Timberlake

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TIMBERLAKE TO A TEE

International entertainer and golf nut Justin Timberlake invests in his hometown of Millington, Tenn., with Mirimichi, a stateof-the-art, eco-friendly golfing facility ˝ KIM GORDON

IS THERE ANYTHING JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE CAN’T DO?

In less than a decade, he’s earned six Grammys, two Emmys and dozens of accolades from around the world. With Justified and then FutureSex/LoveSounds—which produced four consecutive No. 1 singles—the R&B and pop icon has sold a combined 18 million albums worldwide, elevating him to one of the most influential entertainers in the world.

He followed his multi-platinum albums with an Emmy Award-winning Saturday Night Live skit and most recently landed a starring role in The Social Network. Timberlake has proven his sensational skills not only as a singer, dancer and actor, but also as a savvy entrepreneur with a celebrated fashion line and successful recording label. His latest venture, 901 Silver Tequila, a triple-distilled premium spirit, is headquartered in St. Louis.

PHOTOS: Courtesy of Mirimichi

JT is everywhere—including the golf course.

In 2010, he opened Mirimichi, a world-class par-72 championship course in his hometown of Millington, Tenn., a small town 15 miles north of Memphis. When Timberlake decided to venture into the golf business, he set the bar high with a trio of directives: First, the course had to be green and environmentally sustainable. Next, it had to grow the game of golf. Finally, it had to be open to the public, affordable and accessible to everyone.

“The two things I love most in the world are golf and the environment,” says Timberlake, who boasts a handicap of 5 or better, depending on his tour schedule.

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30,000 Amazing athlete is another attribute Timberlake can add to his list of talents, explains Mirimichi director of golf Greg King. “Justin is an incredible golfer. He has excellent hand-eye coordination and a big, free-flowing swing with a lot of speed,�

King says. “He’s such a creative and athletic player. He hits and processes the elements with the skill and speed of a pro player. He’s just magical on the course.�

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But it’s the golf course and its elusive challenges that have a magnetic pull on Timberlake: “No one gives you a hole-in-one. You have to take it. An ace is ... eternal.�

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The 7,479 yards of lush fairways, swathes of natural grasslands and meditative waterfalls that line Mirimichi offer him an oasis from the relentless demands of life as an international superstar. “The golf course might be the only place where I don’t have such critical expectations of myself,�

Timberlake explains. “The mental release is why I love it so much. You can go out there and be a normal person and forget about the world.�

MAJOR PLAYER

As a little boy, Timberlake hit his first golf balls on the 10th tee at Big Creek Golf Course with his mom and stepfather, Lynn and Paul Harless, who taught him how to swing on that hole, which is now Timberlake’s favorite spot at Mirimichi.

Just five miles away from his Millington home, Timberlake and his parents, who had their wedding reception at the course, say Big Creek holds countless memories for their family.

By July of 2007, Big Creek had fallen into disrepair and was set for auction, with plans to be razed for residential development. When the property went for sale on the courthouse steps, Timberlake and his parents stepped in to save it. “My dad called me when I was on tour,� Timberlake recalls. “He said it was for sale and what if we bought it. I started laughing. But he didn’t laugh on the other end of the phone. Silence. I said, ‘You’re serious.

I’m in. Let’s do it.’�

Timberlake and his parents set the bar high, envisioning a public golf course that would rival prestigious courses like Bethpage in New York and Torrey Pines in San Diego. Timberlake and his team at Mirimichi—general manager Rich Peterson, marketing director Deb Peterson and director of golf Greg King—hope to soon bring a major championship to the course.

To get the course in tournament shape, Mirimichi brought in Bergin Golf Designs and Sanders Golf Construction, with both companies having worked on numerous courses that have hosted major championships. “We have partnered with the best golf architects, designers and builders in the world,� says Paul

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Harless, who worked closely with his wife and Timberlake throughout the course design process. “We feel like we are building a collection of the best courses in the world and packaging it all together.�

With designs from Bergin Golf, Sanders led the construction efforts and implemented the course enhancements, building the greens to USGA specifications and improving the bunkers. The greens were re-contoured with Bermuda grass to allow shots to hold the greens, which now run at Augusta-fast speeds. “We brought in people who have designed greens, bunkers and fairways for a lot of the courses around the country that have hosted major championships,� Timberlake says. “We’ve surrounded ourselves with the best of the best to give everybody a world-class golf experience.�

Timberlake has invested more than $20 million to buy and transform the haggard layout into a lush championship venue. From the strategic playability to the length of the holes to the speed of the greens, every aspect of the golf course has been renovated.

In the summer of 2009, Big Creek was reborn in the form of Mirimichi.

Mirimichi’s par-72 championship course is a challenging 7,479 yards from the tips, but provides five different tee boxes on each hole to appeal to all abilities. Challenges lie around every fairway bend, meaning accuracy is critical to a low round. Deep-pit bunkers, elevated greens, native grasslands, numerous waterfalls and meandering creeks force quick reaction time and demand players to be on top of their game. “We remodeled the entire course to create a challenging but fair course,� King says. “You won’t feel like you’ve been in the boxing ring all day. After an excellent game of golf you should feel energized.

Mirimichi offers a great work out and great walk through nature.�

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PERFECT HARMONY

Timberlake’s passion for the environment has fueled Mirimichi to become the best of the best and the greenest of the green. Coexisting with nature marks the cornerstone of Mirimichi, a Native American word meaning “place of happy retreat.” Timberlake, who has Indian ancestry in his blood, wanted to elevate the concept of the golf course as sanctuary, reflecting the Native American respect for the land.

“I wanted to pose the question: ‘Is it possible for a golf course to actually be green?’” Timberlake explains.

The answer is yes: Mirimichi is the first U.S. golf course to be designated as an Audubon International Classic Sanctuary—a designation that means the course exhibits admirable “wildlife conservation, habitat rehabilitation and enhancement and water conservation.”

Mirimichi is also the first course in the United States— and one of the first 10 in the world—to achieve the Golf Environmental Organization (GEO) Certification, the leading authority on sustainable golf.

It’s the only course in the world to hold both certifications.

“Mirimichi is what we, as an organization, want every golf course to aspire to,” says Bud Smart, regional director for the GEO.

Timberlake says. “It’s about taking a leadership role and encouraging other golf courses, and organizations of all kinds around the world, to move forward in making a positive impact on the world.”

Timberlake’s environmental stewardship extends to all aspects of his life. During his last nationwide concert tour, his team calculated the carbon footprint of each concert and then paid to have trees planted in each city to offset the impact.

When Timberlake purchased the course in 2008, he was determined to turn the facility into the greenest golf course around, a difficult task considering golf courses are inherently environmentally unfriendly, with most of the criticism stemming from the inordinate amounts of water required to keep courses green.

Most of Mirimichi’s redesign is aimed at cutting down on water use. Adaptive management techniques and comprehensive water testing allow the water to leave Mirimichi cleaner than when it came in. Newly designed water filtration and drainage systems, along with recirculating creeks and lakes, reduce water consumption by recapturing two-thirds of the course’s water.

With Mirimichi, Timberlake raised the environmental bar for all courses, balancing a golfer’s playing experience with protecting and enhancing the environment.

Mirimichi’s most significant environmental measure was eliminating more than 100 acres of turf grass. The renovations reduced the amount of manicured land from 200 acres to less than 90, dramatically reducing land maintenance as well as water, fertilizer and pesticide use while expanding native areas to increase wildlife.

“Environmental sustainability at Mirimichi is about more than just what we can do at our own course,”

Along with publishing its own 52-page environmental literature, Mirimichi has developed and implemented

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an educational outreach program and works with everyone from corporations to hospitals to local gardeners to raise eco-consciousness.

Another standout at Mirimichi is the 18-hole natural grass putting course. Each hole averages 25 yards and features lakes with fountains and wildflower meadows.

“Mirimichi serves as a leading example for golf courses worldwide,� says Russ Bodie, chief technical officer of Audubon Environmental, which has consulted more than 200 golf courses in 20 countries across the globe. “From the top down, the entire Mirimichi team, from Justin to the bus boys, has an unwavering commitment to the environment, and the entire staff continually strives to be more sustainable. Justin and Mirimichi have truly brought sustainable golf into the spotlight.�

“Little Mirimichi and our 18-hole putting course provide a less intimidating atmosphere that’s welcoming to new players,� Deb Peterson says. “Little Mirimichi has a Disney World effect on people. Everyone has a blast playing it.�

W A GROWING THE GAME

At the centerpiece of Timberlake’s initiative to grow the game of golf is the Mirimichi Performance and Learning Center, a 10,000 square-foot facility designed for club-fitting technology and swing instruction.

It’s one of a few facilities in the country to feature Callaway Performance Analysis System technology.

The system captures and analyzes more swing data than any other launch monitor system, making it the most advanced club fitting and analytic tool in golf. “We’ve added just a little technology,� jokes Timberlake, whom the Mirimichi staff loves for his witty sense of humor. “Whether it’s a tour professional or first-time golfer, or who someone who loves the game but it doesn’t love them back, we want everyone to get dialed in.�

The high-speed optics, precision software and 3-D imagery capture club and ball speed, launch angle, spin rates, attack and path angles. “It’s like a fingerprint of your golf swing,� explains King, who leads a team of five full-time golf pros. “Everyone is built differently, and this technology allows us to analyze your exact personal specs to maximize your results.�

The Learning and Teaching Center features three indoor/outdoor teaching bays. Here, TrackMan Pro technology maps the entire flight of the golf ball from impact to landing to provide a comprehensive statistical analysis of club delivery, launch and ball flight.

Mirimichi also utilizes the V1 Pro system to capture a golfer’s swing from four different angles. “No matter where you are in the world, you can take a picture or video with a smart phone and send it to us remotely for analysis,� King says.

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Mirimichi’s initiative to grow the game of golf also includes Little Mirimichi, a 9-hole, par-35 executive course. “At just over 2,500 yards long, Little Mirimichi provides a faster, shorter golfing experience and the perfect opportunity for both inexperienced and advanced golfer to hone their skills,� says Jennifer Jordan, lead golf instructor.

ALL ACCESS

When Paul Harless and Greg King sketched the designs for the patio at Mirimichi, they mapped out a generous area for the outdoor bar and restaurant. But Timberlake’s mom, Lynn, had a much grander vision in her head. Taking the spray paint cans out of their hands, she extended the patio to 10,000 square feet to create a community gathering place with a neighborhood feel to provide everyone with an experience that extends way beyond the golf course.

The patio designed by Harless, who also decorated the Learning and Teaching Center, serves as the centerpiece of the destination golf resort. “We try and have something for everyone here,� says Harless, who is involved in all aspects of Mirimichi along with her husband. “We want to put a spa in, and we’re starting a great junior program for kids. We have the 18th hole putting course that anybody, even if you’ve never played golf before, can play. We want to be a destination for families.�

Stunning sunsets and sweeping views of the course set the stage for Mirimichi’s weekend deck parties, which regularly draw 150 to 200 people. Families, friends, kids and golfers gather for Southern barbeque and sets of Memphis blues. Mirimichi also hosts fish fries, fashion shows and wine tastings to help introduce the game of golf to everyone.

Making the game accessible and affordable is also central to the Mirimichi mission. Weekend rates are $71 and weekday play is $59 for 18 holes on the championship course. “Mirimichi has also opened incredible doors for Memphis from a tourism perspective,� says Regena Bearden of the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau. “It’s a world-class course, but it’s pubic and so affordable.

Memphis is incredibly lucky to have someone like Justin, who not only really cares and loves his hometown, but also continually invests in the community.�

From the start, Mirimichi aimed to make the course a destination resort for families. “If I’m a Dad, I bring my kids here, and we get a decent meal for a good price,� explains Rich Peterson, Mirimichi general manager. “Then we play 18 holes until the sun goes down. Then I feel like a hero.� And that’s exactly want Timberlake wants. “I think this is probably the coolest thing I’ve ever been a part of in my life� Timberlake recalls. “It means a lot to me personally, to be able to bring something like this to my hometown. Let’s be honest, it’s truly selfish. Now whenever I’m home I can work on my game. But if you guys want to play too, be my guest.�

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