WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — It’s lunchtime on a mid-November Saturday afternoon and the phrase of the day is eclectic. I’ve simply completed my morning spherical at The Park with a three-putt for par on the forgiving 18th gap, and I saddle up on the cabana, the bar/small bites stand strategically positioned on the entrance of the property.
A foursome that was a number of holes forward of me is heading off to their automobiles — whereas permitting for his or her anonymity, let’s simply say they are often members anyplace they need to be within the golf-rich West Palm Seashore/Jupiter space. Making the flip to the again 9 are the bros eager to chase down their transfusions with Excessive Noons. Although they signify very completely different ends of the Saturday golfer spectrum, you acknowledge each teams as what a golfer “seems to be” like.
However the cabana occupies a primary spot on the property, and never only for its distance to No. 10 on the principle course. Over initially of the par-3 course (a group of wedge-and-putt holes lit up at night time) are three 20-somethings with a handful of golf equipment to share. And on the walk-on placing course, a number of kids share the inexperienced advanced with one other group of 20-somethings — three guys, three girls and two putters.
Oh, and that constructing behind the placing course? That’s The Path, the place college students from native colleges — one in all which is simply on the opposite finish of the driving vary — come within the afternoon free of charge tutoring, educational enrichment and golf classes. Every thing right here is finally to the advantage of the greater than 60 youngsters from 5 native colleges who come right here at the very least a few days every week.
When a gaggle of native leaders took over a failed municipal course and raised $50 million for it — and recruited Gil Hanse, one of many main working architects on the planet, to construct a brand new course instead — that they had designs properly past a top-100 golf course.
They needed change, to make use of golf to assist and to be a car that will help the neighborhood surrounding the course, which is way from as prosperous because the bigger space.
“We outline success as saving two to 3 households,” Dave Andrews, director of The Path, says. “If we are able to simply take three or 4 households and provides them the world. We’ve had households which have come to us which can be homeless and are battling issues that we are able to by no means resolve. However we’re serving to.”
If it’s straightforward to think about a future when somebody can say they got here to The Park to putt and sip a cocktail with their mates, graduated to The Lit 9 and ultimately made a tee time to play the large course, that’s as a result of that’s the dream of many a golf trade skilled. Leisure golf’s post-COVID-19 second continues unabated, and the extra pathways that exist to make that first 18-hole, par-72 spherical not so intimidating, the higher. But it surely is not going to be everybody’s journey, and that’s simply superb.
“The par 3 provides you the enjoyment and intangibles of the sport. That’s completely superb,” The Park common supervisor Brian Conley says. “Too many occasions setting these end strains are the boundaries.”
However for individuals who do — and for individuals who are on the hunt for the subsequent cool new course — The Park is an incredible possibility. It stands out particularly on this space, the place a lot golf is performed with a housing growth to the left and water to the best. There’s no water in any respect on the course designed by Hanse and companion Jim Wagner, who had been interested in the challenge by the neighborhood side of it. (The 2 waived their payment, The Fried Egg reported.)
The Park’s extensive fairways are forgiving, however for those who miss left on No. 1, it’s hassle.
As a substitute, what they created is a giant ballpark, with beneficiant fairways and sufficient waste administration areas to maintain your consideration. The rolling topography can also be distinctly un-Florida-like, and it’s used to nice impact. The par-3 seventh performs barely uphill to a reverse redan inexperienced. The dogleg par-4 twelfth contains a blind shot into the inexperienced. The three-hole stretch from 15 to 17 may be very scoreable with a par 5 the common participant has an opportunity to achieve in two, a driveable par 4 and a par 3 that options the form of placing greenside bunkers followers of Hanse’s different work (together with Streamsong Black, one other Florida property) will acknowledge. But it surely stays difficult sufficient — a enjoying companion and I watched on-line tee photographs on the seventeenth pushed 10 yards proper of the inexperienced by a gust of wind.
The Park is only a nice golf course, and when you think about that it’s municipal — with a variable pricing mannequin that makes it very cheap for locals — the worth is sensational.
“In the event you play properly, you’ll rating properly,” Conley says. “In the event you play unhealthy, you’ll know you play unhealthy however not be embarrassed.”
You realize they’ve one thing in that those that belong to the realm’s many non-public golf equipment are nonetheless making the journey over, in addition to the prospect The Park will host a future iteration of “The Match,” the favored made-for-TV golf particular.
All from a chunk of land a golf course closed in 2018 as a result of it was shedding an excessive amount of cash for the town.
West Palm Seashore was approached a number of occasions with completely different alternatives for what to do with the shuttered West Palm Seashore Golf Course, all centered on the thought of a personal firm coming in, revitalizing the land and working it for the town.
The Park has captured consideration since its opening earlier this 12 months.
Seth Waugh, now the CEO of the PGA of America, and a gaggle of residents had the imaginative and prescient — “Create a first-class facility with world-class assets and provides the neighborhood of West Palm entry to it whereas nonetheless being operated at a really excessive degree,” Conley says — after which had been in a position to safe the $50 million-plus in donations to make it a actuality.
The town purchased in — it’s a 50-year, $1-a-year lease — and whereas Hanse and his staff had been going to work, so was Andrews. The Path, which is being supported by an endowment and any earnings from the course, was a clean slate when he arrived, and Andrews spent months in the neighborhood, making an attempt to determine the place the necessity was. Over time, it grew to become clear.
“The Path was created to be probably the most genuine, inviting and welcoming program to determine the subsequent technology of leaders,” Andrews says. “We not solely develop the sport and introduce these youngsters to golf but in addition are pouring into them as a mentor and educationally tutoring them and serving to them with homework.”
There are 63 college students from 50 households throughout 5 native colleges who come into the middle, which is staffed with paid lecturers who present educational assist and enrichment with artwork and STEM courses. Being above the readiness checks is a precedence for elementary school-aged youngsters, and excessive schoolers are taking a look at internship alternatives within the golf trade.
There’s additionally golf — half of their time on the property every day is spent with a membership of their arms. The intention is to introduce the game as a enjoyable exercise and let any ardour develop organically. Youngsters asking for a brand new glove or a membership for Christmas depend as wins.
What’s subsequent? They don’t know. Every thing continues to be so new that all of it appears doable, so long as they proceed to get the muse proper. That’s an excellent place to be, and it’s as a result of The Park was daring in its origin story.
(Pictures courtesy of The Park)
