The National Football League has a clever and effective tagline for its NFL Network: “If you want the NFL, then go to the NFL.”
In golf, if you want the best possible professionally rendered golf experience, then you go to the professionals, the PGA.
In this case the PGA (Professional Golfers Association of America), refers to two outstanding golf resorts on Florida’s east coast, PGA Village in Port St. Lucie and PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens.
The names and the affiliations may be somewhat confusing but what they offer visiting golfers is very clear: all-encompassing golf experiences presented by the men and women who have made the promotion of golf their life’s work. They know what they’re doing and get it done every step of the way in every conceivable aspect of the game.
PGA Village, owned by PGA Golf Properties, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the PGA of America, is a sprawling complex that includes 72 holes of golf designed by the likes of Pete Dye, Tom Fazio and Jim Fazio. The PGA’s objectives at PGA Village are to promote enjoyment and involvement in the game of golf, by providing accessible world-class championship golf courses, learning centers, research, education, licensing and advisory services.
One of the PGA’s core missions is to teach the game of golf. The facilities dedicated to that purpose at PGA Village are second to none. The PGA Center for Golf Learning and Performance is a 35-acre, state-of-the-art golf park that offers practice areas for every type of conceivable golf shot. The prototype facility is listed among the Top 10 in the world and has been ranked among the “Top 100 Golf Ranges” by Golf Range Magazine each year since the Center’s opening in 2000.
A debut facility of many of the new Golf 2.0 initiatives, there are putting greens, chipping areas, a variety of bunker styles that simulate play worldwide and more than 100 practice stations, providing visitors an opportunity to learn the game under the expert guidance of PGA Professionals. In 2011, the Center unveiled the new three-hole PGA Discover Golf Course for families and beginners to experience golf at a leisurely and fun pace.
Home to PGA of America Golf Schools, the facility features world-class technology, including the Sirgul Golf Simulator, LinxTracker/PGA PAR System and TrackMan Shot Performance game analysis programs, as well as an innovative golf fitness and training facility at the PGA Center for Fitness and Performance. The Center also maintains a state-of-the-art PGA Club Performance facility for expert onsite club repair and fitting.
Not only does PGA Village offer hands on golf experiences they also honor the history of the game with the 8,300 square foot PGA Professional Hall of Fame and the PGA Museum of Golf that houses the 23,000 square foot Probst Library, considered one of the world’s foremost golf libraries.
About 45 minutes drive south from PGA Village is PGA National Resort and Spa. Private ownership has licensed the name usage from the PGA but 90 holes of golf including the PGA Tour’s the Honda Classic venue Champion Course deliver a big league golf resort.
PGA National offers much more in the amenities department than just outstanding golf making it a popular destination for vacation travelers and business conferences alike. Features include a world-class 33,000 square-foot health-and-racquet club with 19 Har Tru tennis courts, 40,000 square feet of self-contained conference space and nine on-site restaurants and lounges.
Recently the operators have invested over $100 million in property upgrades including:
- A floor-to-ceiling makeover of its 379 guest rooms featuring stylish bedding, headboards, wall coverings and carpet; spacious, modern work desks with multiple plug-in options; atmospheric lighting; and elegant furnishings. Suite bathrooms have walk-in showers. State-of-the-art, high-definition, 42-inch flat-panel televisions have been installed.
- Guest room corridors showcase eye-catching carpeting; tastefully subdued lighting; and distinctive artwork and wall treatments.
- The Lakeside Lawn – a new permanent venue created due to increased popularity of its outdoor wedding settings. It offers a stunning vista of the tranquil lake and panoramic view of PGA National’s golf courses.
- “Bar 91” – a complete renovation of its 19th hole bar and grill – presents the latest in clubhouse furnishings, high-definition televisions and expanded outdoor dining surveying one of the great vistas in golf. The new kitchen offers a redesigned menu ideal for après golf and casual dining.
- “The Fazio Course” – a complete Tom Fazio II remodel of “The Haig” – PGA National’s original 18-hole course designed by his uncles had its grand opening on Nov. 2.
- “Palm Terrace” – a full remake of its Citrus Tree Café – continues the renowned breakfast buffet of its predecessor and is now additionally available as a poolside location for evening events.
- The refreshed 40,000 square-foot European Spa with 32 treatment areas and the exclusive “Waters of the World” outdoor mineral pools now fully complements the motif of the resort’s fashionably cool, hip décor.
The golf at PGA National is consistently outstanding. Not only has the Champion Course with its infamous “Bear Trap” of the 15th, 16th and 17th holes gained prominence through its recent hosting of the Honda Classic but it has a great history including a PGA Championship and a Ryder Cup.
“Few destinations in the world offer as wide a range of incomparable amenities as PGA National,” says Frank Calaguire, principal of SCS Advisors – owner / operating partners of PGA National Resort & Spa. “Through our timely investment, we’re now fully poised to continue offering an unparalleled South Florida experience for our guests and members.”
