Fla. Photos: A Pink Clubhouse, Jupiter Hills, Palm Beach Par 3 & PGA's Wanamaker

[Matt Frey, PGA]

This past week, I visited South Florida as a PGA of America Member Engagement Committee member for the 99th PGA Annual Meeting, this year, held at PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.


With some suggestions from architectural buddies, as well as from some PGA Professional friends, I took advantage of the trip to get in three rounds of golf and a tour of another facility. I took a bunch of photos during my trip, and I figured this would be the audience to appreciate some selects.


TOUR: SEMINOLE


While I was unable to play Seminole, I was able to take a brief tour of the facility and course from one of the PGA assistant professionals the afternoon that I arrived in Palm Beach. The locker room was amazing and the golf shop was cozy and immaculate. My tour guide briefly walked me through what Coore and Crenshaw are doing to the course; much of which is to restore sight and playing angles and removing overgrowth. The course looks like it would be a blast to play.

PGA GOLF CLUB - WANAMAKER COURSE


The next course that I visited was PGA Golf Club's Wanamaker Course in Port St. Lucie, Florida, for the PGA Delegate Outing. I had previously played the Wanamaker in 2009, but let me tell you that the recent work to the course has it playing great. The fairways were firm and the greens were the perfect speed. The clubhouse also looked great after a recent renovation.


PGA's Wanamaker - No. 7 tee



PGA's Wanamaker - No. 7 approach



PGA's Wanamaker - No. 8 approach (note the double green)



PGA's Wanamaker - No. 13 approach



PGA's Wanamaker - No. 18



JUPITER HILLS CLUB - HILLS COURSE


After the PGA Annual Meeting concluded Friday evening, I played 36 holes on Saturday before my flight home to Philadelphia. First up: Jupiter Hills Club's Hills Course in Tequesta, Florida. I expected the course to be good, but was really blown away with it's topography compared to other South Florida golf courses; there was tremendous movement in the course, most of which is natural. In fact, the PGA assistant professional who I played with even said that the Hills' first tee is the highest natural land point in South Florida. I found the course to be very strong and a good mix of holes; some were easier and some were much more difficult (although I do believe many others would agree with me the course offers a very difficult set of par threes; I am happy to report I parred No. 9). Although I have never played Pine Valley (I have attended three Crump Cups), I may be so bold as to liken some of it's waste area features to the beloved course in New Jersey. I haven't played a plethora of Fazio designs, but I would dare to say this has been my favorite to date.


Jupiter Hills' Hills - No. 2 right waste area



Jupiter Hills' Hills - No. 7 approach



Jupiter Hills' Hills - No. 9 tee



Jupiter Hills' Hills - No. 10 tee



Jupiter Hills' Hills - No. 15



Jupiter Hills' Hills - No. 18



PALM BEACH PAR 3 GOLF COURSE


My last round was with a co-worker and fellow PGA Professional at the Palm Beach (Florida) Par 3 Golf Course. Even with the rain and cool temperatures (believe it or not) during the first nine holes, this course was a blast to play. The course opened in the early 1960s and was designed by Dick Wilson. In 2009, Raymond Floyd redesigned the course, but, from what I can tell on Historic Aerials, the routing largely remained unchanged. It's a unique layout as some of the holes on the front nine border the Lake Worth Lagoon and a few of the holes on the back nine run along the Atlantic Ocean. The greens were pretty cool and had a lot of movement in them.


Palm Beach Par 3 - No. 5 tee



Palm Beach Par 3 - No. 6 tee



Palm Beach Par 3 - No. 13 tee



Palm Beach Par 3 - No. 17 approach



Palm Beach Par 3 - No. 18 tee



Palm Beach Par 3 - A view of the Atlantic Ocean from No. 18 tee

[David_Tepper]

Very nice pics. Thanks!

[Keith Phillips]

Great post.  Curious, favorite holes at Jupiter Hills?

[Matt Frey, PGA]

Great post.  Curious, favorite holes at Jupiter Hills?

I really liked No. 7. The tee shot reminded me a little bit of Pine Valley and the approach was difficult but certainly not unfair. Great look into the green and impreasive use of the elevation changes.

No. 15 is also a strong hole, in my opinion. It plays like a Cape. As a bit of trivia, the PGA head professional actually made a hole-in-one from the forward tees, which is pretty incredible.

[Keith Phillips]

Thanks, Matt - 8 is my favorite, but I agree 7 and 15 are fun, and YES that was an epic ace!

[Matt Frey, PGA]

I also enjoyed No. 8, Keith. No. 16 was fun too...you cannot be above the hole there!

[Jeff Tang]

Hi Matt, thanks for the pictures.  I've played all three courses at PGA Village but it was about 2.5 years ago.  Have they done work more recent than that to help with the conditions?  When I played the course conditions were a bit soft but nothing out of the ordinary for that area of Florida.  I'll have to get back there to check out the work is any was done recently.


I was lucky enough to play Jupiter Hills about a year and a half ago and thought it was phenomenal. Agree about the elevation changes.  Hard to believe with where that course is at that you get such varied terrain.  I thought it was a really fun course to play with a lot of different holes from one another.  I haven't played the other 18 there but hear that is worth seeing as well.


The Palm Beach Par 3 is a really cool place.  It's too bad in that area of Florida there isn't more seaside golf but you do get that at the Par 3.  Always in great shape and the course, while a par 3, seems to play firm and fast around the greens which is fun.

[Matt Frey, PGA]

Hi Matt, thanks for the pictures.  I've played all three courses at PGA Village but it was about 2.5 years ago.  Have they done work more recent than that to help with the conditions?  When I played the course conditions were a bit soft but nothing out of the ordinary for that area of Florida.  I'll have to get back there to check out the work is any was done recently.

Jeff: They just wrapped up regrassing the Wanamaker, which fairways now feature the Celebration strain of turfgrass (used to be Tifway 419), while the bunker faces were resodded with Empire Zoysia. According to the PGA general manager, the club is "all about that grass, 'bout that grass." 


The completely renovated the interior of the clubhouse as well.

[Nathan Gingrich]

Palm Beach Par 3 could be one of the best golf values around. Half of the course is either on the Atlantic or Intercostal. I cant remember exactly but I want to say with a pull cart it was less than $40 in season and the beer was cheap. I have never been a big Ray Floyd fan as far as design is concerned so I wouldn't expect anyone to be blown away by the course but for the price you can't beat it.