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or many of us, by the time we can

dedicate a good portion of our days

to golf, our agility and power are

nowhere near where they were in

our prime. Like Ponce de León, we

would gladly search the far ends of the globe to recap-

ture our youthful swing and ensure years of enjoyable

rounds with our playing partners.

They just may have discovered that secret at The

Polo Club of Boca Raton.

Over the past five years, the Polo Club’s golf pro-

gram has gone in a modern direction. Using their

considerable infrastructure, large staff of golf pros,

and the precepts of TPI (Titleist Performance Insti-

tute), this has become a destination that helps golfers

recapture their youth through training. Today, it’s no

longer enough to have great golf available. The ability

to enjoy that golf by being in great shape is part of

the equation.

One of the ways the Polo Club accomplishes that

and distinguishes itself is through its spa. There, the

club’s fitness trainers work hand in hand with the golf

The Polo Club of Boca RatonWell-established and financially strong, this premier, private golf club is meeting the needs of the next generation of club members without sacrificing its signature lifestyle

ABOVE: Water abounds onthe courses but there arefew forced carries.

BELOW: The new BarefootCafé offers members acasual setting to minglewith friends.F

livingFLORIDA LINKS

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pros to produce maximum results for members.

“I was in the case study with one of Polo Club’s

certified professionals and found it to be absolutely

fantastic,” says member Gerry Zusel. “The key to im-

proving my swing was through strength and flexibility.

TPI helped me reduce my handicap by four strokes.”

The Polo Club, the second largest country club in

the nation in terms of membership (more than

1,700), is definitely not your grandfather’s country

club. While respecting tradition and the luxurious

lifestyle that its members enjoy so much, the club has

embraced forward-looking growth. Amenities, like the

new resort complex with family-friendly, resort-style

pools that opened this past November, are being built

for the next generation. New family dining options

and a clubhouse expansion are also in the club’s cur-

rent master plan. They have accomplished all this

without an assessment. In fact, members here have

never been hit with one.

On the golf course, the club is already promoting

the game to the next generation by taking one of their

courses and integrating it for kids. In the afternoon,

kids (and their parents and grandparents) can play six

holes for $6. The program has been so successful they

have had to extend the concept to both courses.

The golf here, by the way, is excellent. The Equestrian

and the Club are two very good courses. The Equestrian

presents more challenging green complexes, while the

Club is more forgiving, yet both are very playable Tim

ABOVE and RIGHT:The new pool complex

offers a striking, yet romantic, setting where

members can relax. BELOW: Sculpted

bunkers and lakes typify the layouts of

both courses.

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Freeland designs. This being Florida, there is plenty of

water to navigate, but few forced carries.

Despite its name, the Polo Club was originally built

around tennis in 1986. The developer of the new

community hired Chris Evert as touring pro, and the

club hosted the Virginia Slims of Florida for years.

With 28 courts, more than 600 tennis memberships,

and a well-rounded competitive program, they were

voted the number one private tennis club in the world

in 2010 by the Professional Tennis Registry.

Once described as like “a cruise ship on land,”

the club offers a very active social program. In

addition to health and wellness programs, cultural

offerings both on and off the property, and their

popular cabaret series, members are entertained by

some of the biggest acts in the business: the Beach

Boys, Air Supply, and the Pointer Sisters to name

just a few.

Located on 1,100 meticulously manicured acres five

miles from downtown Boca Raton and seven miles

from the beach, the community boasts one of the

most comprehensive and spectacular clubhouses any-

where. (Not to mention, at 145,000 square feet, one of

the biggest.) There are plenty of dining venues for

members and the service, provided by 550 employees

in season, is impeccable.

For such a large community, one of The Polo Club’s

biggest strengths is how close the membership is—

the incredible array of activities and opportunities to

gather help bring everyone together.

That largeness, though, allows the club to offer

something for everyone, from condos for the members

flying in from Europe or Boston to

multi-million dollar custom estate

homes. No matter what size house or in

which of the 24 communities you live,

every home features high ceilings,

garages, and a golf course or lake view.

With so many options, you have the

ability to upsize or downsize your home

without moving to another community.

Yes, this is a terrific lifestyle, but not

inexpensive. You have to live at the club

to be a golf member (real estate runs

from $300,000 condos to $3 million

homes), but if you can take years off

your golf game, there really is no way to

put a price on that.

The Polo Clubof Boca Raton

5400 Champions BoulevardBoca Raton, Fla. 33496

561.995.1200PoloClub.net

CLUBPAR: 72 YARDAGE: 6,671

YEAR FOUNDED: 2002ARCHITECT: Tim Freeland

EQUESTRIANPAR: 72 YARDAGE: 6,766

YEAR FOUNDED: 1985ARCHITECT: Tim Freeland

ABOVE: The tropical, zeroedge resort-style pool

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THE POLO CLUBOF BOCA RATON

5400 Champions BoulevardBoca Raton, Fla. 33496

561.995.1200PoloClub.net

The entrance to the145,000-square-footclubhouse

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