PGA National Resort’s rebirth is ready for closeup at Cognizant Classic

Located just west of I-95 and 60 minutes north of Miami (and a 10-minute drive from the Palm Beach International Airport), PGA National opened in 1981 and features 99 holes of golf. It is best known for the Champion Course, originally designed by Tom Fazio and host of the 1983 Ryder Cup and the 1987 PGA Championship before being redesigned by Jack Nicklaus in 1990. The Bear Trap, three water-laden holes beginning at No. 15 that demand precision, have gained notoriety over the years as many hopes of winning a PGA Tour title have drowned here. But those aren’t the only water hazards to avoid – they can be found on every hole except two. This is a big-boy course, part of an era where golfers sought the toughest tests and a high slope rating was a huge selling point. But times have changed and most of today’s golfers – especially during vacation – aren’t looking for a beat down day after day. Guests should definitely give it their best shot at the Bear’s Trap and see how they compare to the pros, but what makes PGA National attractive is you don’t have to get your lunch handed to you there day after day.

The seventh green at PGA National’s Fazio Course.

There are options galore, beginning with The Fazio, previously called The Haig and dedicated to five-time PGA Championship winner Walter Hagen and designed by Tom and George Fazio. It opened in 1980 as the resort’s original course. Its latest renovation was led by third-generation designer Tom Fazio II. There’s also The Palmer Course and the Estate Course, located five miles west of the main resort, which may explain why it is something of a hidden gem. Free shuttle service is provided to guests.

With my daughter in tow on my most recent visit, it didn’t make sense to play Champion but we got her out in a cart and played 10 holes at The Match before she let us know that she was ready to do something else.

In 2021, designer Andy Staples took the course formerly known as The Squire and reimagined it into two layouts, using two of the holes to create a nine-hole short course called The Staple, with holes ranging from 60-130 yards and featuring greens with wild undulations and some difficult-to-reach shelves. The day I was out there it was packed with kids of all ages, which was refreshing to see. The rest of the course became The Match, and the idea is for you and your playing partners to engage in some type of match play, be it best ball, foursomes, skins, whatever. The hole’s winner (or loser, you decide) gets to choose the tee location for the next hole. There is no par, just minimum and maximum yardages marked by dock pilings at the start of each hole. Players are invited to start play anywhere between the pilings, introducing a strategic element to the competition you won’t find elsewhere. For instance, at the par-3 third, my friend who bravely joined us, chose a distance that my laser said was 106 yards. Little did he know that he picked a number that was in between clubs for me and I proceeded to bounce over the green into a precarious lie after choosing gap wedge. I’m not going to lie, I didn’t mind have 8-iron in for my second shot at a hole presumably long enough to be a three-shot par 5. And given we knew we had the ticking time bomb of a toddler who could lose her mind at any point, we were glad to see some golfers ahead of us following the course rules that players who are “out of the hole” are expected to pick up, meaning you can count on a fast round — they claim 3 hours or less.

The Biarritz green at The Match is one of several template greens that make for a challenge with the short stick. (Courtesy PGA National)

The greens are the defense at The Match. Here you’ll get to experience a modern twist on the “Template” holes that inspired golden-age golf architecture’s foremost names including Seth Raynor, C.B. MacDonald and Donald Ross. Among them are a lion’s mouth green at the third, a punchbowl at the ninth and we couldn’t resist taking a swing at the 18^th, a Biarritz par 3 over water, ranging from 122 yards to 198.

The Match’s turf grass is cut to fairway height across the entire playing area to place an emphasis on the ground game. Creative approaches and strategic chipping areas present multiple options for trajectory and strategy around the green. Hazards are minimal, with fewer than 20 natural rough-hewn, irregular-edged bunkers in play to keep things fun.

I see The Match being a popular alternative to Champion Course, a fun breather mid-trip or a second 18 while The Staple is a great emergency nine or place to squeeze in a few more holes before darkness. PGA Resort needed something like these courses that don’t take themselves as seriously – the Match’s slogan is “because nobody cares what you shot!” – and it wouldn’t surprise me if they become must-play tee times for any buddies trip.