Every year when visiting my parents for the Holidays in December we like to go away as a family for a couple of nights to the neighboring resorts in South Florida. This year, we chose PGA National Resort and Spa in Palm Beach. Visiting West Palm Beach, we have passed this resort many times and of course, have heard of it since PGA and golfing is practically the national sport of Florida. So, needless to say, I was super excited that we were able to visit and truly enjoy it this past year.
Since we don’t celebrate Christmas, we decided to stay there for Christmas Eve and Day. And this in itself was a huge treat.
PGA National Resort & Spa West Palm Beach, FL
Even though the majority of the activities and events at the resort are golf oriented, it was great to see how many family things they had going on as well.
Here’s a quick tour of what to see and do at the resort (plus Holiday fun):
The room
Our room was huge. I wasn’t expecting that at all. Our room had a huge living space, dining area, and balcony.
With two queen-sized beds. However, we also used the sofa bed for my oldest boy and he loved it.
In Room Services
Room service is good into the late evening, if you’re too lazy to get up from your cozy couch (like we were).
The Lobby
I normally don’t write too much about lobbies of hotels, since we mainly just use them to walk through.
For some reason, we ended up enjoying this lobby a lot. Some activities were in the lobby, plus it was simply a great place to lounge out.
And for Christmas Eve they had carolers. A little confession, I have never seen live Christmas carolers before, so this was a fun treat for me as well as the kids.
Book your room at PGA National Resort & Spa
Pool Time
This was by far our favorite part of staying here. The pool is open from early morning to around 10 pm.
We hit the pool right after breakfast and stayed there all day.
We also enjoyed the live music – he was REALLY good!
PGA National Restaurants
The hotel has quite a few restaurants. We got to enjoy two of them
Palm Terrace
This is where the breakfast buffet is held and it’s a great place.
Plus, we were so lucky. Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus were visiting the day were there. And they weren’t just snapping photos with the kids, they were actually entertaining them with magic tricks and other fun stuff. A huge bonus to our stay.
Waves Restaurant
This restaurant is located right by the pool and is open mainly for lunch. The day we were there they had a lunch buffet – BBQ style.
Plus, I loved their bucket Mojitos – and yes I did finish it all (only took me five hours to do so).
The Spa
This is one of their biggest attractions, and it is open to the public. It practically works separately from the hotel. It is 40,000 square feet of goodness.
Basically, it is a full-service spa with over 150 treatments. Manicures, hair salons, pedicures and so much more.
They even have an area where it is adults only for swimming and enjoying the tranquility.
PGA National Tennis, Health and Racquetball Club
Tennis here is as popular as golf. However, it is also a full-on gym.
They have a full gym and also a gym just for personal trainers.
And a lap pool so you don’t get hit by kids playing.
Golf at PGA National Resort and Spa
This is really what it is all about. Being the number one stop of the PGA tournament of the Honda Classic the courses here are world-class.
History of PGA Resort and Golf Course
- PGA opened its first course in 1981.
- It hosted the Ryder Cup in 1983.
- Another highlight of its history was the 1987 PGA Championship – when Larry Nelson won his second PGA Championship.
- Between 1982 and 2000 PGA National Resort & Spa hosted some of golf’s most memorable moments, many of which happened during Senior PGA Championships- From “The Champ’s” debut in 1982 to Doug Tewell’s historical win in 2000.
The Honda Classic
- Founded in 1972 as the Jackie Gleason’s Inverrary Classic
- The Honda Classic is a PGA TOUR golf tournament played each March.
- In 1981, American Motors (AMC) backed the tournament, but in 1982, Honda took over the title sponsorship.
- After years of moving from course to course, the tournament found its home in 2007 on PGA National Resort & Spa’s Champion course.
Golf Academy
- The PGA National Golf Academy ranks as one of the top golf schools in Florida.
- The PGA National Golf Academy was established with the help of David Leadbetter, Dave Pelz, a staff of PGA-certified pros and a TOUR-level Club Fitting Lab.
The Golf Courses at PGA National Resort and Spa
The Champion
- PGA toughest course
- Home of the Honda Classic
- The champion course at PGA National Resort & Spa was re-designed by Jack Nicklaus in 1990.
- This South Florida golf resort course has five sets of tees to make the course more playable for golfers of all levels.
- Considered one of Florida’s most notable golf challenges.
The Palmer
- Named after its designer, Arnold Palmer
- One of the more forgiving courses at PGA
- The Palmer has a great series of finishing holes, with the 18th being one of the most scenics on the property.
The Fazio (formerly known as The Haig)
- The Fazio is a reinvention of The Haig, PGA’s original 18-hole course that opened in 1980.
- The Haig was designed by George and Tom Fazio in tribute to five-time PGA champion Walter Hagen.
- Its renovation is being led by third-generation designer Tom Fazio II.
The Squire
- Named after the immortal Gene Sarazen, the first golfer ever to win the professional Grand Slam
- Also known as “the thinking man’s course”.
- It requires a lot of accuracy and precision.
- The Squire is the shortest and most exacting of the courses at PGA.
- The Squire is surrounded by natural areas teeming with vegetation and wildlife – the 5th hole even runs along part of a wilderness preserve.
The Estates
- The Estates course offers a mix of challenging and docile holes.
- The course sets up for any level of player as it is one of the shorter courses at PGA.
Video Fun
Information for Visiting PGA National Resort and Spa
Address: 400 Avenue of the Champions, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418
Phone: (800) 863-2819
Price Range – $160 to $480 for Double occupancy
The post PGA National Resort and Spa Review – Family (Holiday) Fun appeared first on Travel Experta - Travel, Lifestyle, Freedom.
------------------------------------------
By: Marina 'Travel Experta'
Title: PGA National Resort and Spa Review – Family (Holiday) Fun
Sourced From: travelexperta.com/pga-national-resort-spa/
Published Date: Fri, 06 Jan 2023 11:59:21 +0000
