Ballen Isles Country Club, South Course
Ballen Isles Country Club, South Course, is a Private, 18 hole golf course located in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
Few country clubs offer golfers such a historic connection to golf. The championship courses at Ballen Isles were commissioned to serve as the home of the PGA of America and has hosted the World Cup Championship, the PGA Championship, and the PGA Seniors' Championship.
1964 - 1973 PGA National Golf Club
In 1963, John D. MacArthur and the Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) of America contracted with golf course architects Dick Wilson and Joe Lee to design a world-class golf facility. For the next ten years, BallenIsles (then called PGA National Golf Club) hosted major tournament play and was the home of the PGA of America. The Club hosted the PGA Seniors' Championship, the PGA Championship, the World Cup, the first PGA Merchandise Show, and the original qualifying school for the PGA tour players.
1973 - 1988 JDM Country Club
In 1973, with the expiration of the MacArthur/PGA of America agreement, the Club was renamed JDM Country Club, and for the next 15 years it operated as a prestigious local golf and country club and continued to host many celebrities and professional golfers on the three famous golf courses.
1988 - Today Ballen Isles Country Club
In 1988, the 54 holes and surrounding real estate property were sold and renamed BallenIsles Country Club. A multi-million dollar, multi year plan to develop a private country club community was initiated.
BallenIsles Country Club has three eighteen hole courses and all three are similar in design. They have generous fairways, but there is a defined cut of rough, plus water and trees along their borders. The terrain is basically flat with some mounding. The large greens are slightly sloped and many of them have double-tiers. All the greens and tees are somewhat elevated.
The South Course is the members favorite. The South Course first opened for play in 1964. The South Course was designed by Joseph L. Lee and Dick Wilson. Joe Lee added nine holes to the South Course in 1970. The South Course plays to a par-72 and a maximum of 6,400 yards for a course rating of 71.3 and a slope rating of 127.
The East Course is the longest and most difficult course of the three. The East Course was designed by Joseph L. Lee and Dick Wilson. The East golf course opened in 1963. The East Course plays to a par-72 and a maximum of 6,423 yards for a course rating of 71.4 and a slope rating of 130.
The legendary East Course has a rich history: Jack Nicklaus and Julius Boros won championships there, Tom Watson and Bruce Fleischer originally qualified for the PGA tour and Lee Trevino teamed with the "Golden Bear" to help the United States win a World Cup Victory. A $9 million renovation of the East Course was completed in 2008 by Keith Foster.
The North Course first opened for play in 1964. The East Course was designed by Joseph L. Lee and Dick Wilson. Joe Lee added nine holes to the North Course in 1969. The North Course plays to a par-72 and a maximum of 6,364 yards for a course rating of 71.4 and a slope rating of 129.