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Wycliffe Golf & Country Club Two beautiful golf courses and a fun-loving membership give this Palm Beach area country club community a vibrancy that is embraced year round by its residents
R
oyal Palms, regally lining both
Program to ensure new members feel at home right
sides of the entryway as you ap-
from the start.
proach the impressive clubhouse
While there are an amazing array of year-round
at Wycliffe Golf & Country Club,
activities and clubs to satisfy every interest and whim
signal right away that you have arrived at a luxurious private
community. Everything is impeccable, from the well-manicured grounds to the exquisite neighborhoods of homes, from the elegant details of the club
ABOVE: 204-yard 14th hole, East Course LEFT: The clubhouse serves as a welcoming focal point for members and their guests.
to the magnificent views. But none of that prepares you for what you discover once you really step inside this community. Vibrant, fun-filled, non-stop, and fabulous—that’s how members describe the lifestyle here. “This is the most fun we’ve had in our life,” says one resident. “I have a whole new set of friends. There’s really an excitement here,” says another. So much so, that PHOTOGRAPHY BY NILE YOUNG
many members are giving up their primary homes in the North and enjoying life at Wycliffe year-round. The warm and welcoming membership is always eager for new people and operates an Ambassador’s WINTER 2014
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NEAR RIGHT: The culinary staff presents creative, sophisticated cuisine. FAR RIGHT: 427-yard 18th hole, East Course BELOW: 574-yard 6th hole, East Course INSET: Director of Golf Lynn Stebbins has been at Wycliffe since 1995.
(photography, gardening, art, singles group, book, men’s discussion, and many more), sometimes members’ common interests converge to form the unexpected. Like the group of former New Yorkers who keep their love of stickball alive by playing in the Wycliffe stickball league, now entering its 12th season. But golf is definitely the driving force here. It seems
hazards on 16 of the 18 holes.) The more scenic East Course, Stebbins says, is one she never tires of playing
as if everyone plays, thanks in no small part to the
even after 18 years. The East was home to the LPGA
efforts of Lynn Stebbins, their very popular
HealthSouth Championship for four years. The
Director of Golf, who has been with the club since
closing holes of both courses march side-by-side to
1995. Stebbins has embraced the Play It Forward
the clubhouse, providing magnificent vistas and a
initiative as a way to help everyone enjoy
The golf staff runs major tournaments for the
and enjoyable—championship courses.
members, but flight them so everyone can compete.
Both feature lush, rolling fairways and
In the spirit of the fun-loving membership, they offer
an abundance of mounding that make
everything from serious play to quirky tournaments.
them atypical of Florida courses. The
With 272 participants, the club hosts perhaps the
West is the shorter of the two courses,
largest women’s member guest tournament in the
but requires strategizing if you don’t want
area for a 36-hole facility.
to put up big numbers. (There are water
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beautiful way to end any round.
playing the two distinctively different—
Not surprisingly, the membership plays a lot of
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FLORIDA LINKS living
tennis, especially doubles. There are 16 Har-Tru
as the most philanthropic community in
courts, eight of them lighted, and they stay very active
Palm Beach County.
with social and competitive leagues, Pro-Ams, and
This well-established, built-out, 600-acre
member-guest events. Tennis pro Kam Kuchta, who
community of 1,045 homes includes coach
has won nine national championships, places a big
homes, villas, and single-family homes spread
emphasis on making sure that the tennis is as fun as
throughout 14 different neighborhoods,
it is competitive. Members enjoy watching ATP
each with its own distinct style. Prices range
exhibitions from the 300-seat stadium adjacent to the
from the $150,000s to the $750,000s. In this
clubhouse, where crowds often gather for the events.
golf-cart friendly community, nearly every
The elegant clubhouse, which was transformed
home is outfitted with a cart garage. The
with a $24 million renovation, serves as a welcoming
architecture is Mediterranean, with most
focal point. Grand windows and spacious verandas
homes featuring turn-key living, open-style
showcase panoramic views of both closing holes. An
floor plans, and great golf (or lake) views.
open kitchen symbolizes the importance food plays
Of course, living in the Palm Beaches has
in everything that goes on here. Their talented chef
substantial benefits for residents when they
Richard Trentman has been on board since the club
can break away from all the fun inside the
opened and keeps the menu fresh by tapping into the
community. As they like to say, Wycliffe is
latest culinary trends.
“exclusive but not isolated.” Twenty minutes
The clubhouse’s amenities draw members to its
Wycliffe Golf & Country Club 4650 Wycliffe Country Club Blvd. Wellington, Fla. 33449 561.964.9200 WycliffeCC.com
EAST
PAR: 72 YARDAGE: 6,917 YEAR FOUNDED: 1989 ARCHITECTS:
Bruce Devlin/Karl Litten
east are South Florida’s magnificent beaches;
tranquil Spa, where they can be pampered, and
to the west lie ranches and equestrian country. State
to the state-of-the-art Fitness Center, with its group
colleges and universities are nearby, offering continu-
fitness and Pilates studio and more than 36 weekly
ing-education opportunities and collegiate sporting
classes. Members also gather here for spectacular,
events. And there are plenty of restaurants, shopping,
“standing-room-only” theme nights and a game of
and cultural venues in the triangle of Boca Raton,
cards with friends. While the prevailing atmosphere
Palm Beach, and Palm Beach Gardens. Getting to
is decidedly festive, there is a serious side to the
Wycliffe is easy, too, with international airports near-
membership. They put a tremendous emphasis
by at Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale.
on wellness programs and they are renowned for their charitable efforts. Wycliffe is widely regarded
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WEST
PAR: 70 YARDAGE: 6,136 YEAR FOUNDED: 1989 ARCHITECT: Karl Litten REDESIGNED: 2006 PAR: 72 YARDAGE: 6,671 ARCHITECT: John Sanford
If fun, friendships, and a full life are your top priorities, you won’t find a better place.
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427-yard 18th hole, East Course
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