BEAR'S CLUB
Jack Nicklaus had long harbored a desire to bring a first-rate golf club to his adopted home of South Florida. He made the dream a reality in 1999 with the creation of The Bear’s Club in Jupiter.
Nicklaus says. “ I live in Florida now, and I always wanted to have a very fine private golf club in my own backyard.”
At The Bear’s Club, a golf community nestled among 369 immaculate pristine, sandy acres a mile from the ocean, Nicklaus expertly transformed the native environment with his exacting standards of design. The result is a gently rolling 7,164-yard layout, through a property rich in native vegetation, old oaks, pines, cypress trees and wetlands areas.
Over 100 bunkers were inspired by the bunkers at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia, which Jack visited in 1998 when he was captain of the United States Presidents Cup team. A collection of medium-to-large undulating greens demand precision; they are rounded off at the edges and feed into hollows and chipping areas.
The Bear’s Club possesses a memorable collection of par-5 holes, anchored by the gorgeous home hole, which features an inspiring greensite. The long pear-shaped green is tucked into the elbow of a lake, leaving a generous bailout area to the right. Just beyond the water that guards the green sits the impressive stone façade of the grand Tuscan-style clubhouse.
Complementing the 18-hole championship course is the Jack Nicklaus Performance Solutions academy, featuring state-of-the-art technology not seen at other private clubs. There is also a par-3 course that offers a mix of challenges ranging from 100 to 180 yards.
The rest of the property is equally impressive. Barbara Nicklaus partnered with her husband to hone the Mediterranean design that ties together the clubhouse with the residential community. The massive golf headquarters, which sprawls more than 64,000 square feet on two levels. The interior design, to which Barbara lent her tastes, radiates an unmistakable warmth enhanced by woven rugs, decorative pieces of ceramic and porcelain, original artwork, and elegant fabrics and patterns.
While the upper level contains the main dining room, private dining area, mixed grill and lounge, the lower level features a spacious central meeting area accommodating a men’s grill that feeds into five individual locker areas outfitted with their own bathrooms, showers and Jacuzzi, along with steam and massage rooms.
Out-of-town members or their guests can also utilize four elegant one-bedroom suites named for four of Nicklaus’ favorite addresses in golf: Pebble Beach, Augusta National, St. Andrews and Muirfield, the Scottish links where he won the 1966 British Open to complete the career Grand Slam. Property owners can retire to luxurious homes; residential options include 17 golf villas, 14 club cottages and 57 estate homes built in Tuscan and French-provincial styles.
The clubhouse, with meals prepared by the chef, Brian Sode, who recently passed the Certified Master Chef examination at the Culinary Institute of America. One of 65 chefs in the U.S. to have earned that elite designation.
