Over 100 courses in 20 countries, every one played and recommend by our experts.
Welcome to the new PGA National Resort & Spa. We’re still the legend you’ve esteemed for three decades – hosting some of golf’s most defining moments on our five championship courses, and earning a reputation as a first-class golf resort in Florida along the way. But the game and tournaments have evolved since our establishment in 1981, and so have we. We’re still the setting for those Florida golf vacations every player dreams of, back-dropped by that Palm Beach, Florida brand of luxury. But the $100 million renovation we began in 2008, and unveiled the final flourishes of in the fall of 2012, elevates the PGA National Resort & Spa experience to a new level. What will we surprise you with during your stay?
…all in an easy-to-access, South Florida paradise. Click here for a map and directions; here for Palm Beach Gardens area attractions, shopping and beaches.
At PGA National Resort & Spa, home of the Honda ClassicOriginally designed by Tom and George Fazio for major tournament play, The Champion course at PGA National Resort & Spa was redesigned by Jack Nicklaus in 1990 and now hosts the Honda Classic each spring on the PGA TOUR. Although The Champion has generous landing areas and spacious and accepting TifEagle greens, golfers are presented with course management challenges throughout the round. This South Florida golf resort course has five sets of tees to make the course more playable for golfers of all levels. A must-play on any avid golfer’s list, The Champion features the Bear Trap, which spans three demanding holes designed by Jack Nicklaus – listen to the designer describe it in his own words here. (You can also read what ESPN had to say about it here.) Considered one of Florida’s most notable golf challenges, on what is unquestionably one of the best golf courses in Florida, USA Today calls the Bear Trap “one of the toughest stretches in golf.”Last renovated: Fall 2012 (new turf, rebuilt bunkers, expanded tee and green complexes)
Course Highlights
Five sets of Tees
Named after its designer, Arnold Palmer, this course is one of the more forgiving at PGA National from tee to fairway, known as a risk/reward game. The open fairways and larger “Champion Bermuda” greens can be quite accommodating and invite players to take a chance if they dare – as golfers are not overly penalized for missing the fairway or primary rough on most holes here. There is a considerable amount of undulation through the fairway, presenting the opportunity for uneven lies and creative shot-making. The Palmer has a great series of finishing holes, with the 18th being one of the most scenic par 5s on the property.
Formerly the Haig CoursePGA National is proud to present the new Fazio course, formerly the Haig course. The Fazio is a reinvention of The Haig, PGA National’s original 18-hole course that opened in 1980. The Haig was designed by George and Tom Fazio in tribute to five-time PGA champion Walter Hagen, and its renovation is being led by third-generation designer Tom Fazio II, who emphasized modernizing the course layout. While the original par-72 routing remains intact, the renovation improves the classic golf architecture with modern advances, including:
A 70% increase in total green surface to 2.5 acres, grassed with TifEagle on the greens and Celebration Bermudagrass on tees and fairways
Reconfigured tee boxes and bunkers
Player-friendly tees allowing the course to be played at 5,100 yards in accordance with the popular “Tee it Forward” initiative sponsored by the PGA and USGA
Fazio II himself believes his renovation “[achieves] that ideal balance where single-digit golfers will be fully challenged while higher handicaps will have a layout ideal for a day of enjoyable resort golf.”
Course Highlights
Par 72
Named after the immortal Gene Sarazen, the first golfer ever to win the professional Grand Slam, “the thinking man’s course” is the ultimate test of accuracy and precision. Designed by Tom and George Fazio, The Squire is the shortest and most exacting of the courses at PGA National. Accuracy with fairway woods and long irons is tested on many tees, and the new smaller “Emerald Bermuda” greens demand precise approach shots. Several doglegs provide a risk/reward opportunity for any longer hitter as well. The Squire is surrounded by natural areas teeming with vegetation and wildlife – the 5th hole even runs along part of a wilderness preserve, which borders the west side of the PGA National community.Last renovated: Fall 2012 (new turf, rebuilt bunkers, expanded tee and green complexes)
Course Highlights
5th hole runds along a wilderness preserve
Designed by Karl Litten, The Estates course presents an enjoyable mix of challenging and docile holes. The course sets up for any level of player as it is one of the shorter courses at PGA National Resort & Spa. Where golfers are tested is in the formidable placement of fairway bunkers and water hazards. Generous fairways at this course will often make stray tee shots more manageable, and the large, inviting greens help keep the course fun for the high handicapper. Forced carries to many of the greens over either hazards or bunkers create a test that makes each round more enjoyable than the last. With an open feeling created by the property-wide housing setbacks, the course seems almost like a core golf course. The Estates course is located five miles west of the main resort.
