PGA National Resort
Palm Beach Gardens, Palm Beach County, Florida · Palm Beach Gardens golf market
- Access
- mixed
- Holes
- 90
- Architect(s)
- Karl Litten
- Gated
- Yes
Thinking About Living in PGA National Resort?
Get connected with a local real-estate specialist who understands PGA National Resort and the surrounding Palm Beach Gardens golf market.
PGA National Resort sits at the center of a 2,340-acre master-planned community in Palm Beach Gardens built directly around five golf courses (90 holes total), the most nationally significant of which is the Champion Course. Originally developed in the late 1970s/early 1980s in partnership with the PGA of America, the property has hosted the PGA Tour's Honda Classic (now the Cognizant Classic) every year since 1981 -- one of the longest continuously running tournament-host relationships of any course in Florida. The Champion Course's final three holes, known as the "Bear Trap" (a Jack Nicklaus redesign contribution), are among the most recognizable closing stretches in professional golf, regularly producing some of the highest single-hole scoring volatility on the PGA Tour.
For a golf-oriented homebuyer, PGA National is less a single private club than an entire golf ecosystem: more than 5,000 homes spread across 46 distinct sub-communities, most gated at some level, all governed by the overarching PGA Property Owners Association (PGA POA). A private Members Club operates alongside resort-guest and public-facing play, with its own Full Golf, National and Social membership tiers -- but access to that club is a separate, optional purchase layered on top of the real estate, not a benefit that comes automatically with a PGA National address.
Costs & Fees
Figures below are labeled Current only when the source itself frames them as presently accurate. Everything else is labeled Historical — a source checked today does not make an old fee a current one.
Initiation (range low)
Historical$5,000
Social-tier entrance fee, one of several reported membership tiers; figures vary noticeably across sources.
Initiation (range high)
Historical$75,000
Upper end of a reported Full Golf Membership initiation range; another source cites $35,000 for Full Golf. Figures conflict across sources and should be confirmed directly with the Members Club.
Interested in Homes in PGA National Resort?
We can connect you with a local real-estate specialist who knows the community, nearby golf communities, and the Palm Beach Gardens market.
What Buyers Should Verify
- Confirm current Members Club initiation fees and dues directly with the club -- sourcing found this session gave conflicting ranges ($5,000-$75,000 initiation depending on tier and source) rather than one official figure.
- Confirm the specific golf relationship (on-course, adjacent, or simply within the PGA POA) for any individual sub-community before assuming golf-course frontage or access.
- Confirm current gate/security arrangements for the specific sub-community being considered -- gating and staffing levels vary across the 46 neighborhoods.
Notable
- The Champion Course has hosted the PGA Tour's Honda Classic (now the Cognizant Classic) every year since 1981.
- The Champion Course's final three holes -- 15, 16 and 17 -- are known as the 'Bear Trap,' one of golf's most recognizable and difficult closing stretches, shaped with input from Jack Nicklaus.
- The surrounding master-planned community spans 2,340 acres and more than 5,000 homes across 46 distinct sub-communities, all governed by the PGA Property Owners Association.
Considering a Move to PGA National Resort?
Whether you're comparing PGA National Resort with another Palm Beach Gardens golf community or you're ready to start looking at homes, US Golf Living can connect you with a local real-estate specialist.
US Golf Living provides independent real-estate research and can connect consumers with real-estate professionals. Golf membership, availability, fees and approval are determined independently by the applicable club.