Golf in Palm Beach
Forty minutes of coast north of Miami holds more golf per acre than almost anywhere in America: Jack Nicklaus's Bear Trap at PGA National, Donald Ross's private Seminole, the oldest course in Florida at The Breakers, and a Jupiter cluster where the tour winters. Palm Beach plays all year, peaks from November to April, and rewards a group that books the right two courses and bases well.
Photograph: PGA National Resort, via Google
Why golf here
Palm Beach County is where American golf goes for the winter. The density is the story: within a short drive you have a PGA Tour venue you can play, one of Donald Ross's greatest private courses, the oldest layout in the state, and a knot of ultra private clubs in Jupiter where Nicklaus, Norman and a generation of tour players keep their practice grounds. The weather does the rest, with reliable sun from November to April when the rest of the country is frozen.
For a traveling group the trick is access. The trophy names at Seminole and the Jupiter clubs are private and largely closed, so a Palm Beach trip is built around the bookable greats, PGA National and Emerald Dunes, with the deep public tier filling the rest of the week. Base on the island for The Breakers and the beach, in Palm Beach Gardens for the resort golf, or split the difference, and you have one of the most complete winter golf weeks in the country.
The Palm Beach courses that matter
PGA National, Champion Course
Jack Nicklaus rebuilt the Champion in 2014 around the Bear Trap, the run of holes 15 to 17 that decides the PGA Tour's Cognizant Classic every winter. Originally a Tom and George Fazio layout, it now plays to a par 72 of about 7,045 yards, with water and deep Nicklaus bunkering at every turn. The resort runs five more courses and a clubhouse built for big groups, which makes it the natural base for a Palm Beach trip. Visitor fees climb north of 400 dollars in the winter high season.
The Breakers, Ocean Course
The Ocean Course at The Breakers is the oldest course in Florida, laid out in the 1890s and restored by Rees Jones in 2018. It is short by modern standards at about 6,200 yards, but the sea breeze, the narrow corridors and six lakes ask for placement over power. Play is reserved for resort guests and members, so the round comes with a stay at one of the grand hotels of American golf, steps from the Atlantic.
Seminole Golf Club
Donald Ross laid out Seminole in 1929 at Juno Beach, and it has been a private sanctuary for the connoisseur ever since, from Ben Hogan's pre Masters tune ups to the 2020 charity match watched around the world. The dune ridge routing and the wind off the ocean make it one of Ross's masterpieces. Access is by member invitation only, but no honest guide to Palm Beach golf can leave it out.
Emerald Dunes
For a championship test you can actually book, Emerald Dunes is the pick. Tom Fazio shaped it in 1990 on flat ground into a rolling, links flavored layout with a dramatic closing stretch around water. It is upscale daily fee golf, well conditioned and built for visitors, and it pairs naturally with a PGA National week when the private clubs are out of reach.
Jupiter's private clubs
North toward Jupiter sits a cluster of the most exclusive clubs in the country: Jack Nicklaus's own Bear's Club, the Greg Norman and Pete Dye Medalist where Tiger Woods practices, and the Fazio hills of Jupiter Hills. All are private and effectively unbookable, but they explain why so many tour professionals choose to winter in this corner of Florida.
The public tier
Palm Beach is not only private trophies. The county runs a strong set of public courses, led by the Jack Nicklaus redesigned North Palm Beach Country Club and the well kept municipals at Okeeheelee and Park Ridge, where a round costs a fraction of the resort rate. They fill the days between the marquee names without straining the budget.
Designers, opening years and host events verified June 2026 from club and resort sources. Several of these are private clubs with no visitor access. Always confirm access and fees directly before booking.
Indicative green fees and the season
Palm Beach prices in three tiers: the resort championship rounds at PGA National and Emerald Dunes, the private trophies you cannot simply book, and a deep public tier from about 40 dollars. November to April is prime and priced accordingly; summer is hot, stormy and cheap.
| Course | Area | Indicative 2026 fee |
|---|---|---|
| PGA National, Champion | Palm Beach Gardens | north of $400 in winter high season |
| Emerald Dunes | West Palm Beach | about $200 to $350 by season |
| The Breakers, Ocean | Palm Beach | resort guests, part of a stay |
| Seminole | Juno Beach | private, members and guests |
| North Palm Beach CC | North Palm Beach | about $90 to $150 |
| Okeeheelee and Park Ridge | West Palm Beach | municipal, from about $40 |
Indicative visitor fees from resort and operator listings, verified June 2026. Always confirm directly before booking.
Booking individual rounds? Compare live tee times through our partner: check tee time availability. Hotels from the island to the Gardens: compare stays.
Where to base
Fly into Palm Beach International, ten minutes from the action, or West Palm a touch further; a rental car is essential. Three bases cover the county.
Palm Beach Gardens
Stay at PGA National and you have the Champion, five sister courses and the practice grounds on site, with Emerald Dunes a short drive west. The easiest base for a golf first group.
Palm Beach island
The Breakers puts the Ocean Course, the beach and the best dining in the county on your doorstep. Pair it with bookable rounds nearby for a more leisurely, couples or corporate trip.
West Palm and Jupiter
Base in West Palm Beach for the municipals and Emerald Dunes, or up in Jupiter for the beach towns and the chance to drive past the most exclusive clubs in the game on the way to a public tee time.
Plan your Palm Beach golf trip
PGA National and Emerald Dunes locked in, the right base on the island or in the Gardens, and the winter dates that matter: tell us roughly when and who is traveling, and one concierge builds the trip and costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Golf in Palm Beach: common questions
What is the best golf course in Palm Beach?
PGA National's Champion Course is the headline play you can book, rebuilt by Jack Nicklaus around the Bear Trap and host of the PGA Tour's Cognizant Classic. Donald Ross's Seminole at Juno Beach is the finest course in the area but is strictly private. The Breakers Ocean Course is the oldest in Florida and reserved for resort guests.
Can visitors play Seminole or The Breakers?
Seminole is a private members club accessed by invitation only. The Breakers Ocean Course is open to guests staying at the resort and to members. PGA National and Emerald Dunes both welcome visitor bookings, so a trip is best built around those two with a resort stay.
How much does golf in Palm Beach cost in 2026?
The spread is wide. PGA National's Champion runs north of 400 dollars at winter peak, Emerald Dunes about 200 to 350 by season, while the public courses such as North Palm Beach and the Okeeheelee and Park Ridge municipals run from about 40 to 150 dollars. All indicative; always confirm directly before booking.
When is the best time for a Palm Beach golf trip?
November to April is the season, with warm, dry days and the courses at their best, which is also when prices peak and tee sheets fill. Summer is hot and humid with near daily afternoon storms, so play early; rates fall sharply from May to October for those who do not mind the heat.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Florida course news, the winter booking windows that matter and where to play next. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts and indicative fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.