The Park West Palm combines traditional golf course design – the punchbowl inexperienced on the twelfth gap being a strong instance – with trendy enterprise practices to create what is perhaps the perfect day by day payment golf course in Florida. Now in its second yr (The Park opened in April 2023), the 190-acre facility, simply minutes from downtown West Palm Seaside, is what golf’s “grow-the-game’’ advocates have touted for years – family-friendly, day by day payment golf with upscale facilities and repair.
“I feel we verify all the bins that we’ve been attempting to verify,’’ mentioned Brian Conley, normal supervisor of The Park West Palm Seaside.
Let’s have a look:
An impressive Gil Hanse/Jim Wagner/Dirk Ziff designed course? Examine.
Certainly one of South Florida’s prime public course follow services? Examine
A dynamic youth golf program? Examine
Lighted par-3 course? Examine
Caddy program? Examine
12-minute tee instances? Examine
Meals and beverage choices? Examine
Easy accessibility to all areas of Palm Seaside County? Examine
Hanse and his staff pay homage to golf’s “golden age’’ of design – with a very good quantity of Australian Sandbelt tossed in, notably on the par-3, eleventh gap, the place sand protects the inexperienced on all sides besides within the entrance, thus permitting gamers who miss quick the chance to play the ball on the bottom to get on the inexperienced.
Lots of the inexperienced complexes at The Park have that “low mow’’ design that provides gamers the choice enjoying the ball on the bottom or within the air.
“We do not need a water hazard options anyplace,’’ Conley mentioned. “A variety of the inspiration did come from the Sandbelt. When the ball might be superior and performed on the bottom, the sport is extra pleasant. And it’s quicker.’’
These “low mow’’ areas, together with 12-minute tee instances, assist clarify the 41,000 rounds performed in The Park’s first yr.
Situated on the footprint of the unique West Palm Seaside Golf Course, The Park West Palm Seaside is a $55 million mission funded by particular person donations, together with Tiger Woods. Former PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh was a vocal proponent of the mission. The PGA itself just isn’t concerned in The Park, though its South Florida Part headquarters is positioned on the property.
It may be argued that The Park’s enterprise roots return to 1990 and authentic idea for Emerald Dunes. Situated just a few miles to the west, Emerald Dunes, designed by Tom Fazio, was born with nice fanfare. One, it was marketed because the 1,000th golf course in Florida; and two, it was imagined to be on the vanguard of a state and nationwide growth in high-end, day by day payment golf.
That growth was a bust. However is The Park West Palm a reincaraation of that five-decades outdated thought? Possibly. But it surely’s higher armed, higher deliberate and higher at proudly owning its id.
“We’re nonetheless very a lot a brand new enterprise and new golf course,’’ Conley mentioned. “There’s a studying curve all of us have encountered. We got here out of the bottom from a high-end, day by day payment perspective, however there’s a studying curve in educating individuals as to what that’s and what it seems to be like.
“However even the issues that haven’t progressed as quick as we’d like are trending in the proper route. So, in some cases, we’ve surpassed expectations and in different methods, we’re nonetheless studying.’’
In a approach, studying is what The Park is all about. Whether or not that’s studying to play the sport for the primary time, studying the significance of being custom-fit for golf equipment, and even studying find out how to take a lesson, The Park is proving to be a template for a technique (or some ways) to develop the sport.
“We’re actually one in all one,’’ Conley mentioned. “Is it vital for others to comply with? Not essentially. Is there a chance for others to comply with? Certain, but it surely’s not a necessity.
“Golf might be consumed in all types of various manners. Right here at The Park – whether or not it’s an outing on the par-3 course or enjoying the Hanse course, we would like individuals to have enjoyable.’’
