In 2018, the city of West Palm Beach decided to shutter its money-losing Dick Wilson-designed golf course and consider a variety of different uses for the land. While the course hadn’t been a financial success, it had some strong attributes. The property sits on a large sand ridge that runs through the West Palm Beach and Jupiter areas, providing ideal soils for golf and varied topography for natural golf holes. There are also no lakes or houses on the site—a welcome rarity for golf courses in the region. The course’s location is another asset, only 10 minutes from Palm Beach International Airport and the downtown area. While West Palm Beach looked at potential redevelopment options, Palm Beach resident Seth Waugh was made aware of the course by a PGA professional. After touring the property, Waugh vowed to keep it for golf. Along with Dirk Ziff and Dan Stanton, Waugh was able to raise $55 million from a group of 130 donors to transform the defunct West Palm Beach Golf Course into a model municipal golf facility. The property now features an 18-hole golf course and nine-hole short course designed by Gil Hanse, a lighted range, abundant practice areas, and vibrant youth programs designed to get local kids into golf.

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Take Note…

Remnants. The old, oft-photographed sign for the former course sits right of 15 fairway. I find it neat that they left the sign. It gives the course a bit of a sense of history.

Wind. South Florida often sees strong winds, an element The Park handles delightfully thanks to plenty of space off the tee and a design that plays differently on a daily basis depending on wind direction.