The result? A surge in demand for club memberships, renewed interest in golf, and a growing anticipation for the opening of two signature restaurants.

Newly renovated lobby of the PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens

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They include the Butcher’s Club by Top Chef Jeremy Ford, a high-end steakhouse set to open by year-end; and Honeybelle, a Florida-inspired indoor/outdoor restaurant by acclaimed chef Lindsay Autry, set to open mid-January. Both restaurants will be open to the public.

Among the other improvements made to the resort:

• The creation of a nine-hole executive golf course, dubbed the Staple, plus a newly-fashioned fast, competitive course called The Match.
• The transformation of the resort’s signature spa, including the addition of new services such as salt rooms, couples’ massage rooms; a social area for guests; and a spa food menu. The spa is set to open by the end of February.
• The creation of the Lobby Bar, a chic, upscale bar featuring live music, opening by year-end.

Lobby Bar at PGA National Resort & Spa

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Upgrades will be done in time for Honda Classic tournament in February

Built in 1981 by developer E. Llwyd Ecclestone Jr., the 2,000-acre property features a 339-room hotel, 42,000 square feet of meeting space, and a spa. Some 5,000 homes also are on the property. In addition to the executive course and the Match course, the resort also features four 18-hole golf courses.

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The timing for the resort’s renovation was serendipitous, said Shai Zelering, managing director, real estate, for Brookfield Asset Management’s U.S. hospitality properties, which owns the resort.

“The pandemic retained people to spend more time outside, out of enclosed spaces,” Zelering said.

Although PGA National doesn’t have a beach, it does have plenty of room for outdoor activities, and it is these activities that lit up with the pandemic. That trend, plus the migration to Palm Beach County, prompted Brookfield to make grander upgrades than first imagined.

Sugarplume chocolate shop at PGA National Resort & Spa

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The budget to redo the spa doubled as Brookfield noticed renewed interest in health and wellness. Columns were moved to create new spaces, including an area for spa guests to socialize and linger all day before and after treatments.

Pandemic has made PGA National a gathering spot for golf fans, families

When the renovation first was envisioned in February 2020, Zelering said the goal was to create a hotel that could “do what The Breakers is doing, but do it west of Interstate 95,” Zelering said.

But since the pandemic, PGA National has become something of a gathering spot, especially for individuals and families doing outdoor activities, said Patrick Brophy, PGA National managing director.

This winter season and the next year looks strong. Not only are guests booking hotel rooms, which range from $300 to $800 during tourist season, PGA National also is seeing a return of group meetings, such as board meetings and trade associations, filling up the resort’s meeting space through the first half of 2022, Brophy said.

Even Butcher’s Club, which isn’t even open yet, already is fully reserved during the Honda Classic, Brophy added.

Families traveling to Palm Beach County to visit other family or friends will find a new kid’s club, dubbed Banyan Buddies, opening in late January.

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Honda Classic 2021: Aaron Wise, Sam Ryder try to catch Matt Jones

The Honda Classic title was on the line Sunday during the final round of the 2021 tournament

Hotel rooms redecorated in pastel colors to evoke 1960s Palm Beach

Additional improvements made at PGA National include a redo of the meeting rooms, and a renovation of the resort’s 339 hotel rooms, including the bathrooms. Brophy said the rooms have been decorated in pastel colors to evoke a 1960s Palm Beach feel.

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

More upgrades are planned if they pass muster with the city of Palm Beach Gardens.

Although a plan to build a 39-foot tall water slide was shelved after community outcry, Brookfield still hopes to add six pickleball courts and a lazy river. Updates to the member’s clubhouse also are planned.

As Brookfield maps a new future for the resort, the residential community remains a popular choice for home buyers, real estate agents said. 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 February 2020, PGA National had 104 homes listed for sale, according to Sween Gardner, of Nicklaus Vance Realty Group in North Palm Beach. Last week, PGA National had 13 homes for sale, said Jeff Lichtenstein, owner of Echo Fine Properties in Palm Beach Gardens.

Demand for homes “is insane,” Lichtenstein said.