Led by Nicklaus Design, the nine-month, multi-million-dollar project at the Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. club started in April 2022 and focused on updating the course’s design, including bunkering, greens complexes and strategy, a complete re-grassing of the course and improvements to playing options for members and tournament players alike. The newly constructed practice grounds incorporates an all-new 65-bay, two-sided, 12-acre-long game area, complete with Toptracer technology and Flagd Golf digital yardage boards, an abundance of aiming targets for all types of long shots, and a practice putting green, among other things.

BallenIsles Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. unveiled its newly renovated East Course at a grand opening ceremony held on Jan. 30. Led by Nicklaus Design, the nine-month, multi-million-dollar renovation project has modernized the club’s East Course as well as its practice grounds.

Renovation work began on the East Course in April 2022 and focused on updating the course’s design, including bunkering, greens complexes and strategy, a complete re-grassing of the course and improvements to playing options for members and tournament players alike. The newly constructed practice grounds incorporates an all-new 65-bay, two-sided, 12-acre-long game area, complete with Toptracer technology and Flagd Golf digital yardage boards, an abundance of aiming targets for all types of long shots, a practice putting green, rough, uneven lie and fairway bunker practice areas, along with a wedge range with targets from 30 to 105 yards. The four-acre short game area features the 25,000 sq. ft. Snead Green putting course, five pitching and chipping greens, warm-up green and the world’s flattest putting green. The area is complemented by the newly built ’71 Learning Center, scheduled to be completed by April 2023.

The Nicklaus Design team, led by Senior Designers Chris Cochran and Chad Goetz, also added length to the par 72 layout, increasing from 7,189 yards to 7,474 yards. The Jan. 30 grand opening ceremony included speeches from Nicklaus Design President Paul Stringer and BallenIsles Club President David Frank, plus photo opportunities and refreshments.

“We first spoke about a possible East Course renovation in 2020,” said Stringer. “To see it completed already with a very nice, expanded practice facility is just terrific! On behalf of all of us at Nicklaus Design, we are so pleased to be part of this grand opening and renovation. Chris, Chad and our team at Nicklaus Design are very proud of what has been accomplished at BallenIsles.”

“We continue making BallenIsles Country Club better and better,” added Frank. “The work Nicklaus Design did on the East Course and practice grounds is simply spectacular.”

The renovation of the East Course follows the construction of a $1.3 million pickleball complex in 2021; the 2020 redesign of BallenIsles’ South Course by famed golf course architect Rees Jones; and a 2018 $35 million clubhouse renovation. The club also recently announced a $19 million renovation and expansion of the club’s existing sports complex. Construction is expected to begin on the phased project in late 2023, with completion slated by the end of 2024.