Long Island has its share of luxurious country clubs dotting the landscape, but cold weather can quickly turn them from sites for golf and tennis games – into waiting games. More snowbirds — retirees and younger people working remotely – are finding that Florida in the winter offers not just good weather, but clubs with a resort lifestyle. At least one, The Club at Boca Pointe, has been taking big steps to cater to Long Island snowbirds, investing and developing programs that provide community, the country club lifestyle — and snowbird memberships.
From golf to tennis, a luxurious clubhouse to fine dining, and swimming pools to scenic views, The Club at Boca Pointe has been attracting Long Islanders to Boca Raton, Florida. Heritage Golf Group bought the club in sunny Boca Raton in 2021, giving Heritage its first presence on Florida’s East Coast.
Since Heritage Golf Group purchased the club in 2020, the company has catapulted to the fastest-growing owner and operator of private clubs and high-end daily fee clubs nationwide. In four short years, the company has grown from six to 37 clubs and proudly employs over 4,000 people nationwide.
“We own and operate the club. We are not a management company. We purchase and invest capital to improve the Member experience,” said Andy Miller, Heritage’s Chief Revenue Officer. “The Club at Boca Pointe is a premier property located in a private gated residential community, a space that is paramount to our expansion strategy. We have additional private clubs and golf courses in Florida as well as up and down I-95, from New York all the way down the East Coast.”
Boca was a prime location that Heritage wanted to serve, attracting year-round members and snowbirds. Several nearby airports make it accessible. Mizner Park offers downtown shopping and dining, while the Boca Raton Museum of Art provides a cultural attraction. Boca Raton’s eastern coast has two miles of beaches, including Red Reef Park and South Inlet Park. The Club at Boca Pointe offers great amenities and a great location, helping attract snowbirds.
In addition to a championship 18-hole golf course, The Club at Boca Pointe offers 15 tennis courts, four pickleball courts, and an 80,000 square foot clubhouse complete with restaurants and bars, including a new covered outdoor bar, dining venue and swimming pools.
Although many other industries struggled during the pandemic, the golf and club industry thrived, as people sought to spend more time outdoors in a safe environment. Uniquely, The Club at Boca Pointe is the only property in the Heritage portfolio, and one of the only in Boca Raton, offering a six-month, snowbird membership.
“It’s a popular product,” Miller continued. “That’s a special niche for us, to attract a second homer or a snowbird at this beautiful hideaway in Florida.”
The club offers attractive amenities and a resort-style lifestyle with a lot of options, such as parties and functions with an expansive calendar of events sure to provide memorable experiences.
“Our Lifestyle Director and the entire club staff provide unique activities, educational seminars, trips and cultural events,” said Shari Givens, Heritage’s Vice President of Membership. “There truly is something to fill everyone’s calendars with memories to last a lifetime.”
In addition to welcoming empty-nesters and retirees, The Club at Boca Pointe is child-friendly, important to many Northeasterners moving to Florida full-time, because of their ability to work remotely. Children and grandchildren can enjoy a kids club with scheduled activities, day camps and crafts by the pool.
“We started seeing a younger demographic in 2022 of full-time residents,” Givens added. “They enjoy bringing their kids and grandkids to experience the club lifestyle and meet new friends.”
Nestled within a quaint community, the 18-hole Championship player-friendly golf course is a golfer’s paradise. The generous fairways meander gracefully through the serene neighborhood, providing a visually appealing experience with every hole. Many of the holes are adorned with captivating water features and teeming with wildlife, creating a harmonious blend of nature and sport. Recent renovations under Heritage’s ownership have elevated the course to new heights, with manicured greens, fresh white bunker sand, and enhanced beautification efforts, including the replacement of coquina rock.
Members of Boca Pointe benefit from a variety of social and competitive golf programs organized by a top-notch professional golf staff. These experienced professionals cater to golfers at every level, ensuring an enjoyable and enriching golfing experience. The sports club offers a variety of health, fitness and racquet play options for members, with programming for all ages and levels. They offer social tennis, individual, team and league play as well as USPTA instructors.
Boca Pointe also offers four new pickleball courts, a full fitness facility with exercise equipment to support any independent workout, as well as a temperature-controlled pool for relaxing and exercising.
And it features a new spin studio and a variety of group exercise and personal training options. Next up, is the addition of Padel, a new European sport similar to racquetball.
Last spring, The Club at Boca Pointe completed a covered outdoor patio space with a large bar, open seating, firepits and media screens for al fresco dining overlooking the golf course with a stunning sunset view.
“That was a seven-figure investment by Heritage, without assessments, and the members have fully embraced this new outdoor dining space,” Givens said.
The club also is available for members and nonmembers for weddings and a range of private parties in beautifully renovated event spaces that can serve intimate groups of 25 to large-scale events up to 400.
In Boca Raton, almost every club in the market is bundled, which means you move into a community and are required to become a member of the club in that community. The Club at Boca Pointe is part of a community where residents can get a club membership, which is open to others as well. “You can live anywhere in Boca and buy a membership in our club,” Miller added.
It is possible to get golf memberships that include all facilities, as well as sports memberships, including everything except golf. Memberships are available either year-round or in consecutive six-month intervals.
Heritage Golf Group has six other clubs on Florida’s west coast plus one in Jacksonville, all of which are also seeing a lot of migration from Long Island.
For more information, visit bocapointecc.com and heritagegolfgroup.com.
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