The Park at West Palm Beach
West Palm Beach, FL • Public
The Redan par-3 seventh.
Trey Wren
Trey Wren
The par-3 17th.
Derek Duncan
The bare, crowned green at the par-4 13th.
Overview
In the current age of new elite private clubs and faraway destinatiion resorts, the opening of a public municipal-affiliated golf course in an urban area is major news—especially when Tiger Woods shows up for the grand opening, like he did in March 2023.
The Park is the latest in a growing trend of public/private partnerships that have fueled the redevelopment of numerous municipal courses around the country. The new course is set on the site of the former Dick Wilson-designed West Palm Beach Golf Course, one of the first notable designs of the post-World War II years when it opened in 1947 and long considered among the top municipal courses in the country.
That course closed in 2018 due to deteriorating playability and diminished interest and sat fallow for several years. Several plans for different uses of the land were proposed before a group of local citizens, led in part by Seth Waugh, CEO of the PGA of America, raised $56 million in individual donations to re-imagine the property as a community gathering space with amenities that include, in addition to golf, youth activities and educational programs, shopping and dining. Woods was one of the donors. (Note: the PGA of America is not connected to the project.)
The fundraisers and City of West Palm Beach hired Hanse and Wagner to create a new 18-hole course on the property’s existing site, located just off I-95 less than two miles south of the Palm Beach International Airport. Also included in the redevelopment is a state-of-the-art practice facility, a lighted nine-hole short course and a two-acre children’s-only golf zone.
Hanse and Wagner retained nothing of the Wilson course and originally envisioned using its deep, sandy terrain to craft holes that would look and play like the Sand Belt courses of Melbourne, Australia. In routing the course, however, they removed pockets of trees, palmetto and other vegetation—crucial ingredients of Sand Belt courses—that would have enhanced that effect.
“There are certain parts of the golf course where you get that Sand Belt feel—I hear the comparison a lot on 11, the par 3, and No. 6, the short par 4—but as Jim and I started to go through it we discussed how we were going to differentiate this golf course from some of the other things we’d done,” Hanse says. “We started to move away from the Sand Belt look and go more toward exposed sand areas because of the scale and width that we had.”
The width, exposure and sightlines that were created once the land was cleared came to define the design’s concept, specifically fairways of enormous breadth, greens that are shaped or oriented to receive shots from specific points in the fairways, and highly contoured putting surfaces.
“One of the cool things Tiger said when he was here, and he’s been by a few times, was this is a ‘one-ball course’—you’re not going to lose a ball out here,” Hanse says.
Read Derek Duncan's full piece here.
About
Awards
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Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
Reviews
Review
“The Park is a course that is hard to find a direct comparison to. The course features massive corridors on the par 4's and 5's with strategically placed bunkers and greens that reward the aggressive player. The scale of the property and bunkers is used masterfully, with greens perched and tucked around different areas to create unique feels. the set of par 3's (especially the world class 11th) all ask for different shots and are hard to find many courses that significantly outpace the class of the 5 par 3's here. Overall the course holds many of the qualities of other great courses in the US."
Read More2024
Review
“The Park has upped the game for what a "muni" course is capable of being. From a pure fun and interesting standpoint, The Park surpasses Bethpage Black as the country's best municipal golf course in my opinion. At times I had difficulty deciding if this or The Lido was the better course. Ultimately on our rankings it falls a notch below Lido due to its playability, with the Park accepting more of a ground game and allowing short hitters like myself to score with the putter. I had my best round in a year in spite of not picking up a club for 3 months. While not related to the course I have to add that my caddie was perhaps the best I've ever experienced and was an expert at reading greens at such a new course. I expected their caddies to be kids from the local neighborhoods, but these were real pros. The Park redefines what to expect from a municipal course."
Read More2024
Review
“This golfing oasis, meticulously crafted by one of the most renowned architects in the industry, elevates the sport to an art form, making it a truly unparalleled experience for enthusiasts. Gil Hanse's signature design philosophy is unmistakably woven into the fabric of The Park. The course showcases a harmonious blend of strategic intricacy and natural beauty, a testament to Hanse's ability to create layouts that challenge and inspire players in equal measure. Each hole is a work of art, thoughtfully carved into the landscape to maximize both the challenges for seasoned golfers and the enjoyment for players of all skill levels. One cannot help but marvel at Hanse's artistry in integrating the course seamlessly with the surrounding environment. The natural contours of the Palm Beach landscape are not just preserved but celebrated, creating a golfing experience that feels like an organic extension of the region. Hanse's commitment to sustainability is evident in the thoughtful placement of hazards, bunkers, and water features, all designed to enhance the playability of the course while preserving its ecological integrity. The Park is a testament to Hanse's ability to create a golf course that not only stands as a challenging test of skill but also as a visual masterpiece. Hanse's artistic touch is evident in every nuance of the course architecture, from the sweeping fairways to the meticulously crafted greens. Playing at The Park is like navigating a living canvas where each stroke is a brushstroke in a larger masterpiece. Beyond the course itself, Hanse's influence extends to the overall ambiance of The Park. The clubhouse, with its elegant design and thoughtful layout, serves as a fitting introduction to the golfing haven that awaits. Hanse's attention to detail is mirrored in the hospitality of the staff, creating an atmosphere that complements the excellence of the course."
Read More2023
Review
“In the category of municipal public courses, The Park will set the bar for future municipal ventures and in promoting excitement for the game of golf among players not able to afford private or semiprivate golf. The Park's strongest asset is the layout variety, wide fairways, varied green complexes, and shot options. The fairways are wide, the greens large (many), and for Florida golf has a nice element of elevation change. The hole lengths within par3's, 4's and 5's are different and the ability to vary shot trajectory (fly in vs low runners) allow individual strategy in attacking holes. Green complexes are all unique- runoffs, reverse Redan, punch bowl, multi-tiered, bilobed etc... Some runoffs/misses can be quite penal and difficult to recover from, but you have to really search out the more penal misses with poorly played approaches. For the most part, small to moderate missed approaches will allow a reasonable chance at recovery. Conditioning is superb; greens and fairways are firm and fast. The course was enjoyable to play and would be for nearly any skill level and is difficult to lose a ball."
Read More2023
Review
“The Park has a tremendous concept for high quality, inclusive golf. The complex has an 18-hole Gil Hanse-designed golf course, a lighted 9-hole par 3 course, a large driving range, a putting course, and nice eating facilities. It is a redevelopment of the old West Palm Beach municipal golf course, which went out of business. The property has a remarkable amount of elevation change for South Florida, which leads to many fine holes. Gil Hanse did his usual outstanding design work. The fairways are generous and relatively flat, though there is definitely a better side to hit to for an easier approach. The green complexes are the strength of the design. Some are heavily bunkered, while a few have no bunkers at all. The bunkers have a Melbourne Sand Belt feel and can be quite intimidating. Course conditioning was excellent, particularly considering The Park is a municipal course. While I played I passed many maintenance workers working on details of the course. Built on a sand ridge, it played firm and fast, which suits the design. The Park is an outstanding model for municipal golf which can attract young players and new demographics to the game. It would be good for the game of golf if many more facilities like this are built!"
Read More2023
Review
“The course is on the high end for public access golf. It is a fun course with a fair amount of roll in the fairways that makes it play shorter than its marked distances. There are a few examples of options to run onto greens, but several others where the player will need to carry at least to the front of the greens. I thought the strength of the course were the par three holes. They were all different but challenging in their own way. The redan is quite severe given the firmness of the ground short of the green, but still fair. The par 5s are often reachable in two shots but still have challenges around the green for those that try, with the exception of the first hole which gets the player off to a relatively tame start. At times, the green complexes are quite severe and have very small targets for the player. But, because the fairways are generous, I think many players would shoot better than average scores on the course. Above the hole will result in defensive putting, and being on the wrong tier is difficult. All in all, its the type of course where a single digit handicap will expect to make a birdie or two. A fun course that I want to play again."
Read More2023
Review
“It is an enjoyable walk at The Park. Subtle elevation changes along with close tees and greens makes the course very easy to walk. There is plenty of run in the fairways especially when the proper angle is taken. The hardest part of the course is the greens. The fairways are wide, but miss your target on the approach shot and a three footer can end up ore treacherous than a 20 footer. The shot options are endless. With no rough and the fairways leading straight into the greens, almost any club or shot can be played when around the greens. There are fewer options from the tee, being able to putt or chip from 50 yards out on most holes affords the player a lot of imagination. Not seeing water on a course in Florida is unique and due to the number of bunkers throughout the course, it really isn’t missed."
Read More2023
Review
“This course is a unique property for the Palm Beach County area and the Hanse design has some similarities to the Black Course at Streamsong. As a public course (albeit expensive for our market), it is a very enjoyable layout and allows a broad range of players to experience a high quality course."
Read More2024
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