The Park, West Palm (2023)

Upon Donald Ross’ monumental Seminole opening in 1929 (of which remains the finest course in the sunshine state), Florida’s golfing landscape consisted of many of the great architects that defined the Midwest and Northeast’s stellar golf scenes. Those industry heavyweights who left their mark on Florida included the aforementioned Ross, who, naturally, dominated the state—from Belleair in Tampa, to Seminole and The Biltmore in South Florida, up the coast towards Jacksonville including New Smyrna Beach, Timuquana, and more—; Walter Travis, Stanley Thompson, Seth Raynor, A.W. Tillinghast, Wayne Stiles & John Van Kleek, Herbert Strong, William Langford & Theadore Moreau, and more. Granted, many of the stereotypes we associate Floridian golf with existed back then, but the flatter, water-bogged terrain we so routinely associate with the state was handled in a sophisticated manner. Yes, it was still “Florida golf”—Mountain Lake is flatter than Camargo and any Stiles & Van Kleek in Florida cannot contend with the undulations of Hooper—but their architectural savviness produced a respectable amount of interesting golf in the state.

Following World War Two, those Floridian motifs of flat, water-logged golf holes flanked by housing plagued future developments in the state, to the point that Florida’s golf scene mutated past the charming, subdued Golden Age layouts and into a Stirling example of what not to build. How could a state with so much architectural firepower throughout its history have such a negative reputation? Unfortunately, many of the golf courses built by the cohort from the Golden Age were either renovated, destroyed, or abandoned, and nearly every golf course built following WWII had more intentions of selling real estate in a golf community than building a great golf course.

Call it the Northeast re-discovering the appeal of Florida’s warm weather, or socio-political motivation to search for lower taxes or a lower cost of living, but Florida boomed in the early 2020s. Droves of New Yorkers moved to Florida; Massachusetts, Pennsylvanians, and Midwesterners and Eastern Canadians followed as well. The few great golf courses in the state became oversupplied, and those looking to play were met with too many people looking for tee times or long waiting lists for those trying to join a club. Naturally, a boom of new golf courses from names like Gil Hanse, Tom Doak, Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw, Rod Whitman/Dave Axland/Keith Cutten, Kyle Franz, Mike Nuzzo, David McLay Kidd, Kyle Phillips, Tom Fazio, and more seemingly began to spring up in nearly every part of the state. Specifically though, the Jupiter/Stuart area, not far from Seminole, saw numerous layouts built literally side-by-side. Golf Digest‘s Derek Duncan wrote that it “may be the biggest architectural bake-off,” referring to The Ranch (Whitman/Axland/Cutten)’s 36 holes, Apogee’s 54 holes (Hanse + Phillips + Fazio II & Davis), Sandglass (Doak), McArthur Backyard (Coore/Crenshaw), Atlantic Fields (Fazio), Panther National (Nicklaus/Thomas), and that doesn’t even include Bobby Weed’s The Grove XXIII, Gil Hanse’s overhaul of Jonathan’s Landing, Andy Staples’ overhaul of one of the courses at PGA National, and more.

It amounts to what may be the biggest architectural bake-off in the history of the profession, with the generation’s top designers working virtually simultaneously within miles of each other, none with a clear topographical advantage or any relative budget constraint.

-Derek Duncan, “Who will be the winner of the south Florida golf boom?”

Minus PGA National, all of those are private (and expensive!). Only Andy Staples The Match (and the accompanying The Staple) lets those vacationing in South Florida experience the current golf boom.

In between the Golden Age and the current boom in Florida, Dick Wilson’s contributions to Florida are particularly noteworthy and a bit of saving grace for an otherwise difficult time for golf in the state. Pine Tree, arguably Wilson’s finest creation, had Ben Hogan deem it “the greatest flat course in America;” Hole-in-the-Wall in Naples became an immediate hit on the other side of the state; early images of Bay Hill provide a far more rugged, inspired version than today’s rendition, and closer to the iconic Pine Tree and Seminole, West Palm Beach Golf Course, a public offering lauded by many daily visitors.

Shades of Seminole dot the property just 15 miles south from Ross’ Florida masterpiece at The Park, with no more obvious than the par 4, thirteenth (shown)

West Palm Beach, long considered one of the finest municipal golf courses in the country, unfortunately closed in 2018 due to conditions slipping and public opinion following suit. With bubbling interest in golf (especially in South Florida), the region couldn’t afford a closure of such importance and it left a true gap in the market for locals who didn’t belong to a private club that required hundreds of thousands of dollars to join. That is, until then-PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh, along with a handful of locals (and yes, Seminole members) and other contributors raised $56,000,000 to re-imagine the property. The City of West Palm and the donors hired Gil Hanse & Jim Wagner, and in 2023, the new property debuted to the world of golf, retaining its municipal status for locals living in the county and state.

Holes to Note

Fourth hole, 477 yards; So much of The Park’s appeal is more than just its individual holes. While the opening three holes are not part of this profile, they provide a beautiful introduction loop that come back to the clubhouse for those looking to squeeze in three holes. In fact, most of the golf course is situated in triangles, with numerous holes in close proximity to the clubhouse: the 12th, 18th, 3rd, and 9th greens all sit near, allowing for a variety of loops, early options to get golf in, or emergency nine possibilities after work. Even further, these loops allow juniors to graduate from the Lit 9, a charming par 3 course on property, to the big course at their own speed: play 3 holes and call it a day, or make it 9! As they get older, 12 and 18 hole options exist, too—The Park is seemingly built to be the perfect entry point into the game of golf, especially when you factor in the vibe, feel, and energy the property has.

After the opening three-hole loop, the fourth is a bold introduction to the golf course following the relatively mild first three holes. At 477 yards, the hole serpentine’s through the native sandy scrub to create a distinct double dogleg, with the tee shot beginning to move gently left around a large bunker on the inside corner bleeding in.

The Park is, generally, among the wider golf courses in South Florida, but very little of it is wasted in the name of excess. The fourth exemplifies this, with an obvious straight line at the flag available, or playing to the far left side of the fairway to better open up an unobstructed view into the green and have a better angle, playing directly into the tilt of the green. From the view below, an intimidating view into the green awaits…

…As you approach the green, more is revealed. Balls will feed off the higher right side, with a swale and collection area coming in from the left side. Notably and especially after following three free-form green shapes, the fourth’s geometric squared-off green, seemingly as a homage to to the Victorian era, is certainly unique in the South Florida golf scene.

Seventh hole, 201 yards; The redan is very likely the most copied hole in the world of golf. Beginning at the brilliant original at North Berwick and popularized stateside at National Golf Links of America, the characteristics remain constant across an overwhelming list of architects who have employed the template: a right-to-left angled green, with a kicker slope short right feeding balls down the green that generally works away and to the left from the line of play. A bunker flanks the inside-left side of the green, while a deeper, meaner bunker awaits the right side of the kicker slope for those missing the shot. For any hole trying to be as authentic as possible, a bunker or two just short of the kicker slope on the line of play awaits.

Occasionally, that template is reversed: take the right-to-left nature, and flip it. At The Park, that’s exactly what the seventh is:

An architect as sophisticated and accomplished as Gil Hanse is certainly privy to switching things up or, at the very least, experimenting with age-old architectural standards. Given the frequency of a redan’s usage, having your own version stand out is no small feat.

With that in mind, the small imprint in the feeder slope that can either catch balls from feeding down or protect those heading for the nasty fall-off left, adds a bit of unpredictability to the hole. Perhaps somewhat misunderstood in modern architecture, the most exciting ground game features in the world of golf are not predictable; rather, they’re rambunctious and unpredictable, with the feat of pulling off that shot being an accomplishment of itself—just like hitting that miraculous hero-high shot over a bunker is. The ground has to be a viable option and not overpower the risk involved with playing a low-running shot, but this little imprint provides a bit of unpredictability and some uniqueness to a tried and true hole design. For a daily play golf course, where one assumes the feeder slope does get a fair bit of usage, this little imprint adds just enough variety to spice things up and leave the golfer curious how their shot turned out.

From February 2023’s preview play, The Park still had some growing in to do, but the genius of the architecture still shines!

The aforementioned carnage that awaits missing long or left (or both):

Eleventh hole, 186 yards; The Park’s mood board is a bit of nearby Seminole, a bit of Valley Club or Mackenzie’s flair for the dramatics, and part Melbourne sand belt, with no more obvious homage to many of the great golf courses Down Under than the charming downhill par 3, 11th. From an elevated tee playing downhill to the naturally snaking green with more than its fair share of undulation, there may not be as thrilling of a golf shot on the golf course as this.

Twelfth hole, 474 yards; The balance between challenging the low-handicap golfers and allowing the high-handicap players is the pinnacle for architects, who spend their entire career trying to walk that line. In the past 30 years, width’s introduction has allowed the higher-handicap to wrestle with difficult holes while staying in play or not losing a ball, all while simultaneously forcing the good player to take the daring line to gain an advantage.

At The Park’s twelfth, that balance is beautifully struck: on the swooping dogleg left tee shot, the ideal line is (as expected) over the bunkers on the inside corner, with those successfully cutting the corner reaping the benefits of a shorter, semi-visible shot into the green.

Generally speaking, The Park is much more forgiving off the tee than into the greens, with Hanse & team’s putting surfaces providing a thorough examination of one’s short game. Throughout the round, greens typically repel shots, though there are a reasonable amount of kicker and feeder slopes to use as well. The twelfth is perhaps the lone exception, with its punchbowl green feeding balls to the centre.

Thirteenth hole, 430 yards; The homages to the Golden Age are certainly evident on the eleventh (Mackenzie), seventh & twelfth (Macdonald/Raynor), and thirteenth, the most Donald Ross, Seminole-style hole on property. From a higher tee, the tilted fairway works off the high side left, kicking balls off a bunker grouping up the left and feeding balls down to a bunker couplet, right.

Much like Pinehurst, many of the greens at Seminole are domed, with the green falling off on a majority of the sides. The thirteenth’s green is domed, too, though a bit less demanding than Pinehurst or Seminole. Even so, missing this green could see the ball trundle away from the green, especially those missing right and long.

As previously mentioned, so much of The Park’s charm is more than just the individual holes on the property. While the thirteenth is certainly a standout hole, its immediate juxtaposition to the spacious, wide, and collecting twelfth only further illustrates the thought put into the layout here. In truth, this occurs across the entire golf course: the low-lying sixth is immediately followed by the perched seventh; the shallow first green is directly contrasting against the long and snaking green at the second, and so forth.

Fifteenth hole, 510 yards; Much of the property at The Park is gently undulating, without much more than a club uphill or downhill from tee-to-green. Luckily, the architecture more than makes up for it, to the point that one might not notice or even mind the lack of elevation change.

With that said, the finishing stretch handles the hilliest piece of the property, with no hole taking more advantage of its terrain than the awe-inspiring fifteenth hole.

The charming Fifteenth begins on a rather straightforward tee shot working its way between two bunkers. The left side is a shorter carry, but the right a more direct route.

The short, uphill nature of the hole, especially when assessing where the hole comes in the routing, likely means an opportunity for the aggressive or longer players to get home in two. Two bunkers etched into the topographic ridge running at an angle from the right await those eager to get home in two.

For those forced to layup, the option of playing out over the right bunker and opening up a view (and the correct angle) into the green awaits—tempting, but certainly a bit more pugnacious than one might expect from a simple layup. That is no simple task, though, and the choice of playing back and attempting the semi-blind third shot is always an option, but perhaps a less-appealing option, especially for those unfamiliar with what awaits over the hill.

In going for the green in two, getting the ball left of the flag is paramount, though from the fairway, the visual of the bunkers into the slope seem to suggest otherwise… plus, the fear of putting it in the bunker short and left awaits the timid or the mishit shot.

Sixteenth hole, 301 yards; Continuing the stretch of gambling half-par holes that began at the long, demanding par 4.5 Fourteenth, the Sixteenth provides a realistic chance to drive the green with an accurate, straight, and long tee shot. First, though, a wide visual tempts, perhaps even providing a false sense of security and difficulty:

Slightly uphill and heading due east towards the Atlantic Ocean, the southeast winds will more-than-not push balls towards the left edge of the hole. The slight headwind could potentially force balls to come up short of the hillside to hinder visibility. Any shot not making it above the hill will face a shot into the ambitious distance.

A mishit drive or layup leaves this difficult wedge or short iron in.

The low-lying, long and skinny green sits seamlessly into the surrounds, as if Hanse & crew simply scraped back the dirt and defined the putting surface by what was there prior to them arriving. In truth, a cart path and the native scrub ran through this green complex on the previous routing!

Seventeenth hole, 174 yards; If the Eleventh is the most exciting single swing on the golf course, the Seventeenth gives it a run for its money and is a more-than-respectable runner-up. Certainly, the large, eight foot deep bunker flanking the entire left and short side of the hole has a helping hand in the cause, with a true feeling of significance overwhelming the penultimate hole.

Even missing short and right in the fairway proves difficult, with its fair share of lumpy and uneven stances.

For anyone visiting The Park, little doubt is left in one’s mind upon completion that this is a compelling, strategic golf course. Even more impactful than the in’s and out’s of golf architecture is the quality of golf locals can enjoy for a reasonable price: as of writing in December 2024, locals in West Palm Beach can play The Park at $60 (!).

While the great bake-off may be underway north of West Palm in Stuart, for most, that hardly matters. What does matter, however, is The Park’s accessibility, and with a brilliant Gil Hanse design to tag along, the reputation of “one of the best municipals in the country” that loomed over Dick Wilson’s West Palm Beach Golf Course remains true with Hanse’s version, though perhaps elevated to not just municipals, but public golf courses… period.