57 The par-four thirteenth, ‘Stairway to Heaven’, rises to the highest point on the site Amidst all the new private clubs emerging in south Florida, there are several aspects that combine to make Apogee Club unique: an absence of real estate, extensive practice facilities, a template short layout and, leading the list, a choice of three eighteen-hole courses. The first of those, Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner’s West course, was completed in 2023. Its strength is subtlety (several spectacularly bold greens aside), occupying gently contoured ground with only a few feet of elevation change. Most holes weave among a woodland of oaks, pines and palms; in places it feels quite tropical. Apogee’s second course, the South, could not be more different. If you were dropped in to play, you could be forgiven for believing you were in another country. But all that separates it from the West is a two-lane highway. A new bridge is in construction to give members a seamless ride from one side of the highway to the other. The highway does not seem particularly busy, and is easy to cross safely, but the bridge is an indication of the level of investment the club is willing to make to deliver the five-star experience that its target membership market is accustomed to. On the West course side of the highway, there is also a seven-hole short course with greens based on classic template designs, including a lion’s mouth and redan. A clubhouse is in construction, plus several dozen villas that will be available for members who want to stay at the club. Head over the bridge to the new South course and you will pass the Performance Center, which has an enormous circular driving range with teeing areas around the perimeter to allow shots to be practiced in multiple wind directions, as well as a short game area. A second clubhouse will serve the South and North courses, the latter a Kyle Phillips design that is expected to be complete by the end of 2025. The South course is the design debut for the partnership of former USGA director Mike Davis and Tom Fazio II. At first glance they may seem an unlikely couple: the meticulous administrator who has been responsible for the tournament set-up of many of golf’s hallowed grounds, and the rock-and-roll (more of that later) earthmover with decades of experience managing major construction projects. Photo: Toby Ingleton
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