PGA NATIONAL RESORT (800-633-9150) the Estate Course Review
Florida Golf Course Review 7/17/07
PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens is a full service resort featuring a variety of accommodations with upscale
amenities, to compliment world class golf experiences that include 90 holes of championship golf along with
some of Florida's most comprehensive practice facilities. Resort features include a variety of fine and casual
dining opportunities (including Shula's Steakhouse), spacious meeting/conference rooms (35,000 square feet
total), multiple swimming pools and Jacuzzis, a 33,000 square foot health & racquet club (with 17 tennis courts
and spacious gymnasium with 2 separate aerobics rooms), a full service European-style spa (with 56 treatment
rooms, steam rooms & saunas plus the unique "Waters of the World" mineral baths),and more. Memberships
are available at this AAA 4-Diamond resort and golf club, and golf here is available for members and guests of
the resort only! For more info, visit our page for the resort, with direct link to their website by clicking here.
The Champion Course(home to the PGA Honda Classic), Squire, General and Haig courses are all on resort
property and are serviced by the same beautiful clubhouse, which includes a nicely stocked pro shop. There are
locker rooms with showers for men and women, and the 19th Hole, Bear Trap Bar & Grill, plus hall of fame
lounge are all accessible. Members also have the luxury of a private locker room with full time attendant. Practice
facilities include three driving ranges plus multiple short game areas and putting greens. The Golf Digest
Academy is also on property, providing a variety of lessons and clinics, and the PGA of America also calls this resort home.
The Estate Course (Bay Hill Estates) is located about 8 miles away, and features its own clubhouse with snack
bar and pro shop, plus beautiful practice facilities. All five courses have carts with rear weather protectors, and
coolers are also standard on the carts at the Estate Course. Guests playing any of the other four courses can fill
up with complimentary ice and water at the clubhouse station on resort property. Tees and towels are also
provided. On course yardage markers are positioned on the fairways and cart paths at 100, 150 and 200 yards,
with 150 stakes also present on all par fours and fives. Each tee box has yardages plates, and color coded flags
on the greens indicate the front, middle or back pin placements. Sprinkler heads on all courses (except the Estate Course) are also marked to the center of the green.
The Estate Course (Bay Hill Estates)
The photos in this review are of the Estate Course, which is located about 8 miles from the resort property. Free
shuttle service from the resort to the course is available. The Estate Course is a wonderfully manicured
championship facility that plays to 6700 yards, with ample fairways and small, raised, undulating green
complexes. Water features are highlighted as 14 holes of hazards in play in some shape or form. There also are 81 sand bunkers along the course - the most of any of the five PGA National designs.
Four sets of tees play to distances and slopes measuring 6694 yards/138 slope, 6122 yards/137 slope, 5433
yards/125 slope for men and 156 for women and 4933 yards with a slope of 123 for ladies hitting from the
forward sets. This is the most player friendly layout of the group, especially for women playing from the red tee
boxes. The par five ninth with a rock retaining wall framing the front of the green is the most memorable holes, out of a group of fine holes that are built on a nicely landscaped, fairly level terrain.
The Estate compliments what was already a fine group of championship courses - we highly recommend a round here. For more info, visit our page for the course, with direct link to their website by clicking here.
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