Travelers looking for a little competition to go with sandy beaches, sunshine and temperatures in the mid-70s this winter will find it all in The Palm Beaches. Watch, play or cheer a variety of sports from baseball to golf, drag racing to dressage in this collection of 39 cities and towns stretching from Boca Raton to Jupiter and Tequesta, with 47 miles of pristine Atlantic Ocean beaches. The area’s 2018 sporting schedule includes spring training for four Major League Baseball teams, international polo matches and the Winter Equestrian Festival, a post-season collegiate bowl game, two stops on the PGA Tour, and the world's only combined ATP World Tour/ATP Champions Tour tennis event.
Known as Florida’s Golf Capital®, The Palm Beaches is home to more than 160 public and private golf courses. Tennis aficionados have a multitude of private and public courts to enjoy. Travelers will also find some of the United States’ premier golf and tennis resorts here.
Upcoming sporting events this winter include:
Baseball
Spring Training
In February 2017, The Ballpark of The Palm Beaches opened its doors as the spring training stadium for the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals. These MLB teams join the St. Louis Cardinals and the Miami Marlins, who train at Roger Dean Stadium. Spring training games begin Feb. 23, 2018.
Croquet
The National Croquet Center
The world’s largest dedicated croquet facility, The National Croquet Center has 19 full-sized lawns. First-time players can take up to two free “golf croquet” lessons offered every Saturday morning. With a Florida Keys-style clubhouse featuring 19,000 square feet of space, the center also makes for a unique special or corporate events venue.
Equestrian Experiences
International Polo Tournaments
Top polo players compete in high- and medium-goal matches at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington, dubbed the “Winter Equestrian Capital of the World.” The weekly Sunday afternoon event begins on Dec. 31, 2017, and concludes on April 22nd, 2018, with the USPA 114th U.S. Open Polo Championship® final. Polo matches are open to the public, with a wide range of guest seating ranging from elegant grandstand viewing to exclusive sponsor boxes.Winter Equestrian Festival
From January through April, the Winter Equestrian Festival celebrates the partnership of horse and rider during the thrills and grace of show jumping and the elegance of classic dressage.International Gay Polo Tournament
Set at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington April 5-8, 2018, the International Gay Polo Tournament represents a wide range of ages, backgrounds and skill levels.
Football
Boca Raton Bowl
The Boca Raton Bowl, one of 14 postseason bowl games owned and operated by ESPN events, will feature Conference USA vs. American Athletic Conference on Dec. 19.
Golf
Based in The Palm Beaches, the Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA) hosts two of the world’s most highly anticipated tournaments — The Boca Raton Regional Hospital Championship in February and the Honda Classic in March, both sanctioned by the PGA Tour. Golfers will also enjoy public courses designed by the sport’s biggest names, as well as some of the country’s premier golf resorts.
Tournaments
o Boca Raton Regional Hospital Championship
The annual Allianz Championship features a roster of golf legends at The Old Course at Broken Sound Club in Boca Raton, with opportunities for “up close and personal” interaction with pros.
o The Honda Classic
The annual Honda Classic, played at PGA National Resort & Spa, not only brings top PGA Tour players to The Palm Beaches, but also supports South Florida charities through the Children's Healthcare Charity, Inc.Public Courses
The Palm Beaches’ four dozen public courses offer world-class golfing and give golfers on a budget the opportunity to play courses designed by the sport’s best-known architects. A sampling includes:
o Abacoa Golf Club
Designed by Joe Lee, this 18-hole course in Jupiter is surrounded by serene lakes and tropical plant life.
o Delray Beach Golf Club
First opened in 1926 as a nine-hole facility, this eight-hole, Donald Ross-designed course offers long and short par fours that will intrigue golfers of all skill levels.
o The Links at Boynton Beach
This 18-hole, 71-par championship course includes an additional executive-length nine-hole family course.
o North Palm Beach Country Club
Designed Jack Nicklaus, this par-71 links-style course is one of only two Nicklaus Signature Municipal courses in the United States.
o Okeeheelee Golf Course
Tee off on 27 holes of championship golf that equates to three nine-hole courses that may be played in three 18-hole combinations in this facility with beautiful vistas of Clear Lake.
o Osprey Point Golf Course
Audubon International has certified this 27-hole course in Boca Raton as a Classic Signature Golf Course in recognition of its environmental practices, including the use of green-friendly Seashore Paspalum grass.
o Palm Beach Gardens Municipal Golf Course
Carved out of the Loxahatchee Nature Preserve, this par-72 course is one of the only courses in Florida that wind through natural and wetlands areas, such as Southern pines, palm trees, and marshland.
o Par 3
Designed by Dick Watson and his apprentice Joe Lee in 1961, this oceanside course was twice named by Golf Digest as the best par-3 course in the United States.
o Red Reef Golf Course
With fairways located between the Atlantic Ocean and Intracoastal Waterway, the course’s nine holes all boast water views and range from 54 to 227 yards in length.Resorts
The Palm Beaches have a long history of golfing vacations, beginning with Florida’s first course at The Breakers Palm Beach, the Ocean Golf Course, laid out in 1896 by Alexander H. Findley. Today, the destination is home to some of the United States’ premier resorts. These include:
o The Breakers® Palm Beach
The Breakers Palm Beach boasts two championship courses, its historic onsite par-70 Ocean Course and The Breakers Rees Jones® Course 10 miles off property, which reflects the new-classic style of golf course architect Rees Jones.
o The Boca Raton Resort & Club
Golf at Boca Raton Resort & Club dates to the 1920s when PGA professionals Sam Snead and Tommy Amour held positions on staff. Today, the resort offers two 18-hole championship courses, the renovated Resort Course and the par-72 Country Club Course boasting a signature 18th-hole island green.
o PGA National Resort & Spa
After a nearly $100 million revitalization, this property blends an atmosphere of contemporary luxury with Florida hospitality. Home to the PGA Tour’s Honda Classic and five award-winning courses, the resort also features 369 guest rooms, nine onsite restaurants and lounges and eight pools.
o The Seagate Hotel & Beach Club
This boutique hotel, spa and beach club provides its guests membership privileges and complimentary transportation to the nearby Seagate Country Club, designed by Joe Lee.
Racing
SuperCar Week
Always the second week of January, SuperCar Week is nine days of auto enthusiast events held in various locations throughout The Palm Beaches. In 2018, the event will kick off Jan. 6 with Lamborghini Palm Beach Cars & Coffee and an evening VIP cocktail event, and conclude Jan. 14 with the Sunday SuperCar SuperShow — the grand finale is free and open to the public.Palm Beach International Raceway
Located in Jupiter, the Palm Beach International Raceway (PBIR) features an International Hot Rod Association-sanctioned quarter-mile drag strip, a go-kart track, and a 2.034-mile, ten-turn road-racing course. The venue hosts various national, regional and local events. Highlights include the Crunch Time Outlaw Grudge Fest (Nov. 18, 2017) and the 36th Annual Citrus Nationals (Nov. 24-26, 2017).
Tennis
Tournaments
o Delray Beach Open
The Delray Beach Open, the world's only combined ATP World Tour/ATP Champions Tour tennis event, includes the ATP Champions Cup, featuring legends of the past competing as Team USA vs. Team International, followed by ATP World Tour action. The 2018 event takes place Feb. 16-25.Resorts
o PGA National Sports & Racquet Club
PGA Resort’s 33,000-square-foot Sports and Racquet Club facility recently underwent a $4 million facelift. Upgrades include an indoor racquetball court, indoor volleyball court, two lighted pickle/paddle ball courts, 18 Har-Tru tennis courts (11 lighted for night play) and one lighted hard court with a hitting wall.
o Boca Raton Resort & Club
Named No. 5 of “The 50 Greatest Tennis Resorts in the United States” by Tennis Magazine, Boca Raton Resort & Club offers a state-of-the-art Tennis and Health Club, resurfaced clay-based courts including 12 Har-Tru courts and 18 hydro-grid courts, tennis lessons, camps and events.
About Discover The Palm Beaches: Discover The Palm Beaches, formerly the Palm Beach County Convention and Visitors Bureau, is the official tourism marketing corporation that promotes the collection of 39 cities and towns and 15 tourism districts spanning more than 2,200 square miles and 47 miles of pristine beaches from Boca Raton to Jupiter and Tequesta, commonly referred to as “The Palm Beaches.” Tourism is among Palm Beach County’s major industries, generating $4.6 billion in direct visitor spending and supporting more than 66,000 jobs with an economic impact of approximately $7 billion. Once recognized as a tropical escape for elite travelers in the late 1800s, America’s First Resort Destination® is making its resurgence as The Best Way To Experience Florida®, welcoming a record-breaking 7.35 million people in 2016. The Palm Beaches are home to nearly 17,000 hotel rooms, ranging from historic resorts to boutique inns. The destination features more than 100 family-friendly attractions, world-class luxury and antique shopping experiences, 125 miles of peaceful waterways for on- or in-the-water activities, more than 150 artificial reefs that line the Atlantic Ocean’s Gulf Stream current, 160 golf courses, award-winning restaurants, and a thriving entertainment scene boasting more than 200 art and culture organizations. Situated along I-95, The Palm Beaches are also home to Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), with more than 200 daily direct flights to 27 domestic and international destinations in the United States and Canada. The Palm Beaches are also conveniently located next to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood and Miami International airports, each only an hour away. In addition, with the new Brightline train debuting soon, transportation in and around The Palm Beaches will be even faster and more convenient. For more information about The Palm Beaches, visit www.ThePalmBeaches.com and connect on social media via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @PalmBeachesFL, YouTube at Discover The Palm Beaches and the hashtag #ThePalmBeaches.
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