Some environments in this sport are specifically designed for privacy.
If you can afford it, or you are good enough at playing golf, you’ll be allowed behind the gates to these secret lairs.
They are like tinted windowed vehicles. The ones inside can see out, but you can’t see in. Top players like to use quiet and remote surroundings to focus on their games and perform perfect practice.
There are no autograph hunters, no distractions, just an empty golf course and no one on the driving range, while you can hone your skills and beat balls for hours on end.
In both the UK and America, tour stars base themselves at golf clubs of this nature, but where are they, and which golfers frequent them?
The Bear’s Club: Jupiter, Florida
18-time major-winning legend Jack Nicklaus founded the Bear’s Club in 1999 in Jupiter, where many of the world’s best golfers and biggest stars live. Membership is allegedly capped at about 100 members, with the annual fees said to start at $25,000.
The golf course itself weaves through pine ridges, wetland and cypress trees, and the membership list is supposed to include names such as Tiger Woods, Gary Player, Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Matt Fitzpatrick, Cameron Young, Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler, and Patrick Cantlay.
They can all relax and practise with the balls they would use in a tournament, and it all ties into the general vibe of Jupiter. The average house price in this area is $12 million, although the very best golfers nowadays would have no issue affording that.
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Medalist Golf Club: Hobe Sound, Florida
Similar to the Bear’s Club, Medalist can boast a membership list that features Tiger, DJ, Rory and Brooks Koepka. Players are said to like this venue as the golf course is actually quite demanding off the tee. The holes go through wetlands and scrub vegetation. It was designed by the famous architect Pete Dye and two-time major champion Greg Norman.
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It opened in 1995, and shortly after, it was welcomed into the sport by a Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf match between Norman and his major-winning contemporary Nick Price. This was a great start for the venue, no doubt.
The venue crept into Golf Digest’s top 200 in America this year, and is one of Florida’s most impressive tracks.
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Dye Preserve: Jupiter, Florida
This course was originally called Cypress Links when it opened in 1988. It was renovated by Pete Dye in 2002, and since then, it has attracted the memberships of tour players such as Joaquin Niemann, Charl Schwartzel, Daniel Berger, Corey Conners and both of the Hojgaard twins.
Again, the membership isn’t open to the public, therefore creating a sphere in which these stars can focus. The course gives generous room off the tee and inspires creativity in shot selection. The design is meant to reward well-played shots, but to also forgive mistakes.
‘Perhaps where Mr. Dye’s reputation for exceedingly penal golf courses may have been laid to rest’, so it says on the website. It is another happy flag-hunting ground in Jupiter.
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The Wisley: Surrey, England
The Wisley in Surrey, less than an hour from central London, is another exclusive, member-driven golf club which has a high level of practice facilities. Among others, one player who is said to have practised regularly at the Wisley is former Open Champion and European Ryder Cup star Francesco Molinari.
This club is in an area of golfing majesty in England. St. George’s Hill, Woking, Walton Heath, West Hill, Sunningdale and Wentworth are all within a 30-minute drive, so it is no wonder that professionals from the DP World Tour like to frequent this part of the world.
There are state-of-the-art facilities, and the club is fully owned by the 700 members who play there. There are also three loops of nine at this property, created by Robert Trent Jr., which certainly doesn’t hurt the variety of practice that a player can do.
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Wentworth: Surrey, England
Ross Fisher and Matt Wallace are two top players from the DP World Tour who are closely linked with Wentworth, which is also embedded in the golfing fabric of Surrey. Four-time major-winning legend Ernie Els used to live at Wentworth and was named the club’s touring pro in 2005.
He has overseen two significant redesigns of the course which hosts the BMW PGA Championship. It is one of the most iconic venues in the UK, away from The Open rota, and has hosted tournaments for many decades. The likes of Seve Ballesteros, Jose Maria Olazabal, Bernhard Langer, Sir Nick Faldo and Colin Montgomerie have all won events there, and have close associations with it.
It is where the DP World Tour HQ is, which is already a good starting point for players to base themselves. Again, Wentworth demands a high-income membership, given the extortionate fees required to join, and the facilities are outstanding. The BMW PGA Championship is played on the West course, but there are also the East and the Edinburgh courses.
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Have you ever visited any of these exclusive golf clubs for professional golfers? How much would you like to play at these exclusive golf clubs for professional golfers? Tell us on X!
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