Florida: The Park West Palm Beach
BENJAMIN GOLF OVERALL RATING: ★★★★★
History: The Park opened in April 2023 on the site of the original 1947 Dick Wilson-designed West Palm Beach municipal course, reborn after closing in 2018 following years of declining conditions. A group of local visionaries led by PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh raised $56 million in private donations to fund the reimagined facility, hiring renowned architect Gil Hanse to craft a wide-open, water-free layout built on natural sand ridges, designed from the ground up to be fun, accessible, and unlike anything else in Florida golf.
Practice Facilities: ★★★★
The range features Trackman technology and an energetic atmosphere complimented by the surrounding speaker systems. The adjacent putting greens and chipping areas are exceptional, facilities that many public courses would struggle to rival. The sole detraction is the range's use of mats, which prevents an otherwise flawless rating.
Course Layout: ★★★★★
To provide proper context: I am not, by nature, a fan of Florida golf. The typical formula of navigating corridors between residential communities, highways, and bodies of water creates a claustrophobic experience. Let’s then juxtapose that with the Park: Spacious, secluded, waterless and genuinely imaginative in its design; it stands among the most enjoyable layouts I have played anywhere. This course was designed to be fun and playable at all levels, and passes both tests with flying colors. The fact that it operates as a public course only amplifies the achievement; it can hold its own against any public track in the country.
Course Conditioning: ★★★★★
Very good. Caddies likely help keep the course in better shape with routine divot repairs and bunker sweeps. By any standard, and particularly for a public facility, the conditioning is top tier.
Post-Round Beer: ★★★★★
This course sets the bar high. Walking from the 18th green to the clubhouse, I was greeted with live music, a patio buzzing with families, and guests enjoying the short course, beer in hand. The melancholy that typically accompanies the end of the round was immediately displaced by the infectious atmposphere.
Hotels: N/A
There is no lodging at the course.
Food: ★★★★
West Palm: Given the brevity of the stay, we didn’t have extensive time to survey different dining locations. Two noteworthy places were Harry’s (steakhouse) and Rocco’s Taco & Tequila Bar (Mexican food). These were both walkable from the hotel and varied significantly in price, but both offered welcoming and lively atmospheres with very solid food.
Course: At the course itself, I enjoyed a cheese steak; It was a relief that the high West Palm Beach food prices had not yet infiltrated The Park’s quick bites.
Price: $$$$
This is not a budget destination for out-of-state visitors. A Friday tee time in February ran $281, though I’d note that county residents benefit from meaningful discounts. Accommodations compounded the expense, with the Hilton costing $400 per night.
As a New York City resident accustomed to premium pricing, I had anticipated some relief heading south. That assumption proved incorrect. Across the board, from coffee to dining, prices tracked 5-10% above what I encounter in Manhattan. The Park makes for a compelling weekend getaway, but costs escalate quickly, and trips extending beyond two nights begin to incur significant opportunity cost once they pass the $2k+ threshold.
