Florida LINKS Living – Winter 2014 – Wycliffe Golf & Country Club

FLORIDA LINKS living

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

FLL_WINTER14_Wycliffe_Reprint.indd 1

FLORIDA LINKSliving

1

1/8/14 9:56 AM

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

FLL_WINTER14_Wycliffe_Reprint.indd 2

beautiful way to end any round.

playing the two distinctively different—

Not surprisingly, the membership plays a lot of

1/8/14 9:58 AM

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

WINTER 2014

FLL_WINTER14_Wycliffe_Reprint.indd 3

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.

FLORIDA LINKSliving

3

1/8/14 9:58 AM

427-yard 18th hole, East Course

WYCLIFFE GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB 4650 Wycliffe Country Club Blvd.

Wellington, Fla. 33449 561.964.9200 WycliffeCC.com FLL_WINTER14_Wycliffe_Reprint.indd 20

1/8/14 9:58 AM