Tee Off in Paradise: World-Class Golf in North Palm Beach & Boca Raton (Plus Your Own Golf Simulator at Home)

Palm Beach County doesn't just have good golf. It has the kind of golf that makes you rearrange your whole trip around it. From championship courses that have hosted major tours to quiet, beautifully maintained layouts where you can get a tee time on a Tuesday morning without a fuss, this stretch of South Florida is a golfer's dream. And when you stay with Sunray Stays, you get something most golfers never expect: a private golf simulator and putting green right inside the house, so you can warm up, wind down, or just play another round without leaving the property.

PGA National: The Benchmark in North Palm Beach

If you've watched the Honda Classic, you already know PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens. The Champion Course is one of the most recognizable layouts in professional golf, famous for the Bear Trap — holes 15, 16, and 17 — a three-hole stretch that has ended more tournament runs than most players care to count. The par-3 15th plays over water, the 16th is a long par-4 with a narrow green, and the 17th demands a precise iron into a well-guarded pin. Playing it yourself, even without a leaderboard on the line, is a genuine thrill.

Beyond the Champion Course, PGA National has four additional courses on the property, so there's no shortage of options for the group that wants to play every day of the trip. The Estates Course is a solid choice for players who want a challenge without the pressure of the Champion's reputation, and the Squire Course suits families with mixed handicaps. The resort's practice facilities are excellent, and the instruction programs draw coaches who work with tour players.

From most Sunray Stays properties in North Palm Beach, PGA National is a short drive — close enough that you can be on the first tee by 8 a.m. and back at the house for lunch.

Osprey Point and Boca Raton's Golf Scene

Head south to Boca Raton and the golf gets quieter, more local, and in many ways just as good. Osprey Point Golf Course, run by Palm Beach County, is one of the best-value rounds in the region. The course winds through natural wetlands and cypress hammocks, with three distinct nine-hole loops — the Heron, Osprey, and Egret nines — that you can combine in different configurations. The wildlife alone makes it worth the drive: herons, ospreys, and the occasional alligator sunning on a bank are part of the scenery.

Boca Raton also has a strong private club culture, and if your group has reciprocal access through a home club, it's worth making a call before you arrive. The Boca Raton Golf Club and several of the community courses in the area are well-maintained and far less crowded than the courses that attract tournament traffic further north.

For families where not everyone plays, Boca Raton's location is a bonus. The beach is close, the Mizner Park dining and shopping district is walkable from several spots, and there's enough to keep non-golfers happy while the rest of the group gets in 18.

More Courses Worth Your Time

Between North Palm Beach and Boca Raton, the options keep coming. Ironhorse Country Club in West Palm Beach is a private club with a Donald Ross-influenced layout that rewards shot-making over power. The Links at Boynton Beach is a public facility with three nine-hole courses and a driving range, good for a casual afternoon round. Delray Beach Golf Club, one of the oldest courses in the county, has a classic feel and a loyal local following.

If you want to venture a little further, the Treasure Coast to the north has courses that are worth the extra drive, and the Seminole Golf Club — one of the most respected private courses in the country — sits just up the road in Juno Beach, though access requires a member invitation.

The Golf Simulator: Practice Without Leaving the House

Here's the part that surprises most guests. You don't have to leave the property to play golf.

Select Sunray Stays residences come with a private, in-house golf simulator and a putting green. The simulator runs full course rounds on some of the world's most famous layouts — Augusta National, Pebble Beach, St Andrews — with ball-tracking technology that gives you real data on your swing: club speed, launch angle, spin rate, carry distance. It's the same technology used in professional fitting studios, and it's sitting in your living room.

The putting green lets you work on the short game at any hour. Early morning before the kids wake up, late at night after dinner, or during a rain delay when the outdoor courses are closed — the green is always there. For families, it becomes one of the most-used features of the stay. Kids who have never picked up a club will spend an hour on it. Serious players use it to dial in their stroke before a morning tee time.

It's the kind of amenity that sounds like a nice extra until you're actually using it at 10 p.m. on a Tuesday, playing a simulated round at Pinehurst while the rest of the family watches from the couch. Then it feels essential.

Planning Your Golf Trip to Palm Beach County

The best time to play is October through April, when the weather is mild and the humidity drops to something manageable. Peak season runs December through March, so book tee times early — PGA National in particular fills up weeks out during the winter months. If you're traveling with a group, many courses offer group rates and can accommodate shotgun starts for parties of 12 or more.

Pack light on the equipment side if you can. Most courses have rental sets available, and traveling with clubs through a busy airport in January adds friction you don't need. The simulator at the house uses its own equipment, so you can get your eye in before you ever set foot on a course.

Stay, Play, and Come Back

Palm Beach County has the courses, the weather, and the infrastructure to support a serious golf trip. Sunray Stays gives you a home base that matches the quality of the golf: private, professionally managed, resort-style residences where the amenities are real and the space is yours. The golf simulator means the game doesn't stop when you leave the course. The putting green means you can work on your stroke in the morning light before anyone else is awake.

It's a golf trip that doesn't ask you to compromise anywhere.

Ready to book? Visit sunraystays.com to browse available properties and reserve your stay directly. For a look at life between rounds, follow us on Instagram at @sunrayvacationstays — we post from the courses, the houses, and everywhere in between.