Honda Classic: PGA National set for $100M renovation to hotel, club, spa

PGA National Resort & Spa is bringing acclaimed chefs Lindsay Autry and Jeremy Ford to remake two resort restaurants. Tennis great Venus Williams’ V Starr will update the spa. The goal is to transform the resort into a more desirable destination for club members and hotel guests.

PGA National Resort & Spa, host to The Honda Classic golf tournament, is slated to undergo a sweeping $100 million renovation in a bid to position the iconic Palm Beach Gardens resort and golf club for the county’s continued growth.

The resort’s extensive facelift is intended to create a more upscale environment for club members and hotel guests, according to the property’s owner. This includes renovations of the hotel’s rooms, which some guests say are dated. Also slated are upgrades to the clubhouse and restaurants.

The goal is to create a hotel that can compete with the more luxurious hotels in Palm Beach County.

“We aspire to do what The Breakers is doing, but do it west of Interstate 95,” said Shai Zelering, managing director, real estate, for Brookfield Asset Management’s U.S. hospitality properties.

Among the changes planned at PGA National: Acclaimed chef Lindsay Autry will lead the creation of a new restaurant in the resort’s ground floor eatery, Palm Terrace. Since 2015, Autry has served as executive chef at The Regional Kitchen & Public House at Rosemary Square, formerly CityPlace, in West Palm Beach.

In addition, Jeremy Ford, winner of “Top Chef” Season 13 and a Miami Beach chef known for his Stubborn Seed eatery, will create a new restaurant in the Ironwood Grill adjacent to the lobby.

The resort’s restaurants are open to the public and do not require diners to be club members or hotel guests to gain entry.

PGA National is a residential community golf club and resort off PGA Boulevard, west of Florida’s Turnpike. Built in 1981 by developer E. Llwyd Ecclestone Jr., the 2,000-acre property features five 18-hole golf courses, a 339-room hotel, 42,000 square feet of meeting space, and a spa. Some 5,000 homes also are on the property.

Starting on Feb. 24, PGA National will host the Honda Classic.

Since PGA National’s construction decades ago, the resort has undergone various renovations, including by a prior owner, Walton Street Capital.

But none of the renovations are as all-encompassing as the one now being planned by Brookfield Asset Management of Toronto. In 2018, Brookfield paid $218 million for the property.

Brookfield plans a renovation of the hotel lobby, including moving the bar to the center of the lobby. Also planned is a redo of the 339 hotel rooms, including the bathrooms. The clubhouse also will be completely renovated.

A kids’ club will be created in unused space at the resort, and a new gym will be created just for hotel guests.

Also planned: A chocolate shop in the lobby and a soft-serve yogurt shop downstairs.

The upgrades are a bid to keep up with the times by meeting the needs of upscale retirees moving from the Northeast, local residents seeking social and healthy lifestyle amenities, and hotel guests who want a fresh experience, Zelering said.

“We want to create a fantastic experience for members and guests,” Zelering said, “where they can bond with family and friends, and feel healthy doing it.”

While PGA National does not have the beach as an amenity for hotel guests, it does have five golf courses, numerous tennis courts plus a pool. The kids’ club also will appeal to young families, just as The Breakers’ children’s programs have made it easier for families to vacation at the Palm Beach resort.

Brookfield has been quiet about its plans for the resort until now. But with the Honda Classic this month, the resort decided to share details of the renovations in time for guests’ arrival to the tournament.

Brookfield is an experienced resort operator. It owns a number of high-profile properties, including The Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood. Brookfield just spent $100 million on a complete renovation of The Diplomat.

The goal of the PGA National renovation is to position the property for the growing and upscale population moving into the county.

Many of these residents place a heavy emphasis on fitness. “At its core, this is a health and wellness center, featuring golf and tennis and outdoor activities,” Zelering said.

Even the resort’s spa will undergo a renovation. Zelering said tennis great Venus Williams’ V Starr will handle the design. Meanwhile, the spa menu will become vegan.

As part of the redo, Zelering said Brookfield will seek to address the needs of both club members and guests staying at the resort’s hotel.

Although the golf and country club sits in a residential community, membership in the club is not mandatory, as it is in some residential communities.

In the past, some PGA National club members have complained that groups staying at the resort for conventions or meetings have dominated golf tee times or otherwise interfered with the exclusive feel of their country club experience.

But having a thriving convention and hotel business is the way to keep the facility profitable and the club amenities running for members, Zelering said.

“This is a balancing act,” he added.

Many country club communities in Palm Beach County have struggled to maintain their club and golf courses due to declining membership and an aging population that does not want to play golf, or just does not want to pay hefty dues or initiation fees to maintain a club.

Zelering said Brookfield is mindful of the needs of the club’s 2,300 members, which is why the company plans to build a hotel gym just for guests so members no longer have to share the facility with visitors.

A lecture series and continuing education classes for members also are planned. In addition, club members will receive a 20 percent discount to the restaurants when they are redone, plus priority seating.

If all goes as expected, the renovations will be completed in time for the 2022 Honda Classic.

Delays could occur if there are permitting issues with the city of Palm Beach Gardens, Zelering said. In addition, he said, there could be problems obtaining furniture and fixtures due to the coronavirus, which is expected to disrupt supplies of a variety of goods coming from China.

As Brookfield maps a new future for the resort, the residential community remains a popular choice for home buyers, real estate agents said.

“It’s an easier lifestyle, not as much ‘keeping up with the Joneses,’ and there are all different price points, from condos to townhouses to estate homes,” said Jeff Lichtenstein, owner of Echo Fine Properties in Palm Beach Gardens.

As a result, there is a lot of trading up and trading down by buyers who stay in the community but switch between condos and single-family homes, he said. Single-family homes range in price from about $350,000 to $1.5 million depending on the location and size of the home, he said.

PGA National has 104 homes listed for sale at the moment, according to Sween Gardner, of Nicklaus Vance Realty Group in North Palm Beach. The community logged 365 home sales last year, up from 343 the previous year, she said.

Gardner said PGA National is appealing to buyers who want to live in a golf club community but do not want to have to buy a club membership. She said she sees buyers not only from the Northeast or Midwest but also from Miami-Dade and Broward counties who are moving up the coast.