Some people live for golf. Some actually live in golf. Literally.
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At least that’s the case for a small pocket of South Florida residents who belong to a trio of private golf club communities located on the border of Boynton Beach and Delray Beach. These clubs not only share the aptly named Golf Road address, but the developments are situated in and around the 542-acre Village of Golf – an actual municipality granted such status by Special Act of the Florida Legislature on May 30, 1957.
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Yes, four decades before the World Golf Village opened in St. Augustine, Fla., golf industry power broker Carleton Blunt had Florida’s first official “Golf Village” after he opened his exclusive new Country Club of Florida in December 1956 and gained special municipality status the following year for the surrounding 1,000-plus acres he owned. Fifty years later, the Club at Quail Ridge, located right on the opposite side of Golf Road, continues to live up to its rich golf heritage in remarkable ways.
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Once the former home to golf greats Sam Snead and Claude Harmon, Quail Ridge also lays claim to being the birthplace and official headquarters of the Society of Seniors, the elite amateur golf organization reserved for 55-and-older players with handicap indexes of 3 or less and strong golf resumes comprising at least regional and/or state tournament wins. Throw in approximately 150 members that carry single-digit handicaps and numerous past/present members who formerly ran state golf associations or serve on the USGA Executive Committee, and the golf pedigree at 36-hole Quail Ridge is unparalleled.
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And that’s saying a lot being in golf-rich Palm Beach County, which officially markets itself as “Florida’s Golf Capital.”
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Nevertheless, the Boynton Beach club is never content resting on its lofty golf background.
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Case in point is the ongoing $21.45 million worth of club and community-wide renovations and enhancements. Among the highlights of Quail Ridge’s latest round of strategic capital improvement projects: a brand new two-story, 17,000-square-foot Racquet Sport Pavilion; new South Course Turn House; a redesigned South Gate Entrance along Golf Road and last, but not least, a complete renovation of the club’s North Course designed by the late great architect “Gentleman” Joe Lee.
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The ‘new’ North Course is being rebuilt to the tune of $12 million under the dedicated design eyes of partners Dana Fry and Jason Straka.
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"These improvements are very exciting for all of us at Quail Ridge,” General Manager/Chief Operating Officer William E. Langley said when work commenced last year. “The current tennis pavilion and South Gate buildings are nearly 50 years old and have served us very well, but it is time to allow our professionals from Peacock & Lewis to help us reimagine these high-use areas of the Club.”
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Work on the North Course was starting this spring and represents a full-scale redesign/renovation, including new practice facilities.
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"Our famed North Course has a storied past,” said Quail Ridge board president Gordon Broom, whose community comprises 946 residences. “The course has seen its share of competitive play from some of the finest amateur players in the country and there have been other smaller renovations through the years. Our membership has decided it is time to move into the future with a new design and the team at Fry/Straka Global Golf Design is working closely with our board, committees, and management team to update this extraordinary course,"
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Quail Ridge says the spirit of the project is to keep up with the evolving game of golf, yet maintain a course design that provides enhanced playability. For instance, Fry/Straka is rerouting numerous holes, rebuilding a number of tee boxes with thoughtful new footprints and strategically engineering side slopes into the course along with expanded water features and other enhancements to the layout.
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This latest round of compelling club improvement projects comes on the heels of Quail Ridge spending $10 million to fully renovate/redesign its original South Course in 2019, as well as remodeling and expanding the spa and fitness center. And arguably the most ambitious and valuable capital improvement project to transpire in recent years was the club’s all-new 60,000-square-foot clubhouse.
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The new award-winning $23 million clubhouse, which features five dining rooms, two outdoor dining areas, a lobby, a library, new men's and ladies' locker rooms, and larger golf shop, opened in December 2017. And naturally, the “Old Florida-designed” facility features perfect views of what sets this place apart: the golf courses and short-game practice area.
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"During the last five years, Quail Ridge has really gone through a renaissance of sorts,” said Langley, who’s in his 10th year of successfully guiding more than $60 million worth of Quail Ridge investments. “Much of this success is due to our wonderful members, committees, and boards who began working with management years ago to reimagine the 'Quail Ridge of tomorrow. This is a fantastic time in our history for our members, as well as our staff, to witness these projects come together in preparation for our 50th anniversary in 2024."
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And the coolest part of all for current and future members, when they say they’re ‘going to golf,’ they really mean it.