Whether you’re a novice or already enjoy a challenging course, golf is really the sport of kings in South Florida.
If you’re new to the area, you’ll have plenty of choices, from public golf to private residential country clubs with golf course bragging rights.
Palm Beach County offers five public courses, from Southwinds off Lyons Road in suburban Boca to Osprey Point in west Boca’s picturesque South County Regional Park There’s a full-fledged John Prince Golf Learning Center in Lake Worth They all offer instruction for kids and adults and offer frequent user cards.
Most cities have public courses. Boca Raton has a nine-hole off the beach with parking Alan C. Alford Red Reef Family Golf Course and golf in a local country club. Boca Raton Golf & Racquet Club
Like Boca, The Links at Boynton Beach has both a 9-hole and 18-hole course and Delray Beach Golf Course is open to the public.
Country clubs are the epitome of residential living here with at least one golf course, often recently redesigned by a famous former pro’s golf course design firm. For instance, St. Andrews Country Club in Boca offers “36 holes of championship golf, including their Arnold Palmer Signature Design course.” Country Club golf-level memberships are for residents only with elaborate pro shops, a staff of pros and even tournaments.
Most country clubs have homes for sale on a golf course, a grill on the 18th hole and a dining room overlooking a gorgeous course. Some local nonprofits and organizations even have an annual tournament so outsiders can pay to play at these coveted courses.
If you’re looking at a home without a golf course but want to join an upscale course, at least one country club in Boca offers outsiders golf memberships, particularly in the off season. Or if you just want to dip your toe in the game, Tiger Woods just opened an 18-hole miniature golf course in West Palm Beach.
