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Sean Dudley
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Palmer Course at PGA National reopens following renovation work

The Palmer Course at the PGA National Resort & Spa in West Palm Beach, Florida, has reopened following renovation work.

The project was led by Arnold Palmer Design Company – the firm behind the original design.

All 62 bunkers have been worked on and reshaped. This will help improve sight lines from the tees and on approach shots to the greens.

The fairways on all 18 holes have been regrassed with Celebration bermudagrass, while multiple tee boxes were added on all holes to enhance the playability of the course for players of different abilities.

The greens have also been rebuilt and regrassed, with the project team particularly focusing on the contouring and aiming to stay true to Palmer’s original design intentions. More than half an acre has ultimately been added to the collective putting areas across the course.

“The overall goal was to build upon core principals of the original design while taking advantage of the opportunity to make key agronomic, strategic and aesthetic improvements to the course,” said Brandon Johnson, vice president and senior golf course architect of the Arnold Palmer Design Company. “The changes will meet the demands of the modern game and subtly reflect how our company’s design philosophy has evolved since originally opening the course in 1984.”

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  • Lovely Golf Course

    Arnold Palmer’s firm were behind the original design of the course, which opened in 1984

  • Lovely Golf Course

    Each bunker on the course, including these on the eighteenth hole, has been reworked as part of the project

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