The Champion Course at PGA National Resort & Spa is the one to play.
Fresh off a $65 million makeover, the five-course PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., has garnered a lot of favorable press in the mainstream media lately, but is it truly deserving of this praise and should you consider it for your next Florida golf vacation?
Golf Odyssey recently conducted one of its trademark, anonymous inspections at PGA National Resort & Spa to get the real story. Here’s what we found out.
The most noticeable upgrades to PGA National Resort & Spa can be seen in the rooms and common areas. The formerly bland lobby, pool, and rooms/suites are now much more comfortable and stylish.
However, with five courses (four of them on site), golf is the real reason to take a Florida golf vacation to PGA National Resort & Spa. Unfortunately, except for the marquee Champion Course (the only course in Florida to host a Ryder Cup), we came away less than impressed with the resort’s four other layouts.
While the newly revised Palmer Course (formerly The General) displays some character, the two remaining Tom Fazio tracks represent the unremarkable side of his résumé. The courses follow a standard Florida formula: flat, featureless with nondescript water hazards — and course-side housing — on many holes. They’re fine for replay rounds, but there are better options off property, including an intriguing, stunningly remade muni just five miles away.
Taken with the must-play Champion Course and the resort’s excellent learning and practice facilities, it is possible to craft an enjoyable Florida golf vacation at PGA National Resort & Spa, but you have to know what you’re doing. For example, you should NEVER pay rack rate green fees here, even if you’re only playing one round.
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