golf front. May 2011 saw the first-ever "Uniting Nations Cup" international golf tournament kick off successfully.