WIDE OPEN SPACES Golf Is Thriving At Local Clubs

If you’re looking for a great game of golf, look no further than Wellington. Members and their guests need only climb into a cart to discover that our area is a great place to play a round of golf, offering beautiful courses, wide open spaces and a touch of the equestrian lifestyle. If you’re looking for a place to enjoy 18 holes, be sure to check out the fantastic area facilities, such as the Wanderers Club, Wellington National Golf Club and the Wycliffe Golf & Country Club.

 

The Wanderers Club

A championship golf course with excellent conditions is the challenging, yet enjoyable course at the Wanderers Club. Offering an elite golf experience with relaxed professional service, no required tee times and extremely limited membership, a game at the Wanderers Club is a pleasurable experience — and with five sets of tees, it’s pleasurable for every skill level.

“Member service is the best possible. That is what separates us and is unique in the area,” said General Manager and Director of Golf Justin Thompson, a PGA member. “Playing here is an opportunity to relax and enjoy the day on an uncrowded course that is a U.S. Open qualifier.”

Thompson was the club’s first director of golf and has been there more than 10 years, designing the entire golf program to offer members a top-flight experience.

“It is the best possible golf experience in a quiet atmosphere, well away from the hustle and bustle. Members can arrive when they want and play as quickly or leisurely as they desire,” Thompson explained. “We have a fully stocked pro shop with logo products, and our director of instruction is PGA Hall of Fame member Michael Hebron.”

Thompson added that the Wanderers Club offers innovative instruction from a full complement of certified PGA professionals with many years of experience, backed by state-of-the-art swing analysis and expert club fitting. “The full-service country club has recently undergone multimillion-dollar renovations, including brand-new golf carts — although players can walk if they choose — and new bunkers on the course, lighted tennis courts with a Har-Tru clay surface that is maintained twice a day, an upgraded pool area and a new 4,000-square-foot fitness center with great equipment like Peloton cycles,” Thompson said. “And we have recruited an amazing group of well-qualified professional instructors to teach fitness classes.”

There is space available for private dinners to a complete ballroom where award-winning Executive Chef Tam Ha serves up some of the best food in Wellington.

“This is a great benefit to members, as no reservations are required, and they can get an excellent meal,” Thompson said.

The Wanderers Club is a family-centric facility with an on-site child care center featuring two areas, one for movies and one for games with a playroom. It provides year-round activities ranging from cooking classes to summer camp to golf tournaments.

Thompson feels that the family dynamic of the club is augmented by the staff offering personalized service. “We take a lot of pride in that the friendly staff makes members feel welcome,” he said.

The Wanderers Club is located at 1900 Aero Club Drive in Wellington. For more information, call (561) 795-3501 or visit www.wanderersclubwellington.com.

 

Wellington National Golf Club

A club with a definite equestrian feel to it is the Wellington National Golf Club, located on Binks Forest Drive. “You’ll definitely see some horses in the neighborhood,” said David Alpeter, one of the golf pros at the club, along with PGA Hall of Fame member Bob Toski.

“The challenging Wellington National Golf Club course was recently rebranded and renamed when it was purchased in March 2016,” General Manager and Director of Golf Ted Strelec explained. “The private course, designed by legendary Golf Hall of Fame member Johnny Miller, is very challenging, offering tree-lined fairways, good undulating greens, seven sets of tee variations for all skill levels, and an emphasis on accuracy and testing your short game. It provides a no-tee-times feature and limited membership, so the course is always ready to play, as quickly or as slowly as one would like.”

Strelec has been a PGA-certified pro since 2007 and has been the director of golf at Wellington National since October 2017. Before that he was at Bear Lakes Country Club for 27 years. He brought in Alpeter as an instructor to improve and expand the junior and ladies programs. “These are two demographics we are now serving much better,” he said. “We just hosted the South Florida Junior Team Championship with 88 players.”

Strelec noted that it was a wonderful event, and it was great to see so many young players compete.

Alpeter has been a PGA member since 1991 and grew up in the business as a builder of golf clubs, later teaching other PGA pros how to build and repair clubs. He spent eight seasons splitting his time between the Fountains Country Club in West Palm Beach and as a head golf pro in Fargo, N.D.

“Wellington National is a fantastic facility with a very demanding, beautiful course that will test your game. It changes daily with the wind conditions,” Alpeter said. “Every hole is different, and it has extremely fast greens.”

The club is currently focused on establishing a bigger program for all skill levels. “This includes ladies, juniors or teen programs, couples and playing lessons,” Alpeter said. “We are also upgrading the driving range and providing a good practice environment.”

Strelec stressed that Wellington National is a place for the entire family. “The family-friendly amenities also offer two food and beverage options, a casual bistro that is like an upscale sports bar, as well as a wine bar,” he said.

Strelec added that dining ranges from an outdoor space, intimate indoor choices and an available ballroom. The club also features a newly renovated, resort-style pool and piazza, plus a new state-of-the-art fitness center.–

“The award-winning service provided by the staff is family-oriented and very accommodating,” he said. “The atmosphere is casual, fun and friendly, with a relaxed environment. People looking to go to a golf course want to get away.”

Alpeter added that Wellington National is just the place if you’re looking to get away from it all for a while. “Wellington National Golf Club feels like you’re in the country,” he said.

The Wellington National Golf Club is located at 400 Binks Forest Drive in Wellington. For more info., call (561) 333-5731 or visit www.wellingtonnationalgolfclub.com.

 

Wycliffe Golf & Country Club

Not one, but two premier, championship courses that cater to golfers at all skill levels, along with complete resort amenities, are available to members at the Wycliffe Golf & Country Club.

Embarking on a complete $18 million renovation next year under the direction of General Manager Rob Martin, this club features an active membership and a wide array of social activities.

“The East course, designed by Karl Litten, is challenging yet forgiving and has hosted an LPGA Tour event in the past,” said Director of Golf Paul Rifenberg, a PGA member who has been with the club for 18 years. “The second course is more challenging and was designed by John Sanford. It is target-driven with tight, undulating greens.”

World-renowned instructors Chris Ardolina and Christi Dorece are available for private and group lessons, clinics, tips and instruction to improve one’s game, as is a full practice facility with a range and a new short game area.

“There are full 18 and nine-hole leagues and all kinds of competition for mixed and single-gender match-ups, including member-guest tournaments,” Rifenberg said.

Complete golf club and cart sales, service and repair are on-site, and members receive pricing benefits in the fully stocked pro shop.

“Numerous social activities are always going on, and anything you can imagine is available from bocce to golf to tennis,” he said. “The membership is very social and really cares about each other.”

The extensive renovation includes the complete clubhouse, the locker rooms, the spa and fitness center, pool, and the food and beverage features. Most of the amenities will remain operational during the makeover. Plus, new Executive Chef Christopher Park will continue to serve excellent, tasty sensations.

The Wycliffe Golf & Country Club is located at 4650 Wycliffe Country Club Blvd., off Lake Worth Road just west of State Road 7. For more information, call (561) 964-9200 or visit www.wycliffecc.com.