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EXECUTIVE GOLFER
BLUEJACK NATIONAL
M o n t g o M e ry, t e x a s
tiger Woods’ first design in america
• EXECUTIVEGOLFERMAGAZINE.COM • APRIL 2016
Bluejack National
“THE SWITCH HAS BEEN TURNED ON AT BLUEJACK, revealing the results of thoughtful planning.
Time is the most precious of resources. If you have children, you know how one month vanishes into
another and weeks go by ever faster. At Bluejack, you will pause, you’ll have to. We allow you to
recapture family time. Our club is a family resort, not a private club with a formal clubhouse.
Everything you touch is the finest quality in a less formal atmosphere.”
– MIKE ABBOTT, DEVELOPER, BLUEJACK NATIONAL
A Different Way Of Thinking
Bluejack National, a private club with the first Tiger Woods design
to open in America, works to reinvent the private club model.
MONTGOMERY, TEXAS (one hour north of Houston):
Everyone is familiar with the term MPG (miles per gallon). Members at Bluejack are familiar with another
acronym, MEH (more entertainment per hour).
“Being a father has helped me realize the importance
of non-golf amenities within a community,” said Tiger.
“Bluejack extends far beyond my course with Blake’s
Lake for fishing, The Playgrounds, and The Place—a
hangout to enjoy your favorite meal.”
The Place serves a dual purpose. Its fully-loaded Nike
golf performance learning center is only one of three in
the world and its restaurant overlooks The Playgrounds
short course. “The name is symbolic,” said Tiger. “The
Place is centered in our fantastic practice facility within a
setting of towering pines. The adjacent 30,000 squarefoot putting green and putting course will be a lot of fun
before and after a round.”
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The Playgrounds is referenced to where summer vacation comes to golf. The 10-hole, lighted short course, has
no hole over 110 yards. A converted gumball machine
spits out a golf ball on the first tee and only a putter and
wedge are required to play. The 9th hole green was
designed with an unusual double bowl formation to
encourage golf balls to trickle into the cup. “All golf carts
have USB ports to charge your cell phone,” explained
Tiger. “At The Playgrounds, you are encouraged to chill,
listen to music, and enjoy each other’s company in the
most informal of environments.”
Blake’s Lake is stocked with 12,500 bluegill and
7,000 sunfish—with trophy bass to be added next. Matt
Eno, with looks straight out of central casting from the
Outdoor Channel, oversees the club’s eight lakes. “An
afternoon with me lets you slow down,” said Eno in a
mellow voice. “There is a difference between fishing and
“WE ARE HONORED to be Tiger’s first design in America, but our story is so much more. We analyzed
everything, right and wrong, in the private club industry and created something different…and quite
possibly revolutionary.” – CASEY PAULSON, PRESIDENT, BLUEJACK NATIONAL
catching, there isn’t instant gratification. You learn patience,
something that is rare in today’s
world. Bluejack brings families
together. When your daughter
gives you a thumbs up, after reeling in her first fish, it
makes you smile from ear to ear.”
SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION
The urban legend six degrees of separation is the theory that
everyone and everything is six or fewer steps away, by way
of introduction, from any other person in the world. Matt
Marino, head golf professional at Bluejack National, has his
fair share of coincidence. “I was a caddie at The Broadmoor
under the direction of long-time director of golf, Dow
Finsterwald,” recalled Marino.
“The International [a PGA TOUR event from 19862006] was being played at Castle Pines Golf Club and I was
asked to help during the Wednesday Pro-Am. That morning, I was assigned to the Tiger Woods fivesome,” said
Marino. “I quickly called my parents to come follow me
around. In an urgent rush to make it to the club, my dad
backed the car into the garage door!”
Matt is eight years younger and shares a remarkable
resemblance to Tiger. “On the first tee, one of the players
in our group approached Tiger and said, ‘I want you to
meet Little Tiger,” beamed Marino. “I was 16 and Tiger was
24. Looking back, I realize he was just a kid living his
dream and I was living mine.
“Several years later I had another coincidence,” chuckled Marino. “Out of the blue, I received a call from Dow
Finsterwald Jr., the legendary golf professional at Colonial
Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, inquiring if I would be
interested in an associate golf professional position. We
didn’t know one another, but when I told him I learned the
ropes under the tutelage of his father, my prospects for the
job increased dramatically, an ultimately, I got the job.”
Marino met Mike Abbott, the charismatic developer of
Bluejack National, during a PGA of America educational
summit. “I networked and handed him my business card,”
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Bluejack National
“YOU WILL BE SURPRISED how difficult it is to lose a golf ball at Bluejack National. There are a few lakes
that need to be avoided, but I purposely designed wide landing areas and cleared the forest understory to
make it easier to find your golf ball and work back toward the intended line of play. I think limiting the
exhausting search for golf balls makes the game more fun and play faster.” – TIGER WOODS
recalled Marino. “I knew Bluejack National would be a
my wife and said, ‘our life is about to change!’
high profile club with aspirations to become a ‘top 100’
“It is an honor to join Rich Barcelo as co-head profescourse. The club, similar to Augusta National, planned to
sionals at Bluejack. I am a Class A Golf Professional, but
have co-head professionals: one teaching/ playing pro
this position will test my mettle beyond typical pro
and one on the operational side.
duties. Representing the Bluejack and Tiger brands car“It was clear the head golf professional jobs would
ries a lot of weight. Our mission is clearly defined to reinattract the best in the industry. My
vent the private club model.”
initial desk and playing interviews
went well, but I knew many other
THE FELLOWSHIP OF GOLF
highly qualified candidates were
Texas has its share of colorful busibeing considered.”
nessmen. Thomas Blake, the original
Days stretched into weeks with no
owner of the property, is no excepword. “I was sitting on the 10th fairtion. He strummed a banjo in a gin
way at Colonial on July 4th when my
joint to pay for law school. “Blake
cell phone rang, receiving word from
was definitely larger than life,” said
Casey Paulson, president of Bluejack,
Casey Paulson. “We restored the
that I got the job,” emotionally con- Tiger Woods and Matt Marino at The International piano he regularly played with Willie
veyed Marino. “I immediately called tournament at Castle Pines Golf Club in 2000.
Nelson as a tribute to his history.”
“IF LIFE HAD LED ME DOWN A DIFFERENT PATH, I would have worked hard to be in special operations in the military
like my pop. I have the highest regard for the men and women who serve our country.” – TIGER WOODS
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Bluejack National
EXECUTIVE CHEF GILBERT MOORE has partnered with B-52, a local craft brewery, on an IPA and a pilsner. His culinary
philosophy is about simplicity wherein basic cooking techniques—including smoking, searing, and poaching—are as important as
ingredients. The club’s most popular item is a smoked tri-tip sandwich with a chimichurri sauce (a sauce originally from Argentina
made of finely-chopped parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, oregano, and white vinegar).
It’s safe to say that every headline describing Bluejack
will have a Tiger Woods reference.
“We are honored to be Tiger’s first design in America,
but our story is so much more. We analyzed everything,
right and wrong in the private club industry, and created
something different…and quite possibly revolutionary,”
praised Paulson.
“It was a collaborative effort among all of us. Purists
will love it and our hope is your children, whose lives are
absorbed in other sports, will find their way to The
Playgrounds [Bluejack’s short course], and the next thing
you know, they are on the first tee.”
Bluejack National features wide fairways, no rough, no
out of bounds, and sharp lines. The Tiger tees play from
7,500 yards down to 2,500 yards from the Frank tees [a
reference to the name of Tiger’s head cover].
“You don’t feel like you are in Texas,” commented
Paulson. “Bluejack gives you the opportunity to play golf,
not to struggle looking for your golf ball. You never feel
disconnected from your group as you hunt and poke for
your ball in thick vegetation or tall grass. We foster fellowship, not frustration.
“Let’s face it. Playing by the rules at many modern
courses can be downright impossible for an average handicapper. Our course is by no means easy, but spouses
won’t have to place Xs on their scorecards. A bad shot is
not penalized with a lost ball, but with a more difficult
approach shot to the pin,” said Paulson.
“On my first trip to the Bluejack property, I was blown
away by the beauty of the site and overwhelmed by an
incredible feeling of responsibility to design a course that
preserved the spectacular setting,” explained Tiger.
“My goal, as a golf course designer, is to use my knowl-
BLUEJACK NATIONAL is full of fun surprises. The practice facility has a large gong strategically placed 175 yards on the range,
and two on-course comfort stations offer fresh-made jerky, seasoned with Chef Moore’s proprietary mix of spices.
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Bluejack National
Bluejack National
“AVERAGE PRIVATE CLUB GREENS run 9-11 on a stimpmeter. Bluejack’s approach areas and tee boxes run 10-11. We like to
say our tee boxes are the second best greens in Texas.” – MATT MARINO, HEAD GOLF PROFESSIONAL
edge, insight, and commitment to design a limited number of distinct courses. I hope my golf course designs
become known for creating various shot options that
require players to think and make decisions. But ultimately, I want my designs to be a lasting contribution to a
game that has given me so much.”
A NATIONAL CLUB WITH A TEXAS HERITAGE
Bluejack National has the financial backing of Lantern
Asset Management and its founder, Andy Mitchell.
“The game changer for me was the master plan, and
this was before Tiger entered the picture. I crunched the
figures, studied the growth corridor of the Houston market, and realized the feasibility of the project worked.
No real estate purchase is required for membership
at Bluejack. It is expected that 30 percent of the club’s
members will reside outside the Lone Star State.
Bluejack National has outpaced the overall market
with strong real estate and membership sales—before
holding its official course opening.
“I’m not surprised that Golf, Inc., just named us
‘Development of the Year,’” said Gary Short, director of
sales at Bluejack. “Our community is so much more than
a Tiger Woods’ golf course. The lifestyle, hospitality, cuisine, and extensive amenity-rich family programming creates something special.”
Several years ago, Exxon announced it was building a
huge North American campus in The Woodlands, located midway between Houston and Bluejack.
“The influx of thousands of jobs transformed the
area,” explained Short.
“We are undergoing a similar transformation. The
Grand Parkway is under construction [a big phase of the
road opens next month] and will cut the time in half
between Bluejack and the inner-loop [610] of greater
Houston. The growth corridor is headed our way.” ■
FUTURE
AMENITIES
that are
planned to start
construction
later this year
include The Fort
with zip-lines and
The Orchards
member garden.
BLUEJACK NATIONAL
TAKES AESTHETIC CUES from
classic American architectural styles.
A total of 386 private residences, with
a mix of member suites, cottages, and
Sunday homes, enable members to
choose a residence that best meets
their needs—from short-term visits
to year-round living.
FOR MORE INFORMATION on
membership and real estate
opportunities, please visit
BluejackNational.com.
EACH MEMBER AND GUEST is announced on the first tee. A cup has been cut in the back of the tee box for a
modified game of poison to determine honors.
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