Justin Thomas has stepped into a spotlight that feels different from tournament pressure. It is shaped by creativity, fresh terrain, and a project that started long before the first tee shot. Panther National hosts the 2025 Skins Game in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, marking the event’s return since 2008. The venue is a new 18-hole championship golf course that opened for play in November 2023. Jack Nicklaus and Justin Thomas designed it together.

Besides being a legend in playing golf, the 18-time major winner is also a big name in the world of golf course design. He and his company have designed or renovated around 400 golf courses across multiple countries. However, it was a debut for Justin Thomas, and his experience has been nothing short of amazing.

“And he was so, he came into it with such open arms to me of me being able to help out or at least give advice if you will or an opinion you know if it was to be had but you know he’s the master at this and i’m just trying to learn and I was very gracious that he you know had me alongside with him,” Thomas said about his experience working with Jack Nicklaus.

Jack Nicklaus is certainly a master. He is renowned for designing courses like the Champion Course, Harbour Town Golf Links, Nicklaus Course, SouthShore Country Club, Punta Espada, and many others. Over the years, he has mastered the skills of course design. Justin Thomas reflected on the same. He said that Nicklaus used to grab a pen and paper, picture something in his mind, and draw it.

While Nicklaus is a veteran in the space, Justin Thomas was new to designing. “I would love to design at some point, but I’m a long way away from doing that solo,” Thomas told The Palm Beach Post. Therefore, he was more into the project to learn than to design on his own. And he said that just watching Nicklaus do all his work helped the 16-time PGA Tour winner learn.

“I do not know near enough about it, you know, in terms of the intricacies and little, little things here and there. So it was really cool to just watch him and really watch it from the first time we came on property,” Justin Thomas said. But Nicklaus was still very open to asking for his input and opinions for designing the Panther National golf course.

It features steep elevation changes, dramatic vistas, and diverse hole lengths ranging from 4,500 to over 8,000 yards. It includes strategic bunkering and a variety of shot challenges, blending Nicklaus’s aerial design approach with Thomas’ ground-game expertise. Panther National also offers state-of-the-art practice facilities and caters to a mix of pro athletes and high-profile members.

While Justin Thomas had an amazing experience, Jack Nicklaus also liked working with him.

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Jack Nicklaus sees a lot of himself in Justin Thomas

Nicklaus welcomed the chance to work closely with Thomas, seeing his younger self in the 30-year-old pro. Thomas approached course design with genuine curiosity. Their partnership formed naturally, with Nicklaus inviting Thomas into every discussion and encouraging him to share opinions. “Pete listened to me in places and I listened to J.T. in places,” Jack Nicklaus told The Palm Beach Post.

That openness led to real adjustments in the course. One change made was to the par-5 11th after Thomas pointed out how the original layout funneled shots into the same area. Their work together also sparked long-term plans. Thomas intends to stay involved in future design projects while balancing his full-time playing career. He expects Panther National to become a regular training base. Thomas notes that its distinctive features push beyond what golfers usually find in Florida. Nicklaus supported those ambitions, praising Thomas’s instinct for course details and expressing interest in teaming up again.

Players who toured the course during its opening events echoed similar excitement. They noticed the dramatic elevation shifts and the effort put into shaping land that once sat flat. With the ability to stretch the routing from 4,500 to 8,000 yards, organizers see room for everything from amateur competitions to bigger showcases down the line. The goal was to craft a layout with personality and range, and Nicklaus believes the final result stands apart from anything else in South Florida.

The Skins Game’s broadcast on Amazon Prime Video starts at 9 a.m. ET on November 28, 2025. It features top golfers, including Xander Schauffele, Keegan Bradley, Shane Lowry, and Tommy Fleetwood, playing on the course designed by Jack Nicklaus and Justin Thomas.