Golf Ball and Tee

Written and photographed by Ki Ki Hobbs

It’s nearly impossible to talk about Palm Beach Gardens and its history without mentioning the Professional Golfers Association (PGA). The City’s founder, John D. MacArthur, donated $2 million to help the PGA build its home offices and golf courses in Palm Beach Gardens, and for decades, the association’s headquarters was able to call our City its home. There are many other visible signs of Palm Beach Gardens’ close ties with the PGA, including Golf Ball and Tee , a massive public artwork situated just outside the association’s former headquarters, PGA of America.

Golf Ball and Tee is a nearly 19-foot-tall geodesic sphere golf ball comprised of an open and delicate lacing of aluminum. The base of the sculpture was formed by pouring concrete into the shape of a golf tee. At night, the ball is illuminated by lights at the base of the tee.

Artist Ronaldo Schwabe, who was also the architect for PGA of America, says his goal was to blend architecture, art, interior design, land planning and landscape architecture. The result is an artwork that not only identifies and compliments PGA of America, which Schwabe calls the City’s golf capital, but also represents Palm Beach Gardens’ status as an ideal destination for golfers.