400 Ave of Champions,
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida FL 33418
Office
+1 (800) 863 2819Pro shop
+1 (561) 627 2000Website
Visit websiteGolf pro
Jane Broderick (Director of Golf Operations)Academy
The PGA National Golf Academy, combining a Dave Pelz Scoring Game School and David Leadbetter Golf Academy.The Course:
18 holes. Open parkland. Relatively flat terrain - easy to walk.
Surroundings:
Residential and lakes.
Designer:
Original design by uncle/nephew team of George and Tom Fazio (1981). Substantial redesign by Jack Nicklaus (mid-1990s and 2014).
The five 18-hole golf courses at PGA National are: Champion course (par-72; 7,045 yds from back tees); Fazio course (par-72; 7,050 yds; originally The Haig); Palmer course (par-72; 7,079 yds; originally The General course); Match course (par-72; 6,447 yds; originally The Squire course). Located 8 miles west of the main PGA National clubhouse is the Estate course (par-72; 6,694 yds). Also at PGA National is the nine-hole Par-3 Staple course (par-27).
26.825767
-80.143022
8 miles NW of West Palm Beach
PGA National (Champion)
The Champion Course at PGA National: Designed by Tom and George Fazio, the Champion course was originally dedicated to Jack Nicklaus, and subsequently redesigned by him. This is the most celebrated of the five 18-hole layouts here at PGA National. It's also home to the Honda Classic and the infamous "Bear Trap".
Like another high-profile PGA Tour venue on Florida's east coast (the Blue Monster at Doral), this wonderfully crafted layout may not at first glance look a menacing test of golf. Much of the terrain is relatively flat and there's not much to look at beyond the course perimeter except for houses, resort condos and holes from the resort's other courses. But don't be fooled by the layout's relaxed demeanour. Once you've fired your first tee-shot at the gently sloping downhill opener, the challenges and considerable charm of these immaculately groomed links quickly assert themselves.
Aside from its excellent conditioning and undoubted challenges, the real joy of the Champion Course lies in its wonderful interplay of gently rolling fairways, many small reed-lined lakes, excellent bunkering, and elegant stands of pines and prodigiously tall palms that break-up the layout's innate openness. By the time you reach the intimidating "Bear Trap" (the seriously water-protected par-3 15th, par-4 16th and par-3 17th) your game may already have been given a bit of a mauling.
If you get through the "Bear Trap" with scorecard relatively intact, beware the Champion's closing hole. This good-length par-5 is tightly flanked on the right by PGA National's largest lake; a threatening line of bunkers guards the hole's leftside ... a closing hole that provides a wonderfully scenic finale to a really testing and enjoyable golf course.
Stay&Play: luxury onsite accommodation is available at PGA National (see Where2Stay section below).
Visitors welcome on weekdays and weekends.
Must book in advance.
Walking with caddies permitted; otherwise golf carts compulsory for visitors. Caddies available at all times.
Excellent
PGA National's Champion Course has hosted numerous top level tournaments, including the Ryder Cup (1983), US PGA Championship (1987), US Senior PGA Championship (1982-2000), the PGA Tour's Honda Classic and many more events besides (see our Tournaments section >by Venue >PGA National).
The original PGA National Golf Club, which existed between 1964 and 1973, is now called BallenIsles Country Club, and is located just across the Florida Turnpike Hwy, east of the present day PGA National Resort & Spa. The former PGA National Golf Club also hosted many top level tournaments on its Champions course (now called the East course). These tournaments included the 1971 US PGA Championship, 1971 World Cup of Golf and the US Senior PGA Championship (1966-73).
Florida's 38th best course (Golf Digest, 2023/24).
400 Ave of the Champions, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418.
+1 (800) 863 2819
Visit websiteThe PGA Resort & Spa offers 90-holes of championship golf, top-level golf instruction and fabulous practice facilities. In addition there are 379 very comfortable guest rooms, a full-service European spa, 19 tennis courts and a range of seven restaurants and bars. Juno Beach is 16 minutes' drive from PGA National, while The Gardens Mall is just 12 minutes away.
PGA National (Champion, Fazio, Palmer and Match courses).
PGA National (Estate course)
North Palm Beach; Breakers (Rees Jones and Ocean courses); Abacoa; Okeeheele; Seminole (private).
124th US Open: the No.2 Course at Pinehurst once again plays host to this most illustrious championship (June 13-16). Wyndham Clark defends his title, having won at Los Angeles CC in 2023.
79th Women’s US Open: the second women’s major championship of the season gets underway at Lancaster CC in Pennsylvania. It’s the second time the championship has been held here.
(May 30-June 2).
Nelly Korda: won the Mizuho Americas Open (May 16-19) at Liberty National GC, continuing her extraordinary form in LPGA events. This was her sixth win in seven starts in 2024.
Xander Schauffele: recorded his first major championship win, and second record-equalling low score of 62 in a major. Only he, Branden Grace, Rickie Fowler and Shane Lowry have achieved this feat in a men’s major championship.
Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.
Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.
Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.
Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available
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