PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Every year since 2007, when the PGA Tour began playing its annual south Florida stop at PGA National Resort, the hotel lobby is a beehive of activity. In more than a dozen years of coming here to cover the tournament (now known as the Cognizant Classic at the Palm Beaches), it’s a place to meet, have a drink or two, and once the final putt is dropped each day it turns into party central, the place to be and be seen. There’s a DeeJay and dancing, and it becomes quite the scene for a very middle-aged golf-tournament-attending crowd. Simply put, the people-watching is outstanding and the entertainment value almost rivals that of the golf on display. Almost.
The lobby at PGA National Resort is party central during the Cognizant Classic. (Courtesy PGA National)
That has been my most lasting impression of PGA National Resort – along with the incredible spread at media dining – but I enjoyed a totally different experience when I visited in late December with my wife and 2-year-old daughter. The lobby bar? It had a totally different vibe. Where were the party people? At the pool. That was the place to be, especially on a warm winter day. I know my daughter couldn’t get enough of it. Here’s everything you need to know about the resort, which just completed a comprehensive $100 million renovation that took advantage of the COVID shutdown.
Ninety-nine holes of golf
No. 11 at PGA National’s Champion Course in Florida (Courtesy of PGA National)
Located just west of I-95 and 60 minutes north of Miami (and a 10-minute drive from the Palm Beach International Airport), PGA National opened in 1981 and features 99 holes of golf. It is best known for the Champion Course, originally designed by Tom Fazio and host of the 1983 Ryder Cup and the 1987 PGA Championship before being redesigned by Jack Nicklaus in 1990. The Bear Trap, three water-laden holes beginning at No. 15 that demand precision, have gained notoriety over the years as many hopes of winning a PGA Tour title have drowned here. But those aren’t the only water hazards to avoid – they can be found on every hole except two. This is a big-boy course, part of an era where golfers sought the toughest tests and a high slope rating was a huge selling point. But times have changed and most of today’s golfers – especially during vacation – aren’t looking for a beat down day after day. Guests should definitely give it their best shot at the Bear’s Trap and see how they compare to the pros, but what makes PGA National attractive is you don’t have to get your lunch handed to you there day after day.
The seventh green at PGA National’s Fazio Course.
There are options galore, beginning with The Fazio, previously called The Haig and dedicated to five-time PGA Championship winner Walter Hagen and designed by Tom and George Fazio. It opened in 1980 as the resort’s original course. Its latest renovation was led by third-generation designer Tom Fazio II. There’s also The Palmer Course and the Estate Course, located five miles west of the main resort, which may explain why it is something of a hidden gem. Free shuttle service is provided to guests.
With my daughter in tow on my most recent visit, it didn’t make sense to play Champion but we got her out in a cart and played 10 holes at The Match before she let us know that she was ready to do something else.
In 2021, designer Andy Staples took the course formerly known as The Squire and reimagined it into two layouts, using two of the holes to create a nine-hole short course called The Staple, with holes ranging from 60-130 yards and featuring greens with wild undulations and some difficult-to-reach shelves. The day I was out there it was packed with kids of all ages, which was refreshing to see. The rest of the course became The Match, and the idea is for you and your playing partners to engage in some type of match play, be it best ball, foursomes, skins, whatever. The hole’s winner (or loser, you decide) gets to choose the tee location for the next hole. There is no par, just minimum and maximum yardages marked by dock pilings at the start of each hole. Players are invited to start play anywhere between the pilings, introducing a strategic element to the competition you won’t find elsewhere. For instance, at the par-3 third, my friend who bravely joined us, chose a distance that my laser said was 106 yards. Little did he know that he picked a number that was in between clubs for me and I proceeded to bounce over the green into a precarious lie after choosing gap wedge. I’m not going to lie, I didn’t mind have 8-iron in for my second shot at a hole presumably long enough to be a three-shot par 5. And given we knew we had the ticking time bomb of a toddler who could lose her mind at any point, we were glad to see some golfers ahead of us following the course rules that players who are “out of the hole” are expected to pick up, meaning you can count on a fast round — they claim 3 hours or less.
The Biarritz green at The Match is one of several template greens that make for a challenge with the short stick. (Courtesy PGA National)
The greens are the defense at The Match. Here you’ll get to experience a modern twist on the “Template” holes that inspired golden-age golf architecture’s foremost names including Seth Raynor, C.B. MacDonald and Donald Ross. Among them are a lion’s mouth green at the third, a punchbowl at the ninth and we couldn’t resist taking a swing at the 18th, a Biarritz par 3 over water, ranging from 122 yards to 198.
The Match’s turf grass is cut to fairway height across the entire playing area to place an emphasis on the ground game. Creative approaches and strategic chipping areas present multiple options for trajectory and strategy around the green. Hazards are minimal, with fewer than 20 natural rough-hewn, irregular-edged bunkers in play to keep things fun.
I see The Match being a popular alternative to Champion Course, a fun breather mid-trip or a second 18 while The Staple is a great emergency nine or place to squeeze in a few more holes before darkness. PGA Resort needed something like these courses that don’t take themselves as seriously – the Match’s slogan is “because nobody cares what you shot!” – and it wouldn’t surprise me if they become must-play tee times for any buddies trip.
Not just golf
Golf likely is the main pursuit if you’ve chosen to stay at PGA National, but a broad range of recreational activities are available including a state-of-the-art fitness center and a five-lane saltwater lap pool. There is everything from croquet to pickleball and tennis and even a beekeeping experience – the resort is home to 250,000 honeybees and queens in four on-site hives, and produce their own honey that is harvested for the culinary, cocktail and spa skin care programs across the resort.
The 40,000-square-foot Spa got a facelift from tennis great Venus Williams’s design firm, V Starr. PGA National smartly didn’t mess with its Waters of the World mineral pools at the European-style spa. The pools contain salts imported from renowned water sources, including the Dead Sea in Israel, one of the world’s greatest reservoirs of natural mineral sources. Soaking in the pool gives a great feeling of serenity while relieving muscle pain. Another pool mimicked the salt crystals from Salies de Bearn in France, where thermal waters that have been utilized for their revitalizing properties for over 3,000 years to tone the skin and it is a great way to relieve stress.
I don’t claim to be a spa guy but I’ve been to enough of them, and my wife agreed that this one overall is solid, featuring a few new bells and whistles – I liked the concept of Groom Guy, which offers fresh haircuts, clean shaves, beard trimming and the like – but not the Pebble Beach of spas. And that’s OK.
The resort also is leaning into the pickleball craze with a dozen courts to go along with 18 Har-Tru tennis courts (12 lit for night play). There’s a small fitness center in the main resort, which had just about everything I needed for my workout, plus a more extensive 33,000-square-foot Health and Racquet Club.
It’s pool season all the time at PGA National Resort. (Courtesy PGA National)
The main pool was mobbed during our visit. Not a towel nor a lounge chair nor a cabana (which include poolside service) went unused but the temperature of the water was perfect, and my daughter had a blast. We could’ve spent all day hanging poolside.
Signature restaurants
Sushi masters at work at Sushi by Bou at PGA National Resort. (Adam SchupakGolfweek)
The best upgrade in my book at the resort during the latest spending spree – I’ve been coming to the resort long enough that I remember PGA National’s $100 million floor-to-ceiling makeover in 2012 – to keep up with the Jones’s has to be the dining establishments. There are three new signature restaurants with highly-touted chefs. Our first night there we went to Sushi by Boū, which took over a space formerly occupied by an ice cream shop and converted the space into 1920s Speakeasy opulence meets modern omakase experience. With just 12 counter stools, sushi lovers delight in 12 or 17 course chef-curated meals, prepared face to face with masterful chefs. It’s a timed 60-minute meal – come early and stay late for the craft cocktails and imported sake selection – with seatings spaced every hour and 15 minutes from 5 p.m. until 11 p.m. When I mentioned that this was my first omakase experience, our chef said it was like flying first class: “There’s no go backing now,” she said. “This is going to be life-changing for you.”
The restaurant had been open only two weeks when we ate there. Amberjack with shallot vinaigrette, bluefin tuna that melts in your mouth, the texture of the salmon roe that popped in your mouth, swordfish wagyu with sea urchin – their take on surf and turf – we were really digging it when the servers passed around a shot and we toasted with the sushi masters. Kanpai!
“Are you still hungry?” the sushi master inquired. “The last three or four pieces will fill you up.”
The finale was an Ora King Salmon hand roll, and by the time we’d scarfed it down we stood and applauded the sushi chefs. Delicious sushi, memorable experience and reasonably priced at $60 for the 12-course meal.
The Butcher’s Club at PGA National Resort. (Courtesy PGA National)
But that wasn’t the only chef deserving of taking a bow. The Butcher’s Club is a strong edition to the resort’s dining establishments. PGA National has long had a high-end steakhouse — there used to be a Shula’s Steakhouse, part of a chain named for the former Miami Dolphins football coach – and it’s the same space with a modern feel. The difference is it has gone next level thanks to “Top Chef” Season 13 winner and Executive Chef of the acclaimed Stubborn Seed in Miami, Jeremy Ford.
We started with Ford’s creative take on the classic Caesar salad, which included a layer of snap peas and fresh herbs and topped with crunchy sourdough croutons and had us Googling the recipe, which he has made on The Today Show. Meats are pre-sliced for sharing and we splurged for the Wagyu filet mignon, which was juicy and tender. A couple tables away, a family ordered the 50 oz. wagyu tomahawk, which is served dangling from a hook, and looked oh so good. Our waitress sold us on the crunchy bravas potatoes with soppressata, sofrito, pepitas, truffle aioli and aged parmesan. It tasted as good as it sounds. The mac and cheese got cheesier with each bite until you reach cheese fondue at the bottom. We took a box of cookies back to the room, with the chocolate chip being a big hit with my daughter.
Chef Jeremy Ford’s unique take on Caesar salad at The Butcher’s Club. (Adam Schupak/Golfweek)
Lunch was just what we were looking for at Honeybelle, which pays homage to South Florida’s timeless beachside cafes and seasonal American cuisine by multiple James Beard Award nominee Chef Lindsay Autry. We were welcomed at an outdoor table coming straight from the pool. Try the fried chicken. And Birdie’s scored with us for breakfast. Located just steps from the resort’s main putting green and pro shop, Birdie’s is a throwback diner that feels like it could have been used as the set for a scene of “Back to the Future,” especially with the old-school gumball machine at the entrance. We enjoyed attentive service with a smile, even when our daughter spilled her milk everywhere. Our omelettes and pancakes were a delicious start to the day. Lunch is available, too. Overall, the dining options at PGA National, which was never lacking, fits in with the impressive transformation touching nearly every aspect of the property.
