PGA Golf Club Is Looking To The Next Decade Of Florida Golf Courses
When the PGA Golf Club in Florida opened its doors 10 years ago, its goal was to provide a world-class golf experience.
Now, as the facility, part of the PGA Village complex in Port St. Lucie, celebrates its 10th year with a ceremony Wednesday, PGA officials feel they have achieved that goal.
The goal for the next decade is to make PGA Golf Club — the only PGA-owned facility open to the public — one of the premier daily-fee golf experiences in the country and around the world.
"We're investing millions of dollars on maintaining and developing the PGA experience," said Joe Steranka, chief executive officer of PGA of America, which owns PGA Golf Club. "When people from St. Lucie County, the state of Florida, around the United States and the world come to PGA Golf Club, they'll experience memorable high-quality Florida golf courses and course conditions, but most importantly the most memorable round of golf they've had."
The push to reach the new goal begins this month when a two-year, multi-million dollar improvement program gets under way.
The plan includes converting all the greens on the club's three courses — North, South and Dye — to a new strain of turf called Champion Ultra Dwarf, reconstructing all bunkers, improving drainage, adding landscaping to all courses and expanding the clubhouse. The PGA also has talked with North and South courses designer Tom Fazio about redesigning some greens.
All of the changes will begin in the coming weeks and months except the clubhouse expansion, which Steranka said will begin next year.
Bud Taylor, director of golf for PGA Golf Properties of Florida, said PGA also would be working to provide better service by adding staff during peak times.
While becoming a premier Florida golf course destination and experience might seem like a lofty goal, Steranka said the PGA has the pieces in place to advance the club's stature.
To start with, he said the rates at PGA Golf Club are affordable for the experience a golfer gets.
Players tend to agree. In the latest Golf Digest "Best Places to Play" book published this month, readers called all three courses a "great value," "a golf heaven" and they provide "tremendous service at a terrific price."
"Their summer rates are fantastic," Stuart resident Jon Resos said. "The best thing about it is when you go out there, it's still the PGA. It's the PGA all year around. It's a great value. I go there specifically because I can play one of the bestFlorida golf courses around."
The improvement plan will cause increased rates, but Steranka said the club would still provide some tee times in the current price range of $32-$50.
PGA Golf Club officials believe that golfers will be willing to pay a little more for the added features — such as staff picking up clubs from players at their cars — both on the course and off.
Also, the club has played host to PGA teaching professionals from around the world and dozens of tournaments each year for PGA pros, assistant pros as well as mini-tour tournaments, the National Minority College Golf Championship and charity and corporate events. Those events help position PGA Golf Club more on the national and world golf scene through word-of-mouth recommendations, Steranka said.
The PGA hopes its reputation and improvements attract new golfers as the club strives to maintain its relationship with its current players.
"It's easier to keep a customer than get a new one, and we're going to work hard to continue to have people come back to this Florida golf course again and again," Taylor said. "We want to be a facility that when somebody leaves they will say, 'I can't wait to come back to Florida.'"
Now, as the facility, part of the PGA Village complex in Port St. Lucie, celebrates its 10th year with a ceremony Wednesday, PGA officials feel they have achieved that goal.
The goal for the next decade is to make PGA Golf Club — the only PGA-owned facility open to the public — one of the premier daily-fee golf experiences in the country and around the world.
"We're investing millions of dollars on maintaining and developing the PGA experience," said Joe Steranka, chief executive officer of PGA of America, which owns PGA Golf Club. "When people from St. Lucie County, the state of Florida, around the United States and the world come to PGA Golf Club, they'll experience memorable high-quality Florida golf courses and course conditions, but most importantly the most memorable round of golf they've had."
The push to reach the new goal begins this month when a two-year, multi-million dollar improvement program gets under way.
The plan includes converting all the greens on the club's three courses — North, South and Dye — to a new strain of turf called Champion Ultra Dwarf, reconstructing all bunkers, improving drainage, adding landscaping to all courses and expanding the clubhouse. The PGA also has talked with North and South courses designer Tom Fazio about redesigning some greens.
All of the changes will begin in the coming weeks and months except the clubhouse expansion, which Steranka said will begin next year.
Bud Taylor, director of golf for PGA Golf Properties of Florida, said PGA also would be working to provide better service by adding staff during peak times.
While becoming a premier Florida golf course destination and experience might seem like a lofty goal, Steranka said the PGA has the pieces in place to advance the club's stature.
To start with, he said the rates at PGA Golf Club are affordable for the experience a golfer gets.
Players tend to agree. In the latest Golf Digest "Best Places to Play" book published this month, readers called all three courses a "great value," "a golf heaven" and they provide "tremendous service at a terrific price."
"Their summer rates are fantastic," Stuart resident Jon Resos said. "The best thing about it is when you go out there, it's still the PGA. It's the PGA all year around. It's a great value. I go there specifically because I can play one of the bestFlorida golf courses around."
The improvement plan will cause increased rates, but Steranka said the club would still provide some tee times in the current price range of $32-$50.
PGA Golf Club officials believe that golfers will be willing to pay a little more for the added features — such as staff picking up clubs from players at their cars — both on the course and off.
Also, the club has played host to PGA teaching professionals from around the world and dozens of tournaments each year for PGA pros, assistant pros as well as mini-tour tournaments, the National Minority College Golf Championship and charity and corporate events. Those events help position PGA Golf Club more on the national and world golf scene through word-of-mouth recommendations, Steranka said.
The PGA hopes its reputation and improvements attract new golfers as the club strives to maintain its relationship with its current players.
"It's easier to keep a customer than get a new one, and we're going to work hard to continue to have people come back to this Florida golf course again and again," Taylor said. "We want to be a facility that when somebody leaves they will say, 'I can't wait to come back to Florida.'"
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