Boca West Country Club is preparing for a golf transformation that reaches well beyond a traditional renovation. The Course 1 redesign is being led by Fry/Straka Global Golf Design and combines a reworked championship layout with dramatic new landforms, routing changes, a par-3 short course and a Himalaya-style putting course.
The elevation is the signature element. In a part of South Florida where golf courses are typically defined by flatter terrain, the project is expected to create the highest point of elevation in Palm Beach County golf, introducing a new sense of movement, strategy and visual interest to the course.
The work also sits within a larger golf program. Boca West Country Club has four championship courses and 72 holes of play, so Members will continue to have three other championship layouts available while Course 1 is under construction. The transformation is designed to add a different style of golf without narrowing the breadth of the existing experience.
Course 1 Is Being Rebuilt Around a New Design Vision
Course 1 is not simply being refreshed. The plan calls for a redesigned 18-hole championship course, updated infrastructure, new landforms, strategic bunker and lake enhancements and a playing experience that changes the way the layout moves from tee to green.
Fry/Straka Global Golf Design is using the existing routing as an opportunity to rethink the course while respecting its history. The layout has what golf architects describe as core golf, with much of the surrounding residential development positioned around the perimeter rather than through the interior of the course. That gives the design team more room to shape the land in ways that would be difficult on a tighter site.
Jason Straka has said the routing allows the team to create “bigger and bolder land forms” with “a lot of ups and downs.” In South Florida, that change has the potential to alter sightlines, angles and shot selection throughout the round.
The result is intended to feel meaningfully different rather than cosmetically updated. New contours and elevation will influence what Members see from the tee, how they approach landing areas and how individual holes reveal themselves across repeated play.
Elevation Becomes the Defining Feature
The scale of the earthwork is what separates this redesign from a typical course project. According to Travis Wehrs, Director of Golf at Boca West Country Club, the plan involves moving more than one million cubic yards of dirt to create the highest point of elevation in Palm Beach County golf.
The new high point is expected to reach roughly 70 feet. Several holes are being designed to move directly across that ridge, with holes 1 and 7 planned to play uphill and holes 8 and 11 playing down from elevated positions.
Those changes are intended to influence strategy as much as appearance. A downhill par 3, tee shots from higher ground and fairways shaped by new contours can change club selection, visibility and the way a golfer evaluates each shot.
Wehrs has described the objective as creating a course that remains playable across the Membership while still rewarding repeated rounds. The goal is for it to feel “interesting on day one” and “unforgettable on day 10,” with enough variety to keep the layout engaging over time.
A Short Course Adds Another Way Into the Game
The championship redesign is only one part of the project. Boca West Country Club is also adding a new par-3 short course behind the Aquatics Center, creating another format for social play, practice and shorter rounds.
The short course is designed to serve different ways of engaging with golf. More experienced players can use it to sharpen wedge play and distance control, while newer golfers can spend time on a more approachable format without committing to a full 18-hole round.
It also gives Members another way to play together when time or preference calls for something shorter. That flexibility expands the golf experience beyond the traditional championship round and adds another reason to stay connected to the game throughout the year.
The Putting Course Turns Practice Into Play
A Himalaya-style putting course will add a second alternative format to the project. Inspired by the well-known putting experience at St. Andrews, the concept uses a large, contoured surface designed for play rather than functioning only as a standard practice green.
The oversized green is planned to support a rotating setup of approximately 12 to 18 holes. Its contours can be used for putting leagues, tournament play, practice sessions and casual competition, allowing the space to serve several purposes throughout the Club calendar.
Straka has described the design as a substantially oversized putting green shaped with bold contours. That scale gives the Club flexibility to change setups and use the space for both structured programming and informal play.
Together, the short course and putting course broaden the private club experience around golf by giving Members more formats for practice, competition and social play in addition to the championship courses.
The Project Signals a Longer-Term Vision for Golf
The transformation reflects a larger philosophy at Boca West Country Club: continue investing in the Member experience while creating new reasons to use the Club in different ways.
Matthew Linderman, President, COO and General Manager of Boca West Country Club, has explained that the design team looked at the relatively flat character of many Florida courses and saw an opportunity to create something different. The decision to introduce significant elevation grew from that larger effort to rethink what the golf experience could become.
Linderman has also described Boca West as “a lifestyle club.” In that context, golf is not limited to a traditional 18-hole round or to one type of player. It can include competition, practice, learning, social time and simply being outdoors with other Members.
The redesigned championship course, short course and putting course are intended to work together as one broader golf offering. Each serves a different purpose, but all three are designed to create more choice and more ways for Members to engage with the game as part of daily Club life.
Golf Sits Inside a Much Broader Club Lifestyle
Golf remains a major part of Boca West Country Club, but the Club experience extends far beyond the fairways. Members also have access to three clubhouses, eight dining venues, a spa, a 72,000-square-foot fitness center, aquatics, wellness programming and a full calendar of social events.
Racquet sports have continued to expand as well. The Pickleball Club includes 25 pickleball courts, 12 of them covered for year-round play, while the tennis program includes 24 Har-Tru courts. Fitness options include spin, Pilates, yoga and performance-focused training.
With more than 600 Member events each year, the Club combines golf with dining, wellness, fitness, racquet sports and social programming. The residential community surrounding it includes 55 villages, placing the golf transformation within a much larger private club setting rather than treating it as a stand-alone course project.
For Buyers, the Club Investment Is Part of the Community Story
For prospective buyers, the Course 1 transformation is another example of the ongoing investment within Boca West Country Club. Boca West Realty represents residential opportunities and helps buyers understand the community’s neighborhoods, home types and connection to the Club experience available through Membership.
That relationship between residential real estate and the private club lifestyle is part of the larger Boca West story, with buyers considering both the residence and the Club experience when evaluating the community.
Prospective buyers can visit the Boca West Realty Welcome Sales Center at 7763 Glades Road, Suite 101, Boca Raton, Florida 33434. Those exploring from outside the area can contact Boca West Realty at 561-665-5855 or visit BocaWest.com for information about residences currently available within the community.
For Club Membership information, Boca West Realty can assist with scheduling an appointment with Boca West Country Club’s Membership department. As the work moves forward, the redesign is adding more variety to how Members can experience golf throughout the Club.
