Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate

The Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate opened in 2001 at 143rd and Kenneth Road, with limestone outcroppings worked into a par-72 layout that stretches past 7,200 yards from the back tees. Jack Nicklaus was scheduled to play the opening round on September 13, 2001; that got postponed, and he finally played it the following June. The club is operated by Invited, the national group that used to be ClubCorp, so members get reciprocal access to partner clubs through the XLife program, which matters to people who travel. Tennis, a pool and multiple dining rooms plus a simulator lounge round out the campus.

The LionsGate neighborhoods were built around this course, so the buyer pool is heavily south Overland Park families in Blue Valley schools who want to walk or cart to the first tee. That said, Invited runs this as an open-application club, and I see members from Mills Farm, Leawood and across 135th who simply prefer the modern facilities and the flexibility of the membership tiers. It is a busier, more programmed club than the old-line clubs in Mission Hills, with a stronger junior golf and swim team presence, which is exactly what many relocating families want.

The practical advantage here is transparency of structure, if not of price. Invited lists five categories on its site: Full Golf with 14-day tee time booking, Limited Golf that excludes noon Friday through noon Sunday, Young Executive Golf with weekday-plus-afternoon-weekend access, Clubhouse Social, and Limited Clubhouse Social that covers dining, pool, swim team and junior golf programs. There is no residency requirement and nothing on the site about a waitlist. If you are buying in LionsGate and only want the pool, a social tier keeps your monthly outlay much lower than full golf.