In his first few months as the new Club Manager at PGA National Resort, Cody Sherrill learned — and continues to learn — the same things that golfers, business travelers, and families have learned. That is, the storied resort in Palm Beach Gardens, over the past six years, has undergone one of the more impressive reinventions of any “name’’ golf resort in the country.
Sure, the 2,000-acre property has been the centerpiece of trendy Palm Beach Gardens since it opened in 1980. But since it was acquired by Brookfield Asset Management (for a reported $233 million) in 2028, the 339-room resort has undergone a renovation that has lifted it from a sterile golf resort factory to a vibrant, guest-friendly resort that exudes the high-end lifestyle of the “Gardens,” north Palm Beach County and all of South Florida.
“I had never been here until this past February,’’ said Sherrill, who came to PGA National after nearly six years at Silverado Resort, another Troon-managed property, in the Napa Valley.
“I knew Palm Beach County was a mecca for golf. And I knew about the Honda Classic (now the Cognizant Classic on the PGA Tour) and the Bear Trap on the Champion Course as having some of the hardest holes on the PGA Tour. But I didn’t know much about the resort, so it’s been interesting to hear stories from members about what things were like 10 years to now with all the renovations.’’
It’s sometimes difficult to identify where all the money goes when a resort undergoes a $100 million renovation. At PGA National Resort, however, Brookfield can put those dollars in the category of “dollars well spent’’ with a bright lobby design, new front entrance, renovated guest rooms, two celebrity-chef-driven restaurants, and potentially game-changing golf course designs.
The resort has six golf courses — the Champion, Fazio, Palmer, Match, Staple and Estates. The Jack Nicklaus-designed Champion course (7,045 yards, par 72) gets most of the attention, but the most significant changes to the resort’s golf operations has been the creation of the Staple and Match courses. Designed by Andy Staples, each course is a testament to ownership’s commitment to a family-friendly environment.
The Staple, a nine-hole layout, might be the world’s most informal golf course. No hole is more than 160 yards long; players are guided to the next hole by the directions of Adirondack chairs, and there are no formal tee markers. If a player wants to only chip and putt around the greens, that’s fine. If he or she wants to play as far back as possible, that’s fine, too. Staples designed the course (walking only) with just enough nuances for golfers of every skill level.
The Match, meanwhile, offers players the opportunities to basically tee it up anywhere they choose on the course and play any way, any format they desire, while experiencing some of the classic design works of Donald Ross, Seth Raynor and Charles Blair MacDonald.
“We have one of the more challenging courses on the PGA Tour in the Champion. It’s on everyone’s bucket list,’’ Sherrill said. “But what’s really intrigued me about the re-invention of the Squire course into the Match and Staples courses.
“The Match is very forward thinking. It’s not rated, so whatever you shoot is what you shoot. It still hasn’t caught on big yet, but some golfers say it was their favorite course on their trip. The Staples course is a great way to get the family — or beginners — out there.’’
Luxury resorts often are graded on their food and beverage offers, so give PGA National an “A.” With celebrity chefs, Jeremy Ford (The Butcher’s Club) and Lindsay Autry (Honeybelle), the resort, over the past three years, has elevated its F&B offerings to be among the best in South Florida.
This past December, Sushi by Bo?, a popular, fast-growing Omakase restaurant, joined the portfolio that also includes Birdie’s Diner near the resort’s pro shop. Sushi by Bo? is an intimate venue with chefs preparing dishes right in front of you, so make sure to make a reservation.
“It’s really important for a resort such as PGA National to have a high-end steakhouse,’’ said Resort Director of Food and Beverage Ruwan Silva. “Other resorts I’ve worked at – Sea Island and Greenbrier – each have a high-end steakhouse. It’s part of a resort’s ambiance and experience.’’
At Honeybelle, Autry, a North Carolina farm girl and three-time James Beard Award nominee, serves up her outstanding fried chicken, along with other Southern favorites, for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
PGA National Resort recently added six new pickleball courts to bring its total to 12.
“When I got here three years ago, we had only two pickleball courts and two others painted on the tennis courts,’’ said Alexandru Pop-Moldovan, the resort’s racquet sports director. “Now the program has grown so fast that we have 200 active members playing weekly. We have lessons and leagues and round-robin tournaments. Our biggest round-robin day is Sunday, when we get 70 people.
Pickleball lessons, Pop-Moldovan said, are available to the public, along with PGA National members and resort guests, but only members and resort guests may access the courts at other times.
“When we had fewer (pickleball) courts, our members were on them all the time,’’ Pop-Moldovan said. “Now with the 12 courts, we’re full with members and resort guests, so everyone is happy.
“We have created corporate events packages for pickleball and tennis,” Pop-Moldovan says. “We’ve had some large parties and girls’ weekends. People are driving from as far away as Miami to stay and play.’’
PGA National’s 40,000-square-foot spa is one of the top destination spas in the Southeast. It features such amenities as a couple’s treatment room and two Himalayan salt rooms. Don’t miss the Spa’s “Waters of the World’’ mineral pools.
The spa offers a comprehensive menu of restorative treatments designed to nurture an openness to healing, balance and growth.
“The first thing I did when I came here (in 2022) was really work with the therapists,’’ said Spa Director Brian David Douglass. “I think we have a strong team now. I’ve put a lot of emphasis on education. So, I started with that core foundation to make sure they are highly skilled and highly trained. Then, we started elevating all the experiences.
“I don’t want a massage just to be a massage,” explains Douglass. “So, whether it’s scrubs or massages, I really want to elevate each of the services to a higher level.’’
Put all of this together and you have one of the nation’s top golf resorts right in South Florida’s backyard.
