PGA Golf Club Ryder Course – Better Than Ever
The Ryder Course at the PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida, has always been an honor and a pleasure to play. Now, this Tom Fazio design is in even better shape, believe it or not.
The Ryder Course presents a Carolinas-feel with rolling hills, majestic pines, and several water hazards. The recently completed course update concludes a $10 million investment by the PGA of America to revamp the PGA Village. With several lakes and ponds lining generous fairways turfed with state-of-the-art Celebration grass, reimagined bunkers, and Tif-Green putting surfaces, it’s now even more enjoyable to play for all skill levels. During this renovation process, overseen by superintendent Dick Gray, no detail was overlooked, and every square foot of property on the Ryder course received some type of attention. Now, the already great greens are better; the fine fairways are more clearly defined; the tee boxes are flatter, and the bunkers now have a degree of ‘pop’ when they catch your eye. In a nutshell, any and every element of the course that could be improved has been improved.
At every tee box, the PGA of America, in keeping with the name of this course, has placed signage that provides a historical story about an interesting moment during past Ryder Cup competitions. Not surprisingly, the first story on the first tee provides details on the great U.S. comeback in 1999 when the American squad, captained by ‘Gentle’ Ben Crenshaw, put together an incredible performance to come back from a 10-6 deficit on the third day to win the Ryder Cup that year when it was held at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. Take time at every tee box to read about the highlights and newsworthy moments that have taken place at past Ryder Cups. You will certainly learn a thing or two about the history of this biennial competition between the best golfers from the U.S. and Europe.
The Ryder Course – Named in honor of Samuel Ryder, the namesake and founder of the Ryder Cup
After walking off the 18th green, make a beeline to the clubhouse for a bite at the Taplow Pub. You can’t go wrong with the Taplow Chili, followed by the Taplow Chopped Salad. If you have an early morning tee time, the Taplow Pub is open for breakfast at 6:30 – seven days a week. Why Taplow? This pub is named in honor of the New York City location (Taplow Club) where the meeting was held in 1916, which led to the formation of the PGA of America.
In addition to being focused on golf, it’s clear that The PGA Golf Club and its Ryder Course are also committed to Mother Nature, as the course is a Certified Signature Sanctuary for Audubon International and is the home of a variety of wildlife which includes foxes, turtles, alligators, squirrels, rabbits, herons, osprey, and occasional birdie and eagle! So, suffice it to say birds, bees, and you are welcome at the PGA Golf Club and the Ryder Course.
