Old Palm Golf Club facts for kids
Old Palm Golf Club is a special neighborhood in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, where people live and enjoy golf. It's a private community, meaning only residents and their guests can use its facilities. The club covers about 650 acres, which is like 650 football fields!
This community started in 2004. A company called WCI created it. Later, in September 2010, a group called Clarion Partners bought it. Old Palm Golf Club was designed to follow an idea from John D. MacArthur. He wanted Palm Beach Gardens to be a "garden city" with lots of flowers and trees everywhere.
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Where is Old Palm Golf Club?
This golf community is located in a sunny part of Florida. It has clear borders:
- To the south, you'll find PGA Boulevard.
- To the east, it's next to Central Boulevard.
- To the west, it's bordered by Florida's Turnpike, a major highway.
The Golf Course at Old Palm
The golf course here is very large, stretching over 7,401 yards. That's more than four miles long! It was designed by a famous golfer named Raymond Floyd.
The course has:
- An 18-hole course, which is standard for golf.
- A special 19th "bye" hole.
- Three full-length practice holes where golfers can improve their skills.
In 2007, Old Palm Golf Club received a "Gold Signature Sanctuary" award. This award came from the Audubon International Society. It means the club does a great job protecting nature. For example, almost all the water used for watering the course is recycled water. This helps save fresh water!
Golf Training and Experts
Old Palm Golf Club has a huge 33-acre area just for golf practice. It's called the Old Palm Golf Studio.
Meet the Golf Director
Bud Taylor is the Director of Golf here. He is a highly skilled golf professional. In 1995, he became part of the PGA of America. He is also a PGA Certified Master Professional, which is a very high honor. In 2001, Golfweek magazine named him one of the "Top 40 under 40" golf professionals.
Top Golf Instructor
Mark Hackett is another important person at Old Palm. He is the Director of Instruction. This means he teaches people how to play golf better. Golf Magazine recognized him as one of the Top 100 golf teachers in the entire country!
Famous Golfers Who Live Here
Many well-known golfers have chosen to live at Old Palm Golf Club.
- Raymond Floyd: He is a golf legend who has won four major championships. He calls Old Palm Golf Club his home.
- Louis Oosthuizen: This golfer is from South Africa. He won the Open Championship in 2010. His home at Old Palm has a great view of the third golf hole.
- Charl Schwartzel: Another South African golfer, Charl won the Masters tournament in 2011. He owns a home that looks out over the 14th fairway.
- Lee Westwood: Lee is an English golfer who has won 39 tournaments around the world. He also finished in the top three at major championships five times. He bought property near the 14th hole.
The Country Club Building
The clubhouse at Old Palm is a beautiful place. Raymond Floyd's late wife, Maria Floyd, helped design it. She worked with interior designers Scott Snyder and Anthony Minichetti. They wanted the clubhouse to feel special, like the buildings designed by architect Addison Mizner in the early 1900s. Mizner designed famous places in Boca Raton and Palm Beach's Worth Avenue.
The clubhouse is elegant but also very comfortable. It's built with natural materials like cypress wood for the ceilings and limestone for the floors.
Home Prices
Homes at Old Palm Golf Club are quite expensive. Their prices can range from $3.2 million to more than $25 million.
