Bal Harbour

C O U R T E S Y O F AT L A N T I C F I E L D S G O L F C LU B ; P H OTO BY B I L L H O R N S T E I N know they're playing as pure a Tom Fazio– designed course as they're likely to find anywhere in the world. When Jack Nicklaus teamed up with two-time major winner Justin Thomas to create Panther National's championship layout, they decided to go big. Digging lakes 40 feet deep and piling the resulting spoils up to 50 feet high, the duo created a landscape that towers over the area's naturally flat, low-lying terrain. "People would drive up and say, Boy, how did you find this piece of property in South Florida? Nicklaus recalls. "We created it. But because we didn't have any environmental restrictions, everything ties together." Opened in late 2023, and stretching beyond 7,800 yards, the course has garnered the nickname The Big Cat, and it can offer a test of major championship proportions for the handful of PGA Tour players who are members—a fraternity that includes Thomas, Viktor Hovland, and Xander Schauffele, among others. "From the start, the vision was clear—to create a golf experience unlike any other found in South Florida," Nicklaus says. "Every opportunity to design a golf course brings challenges, but in the case of Panther National, uniqueness triumphs…With 40-foot dunes and all these big blowouts, I mean, it's wild!" Even more recently, Nicklaus and his team were in West Palm Beach, putting the finishing touches on a comprehensive renovation (and slight redesign) of the 7,287-yard course that they originally built in 2017, which serves as the primary amenity at Dutchman's Pipe. Thanks to a handful of condominium towers that rise above the site's banyan trees, golfers will be reminded of the urban world that surrounds them. And yet the course feels like an oasis. Equally profound: Several of its holes trundle up, down, and across hillsides, inspiring creative shot-making. Located in Hallandale Beach, about eight miles north of Bal Harbour, the Shell Bay Club is golfing proof that good things come in small packages. Laid out across a parcel of land only 150 acres in size, the exclusive club is packed with luxuriously appointed amenities; cutting-edge technology for workouts and recovery; a performance center outfitted with the most advanced swing-analysis equipment; and a 7,200-yard championship-caliber golf course that feels much bigger than its geographical footprint would suggest. Conceived by Greg Norman, who was given both carte blanche and an unlimited budget to create the most exceptional golf course that the site could hold, Shell Bay's course is brilliantly routed, with massive double greens and strategically positioned bunker complexes that add challenge and complexity to numerous holes in a space-efficient manner. Described by Norman as one of the "most pure golf experiences" that he's ever built, Shell Bay has emerged as a place where he says you can "totally immerse yourself in the game." The course may punch well above its weight, but as the club's Director of Golf David A. Armitage explains, golf is only the foundation. "The caliber of the golf experience is what brings many members in initially," he says, "but it's the entire ecosystem that keeps them engaged and deeply connected. Shell Bay makes an immediate emotional impression, not just as a club, but as a lifestyle sanctuary. It's about belonging to something exceptional." Shell Bay Club in Hallandale Beach Designed by Tom Fazio, Atlantic Fields comprises 1,500 acres of captivating play. "Course designers nowadays look at doing very minimal changes to the site," explains Ryan J. Carroll, the club's director of golf. "But I think when they built the golf course the first time, the Nicklaus group decided to do some pretty significant ground moving to create some of that drama." DIFFERENT BY DESIGN The golf courses might take center stage at each of these new clubs, but their appeal—and their distinctions—go far beyond the fairways. Staying true to the Discovery Land Company's modus operandi, Atlantic Fields is unlike any other private golf club in the region. Structured around a model whereby membership is only available to those who invest in the club's residential real estate, of which there are 317 home sites, the club is designed to be multigenerational, and offers a slew of non-golfing amenities, including an equestrian center, organic farm, racquet club, adventure center, and more. "We're looking for a destination that will strike the perfect 'Discovery' balance of ambiance, accessibility, and the opportunity to integrate built environments into natural landscapes," Discovery Land Company's Founder and Chairman Mike Meldman explains. "What initially drew me to Hobe Sound was its charming small-town ambiance, unique blend of nature and culture, and endless recreational opportunities on land and in the ocean." When all is said and done, Panther National will boast a racquet center, a golf performance training center, and a lifestyle club and wellness center, all of which, in the words of the club's Founder and President Dominik Senn, "will bring an unprecedented level of elegance to the game in an area where private golf options have been underserved for years." Shell Game BALHAR B O U RSH O P S .CO M

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