Although Tiger Woods has been missing from the golf courses since missing the cut at The Open, his name is popping up in another headline and for all the wrong reasons. Recently, protests have broken out near the Jonathan Dickinson State Park in South Florida, which is only a few miles away from Woods’s Jupiter Island home.

According to NBC News, the Jonathan Dickinson State Park was supposed to undergo a renovation that would include amenities like pickleball courts, golf courses, and new lodges for the public. However, the residents were against the renovation proposed under the 2024-25 Great Outdoors Initiative.

As per the reports, there were supposed to be three golf courses built at the Jonathan Dickinson State Park, two 18-hole courses, and one 9-hole course. As per NBC, one course was going to be built by Tiger Woods’s TGR Design. Woods’s TGR design did not relay any statements on the matter, but through the sources, it was reported that the South Florida-based firm was contacted when the project was in its early phases.

This is not the first time that Woods has found himself in a controversy related to a project. Previously, his sports bar project with Justin Timberlake in the home of golf, St. Andrews, Scotland, received a huge backlash. But despite all, he recently received the drinks license to sell at the new sports bar. This time, the 15-time major winner is not the only golfer who has found himself in hot water, there is none other than Golden Bear involved too.

Jack Nicklaus joins Tiger Woods in the Jonathan Dickinson State Park mess

As said, there would be three courses, one of the two 18-hole courses was to be designed by Jack Nicklaus. The Golden Bear has designed more than 300 golf courses around the world. According to his attorney, Eugene Stearns, Nicklaus would not have charged any fees for the design, as “For Jack, it was a charitable issue.”

However, it should be noted that Nicklaus’s two founded firms, Nicklaus Cos. and Nicklaus Design, were not involved in the proposed plans. The Palm Beach Post reported that the Nicklaus Cos. said the project was an “ill-conceived plan” and that they opposed the plan of building golf courses at the Jonathan Dickinson State Park or any other park in Florida. “We cannot comment on what other parties may be doing, but Nicklaus Companies and Nicklaus Design oppose the development of golf courses in Jonathan Dickinson Park or any other Florida state park. If asked to participate in such a project, we would decline,” a statement sent to The Palm Beach Post said.

Notably, Nicklaus is not affiliated with the firm anymore, and thus, the Nicklaus. Cos explained that their statement was not coming from the 18-time major winner as he resigned in 2022. Perhaps Nicklaus committed to the project outside of the company, as his attorney had hinted. Nonetheless, the Jonathan Dickinson State Park is no longer undergoing renovation as the protest arose, and the Department of Environmental Protection confirmed that the golf courses will no longer be built.