One of the more unusual holes is the par-3 No. 9 hole, which Nicklaus calls a "semi-blind par-3."

The back tee is situated on a red rock bluff, and no matter which tee you hit from, a couple of cedar trees are between the tees and the green, a rarity on par-3s.

"I like to create a little bit of mystery on a golf course, here and there," Nicklaus said in explaining the hole. "You try to create enough variety in your golf course where every type of golfer has something for them that's good and easy and something that's challenging."

When a TV reporter asked Nicklaus if there was a particular hole he liked, he said, "I like 1 ... 2, 3's good, 4 ... 5," after which laughter drowned him out before he could get to 18.

"Hopefully, you get a signature golf course without a signature hole," Nicklaus said.

The one change Nicklaus made on his tour of the course was eliminating the 486-yard back tee at the No. 2 hole and making the 425-yard member tee the back tee while adding another front tee.

"It was just too long," he said.

Eventually, Red Ledges will encompass approximately 1,200 homes around the outside of the golf course. Nicklaus said he made sure in his design not to have homes and golf holes too close to each other.

"I tried to create an amenity for Tony that people can enjoy to play golf on," Nicklaus said. "I tried to utilize the land and the terrain where the golf course and the housing don't interfere with each other. You want people who live there to have a nice view and a nice experience without having golf balls and golfers in their back yards all the time."

Despite the tough economic times, Nicklaus says Red Ledges might be the only project of its kind in the country that is doing well right now.

"What has amazed me in this economy is that people have been coming out here and seeing this project, playing the golf course and buying the lots," he said. "You're not finding that anywhere in the country. This is the only place I've found it. It's a credit to Tony and his people and the commitment they've made and turning this into something that will be very special."

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