PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Every year since 2007, when the PGA Tour began playing its annual south Florida stop at PGA National Resort, the hotel lobby is a beehive of activity. In more than a dozen years of coming here to cover the tournament (now known as the Cognizant Classic at the Palm Beaches), it’s a place to meet, have a drink or two, and once the final putt is dropped each day it turns into party central, the place to be and be seen. There’s a DeeJay and dancing, and it becomes quite the scene for a very middle-aged golf-tournament-attending crowd. Simply put, the people-watching is outstanding and the entertainment value almost rivals that of the golf on display. Almost.
The lobby at PGA National Resort is party central during the Cognizant Classic. (Courtesy PGA National)
That has been my most lasting impression of PGA National Resort – along with the incredible spread at media dining – but I enjoyed a totally different experience when I visited in late December with my wife and 2-year-old daughter. The lobby bar? It had a totally different vibe. Where were the party people? At the pool. That was the place to be, especially on a warm winter day. I know my daughter couldn’t get enough of it. Here’s everything you need to know about the resort, which just completed a comprehensive $100 million renovation that took advantage of the COVID shutdown.
