Rory McIlroy Becomes Jupiter’s Newest Grand Slam Winner
The most elite club in golf has gained one more member. Yesterday, with the biggest three-foot putt of his life, Rory McIlroy realized a dream. After one of the most turbulent, nail-biting Sundays in the history of The Masters, the Jupiter local became only the sixth player ever to achieve the Career Grand Slam: winning The PGA Championship, The Open, the U.S. Open, and The Masters. Now, we’re not a sports blog, we’re in the real estate business, so here’s what’s most interesting to us about the rare feat: of the six players who’ve done it, four of them live in Jupiter (at least part-time).
Jupiter’s Legendary Status Solidified Along with Rory’s
The six players who have won all four majors in golf are: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and now Rory McIlroy.
Gene Sarazen lived on the other side of Florida—on Marco Island and in Naples—and Ben Hogan spent most of his life around Fort Worth, Texas. But the rest of them: Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and Rory McIlroy, all spend much of their time here in Jupiter. Of course, being the ultra-successful people they are, they all own properties elsewhere, but Jupiter is the common thread.
It’s No Coincidence
Of those four legends, none of them were born here. Jack started the trend when he moved to the area back in 1966. He designed many local courses, including the PGA National Champion Course in 1990, which is now famous for “The Bear Trap” (from his nickname “The Golden Bear), which is known as one of the hardest three-hole stretches in any PGA TOUR event. Jack then founded The Bear’s Club in 1999.
Tiger moved from Orlando to Jupiter Island in 2006, Rory has famously lived in The Bear’s Club since 2012, and Gary Player became a part-time resident of Jupiter Island in 2018. Before last week's runup to The Masters, Rory sat down in The Bear's Club with Jack Nicklaus and talked through strategy for every shot of every hole at Augusta National. Of course, it didn't go exactly to plan, since it was a tournament full of wild ups and downs for Rory, but in the end, it just adds to a great story.
And these great players aren't alone in choosing Jupiter or the surrounding areas. More professional golfers own a home in Palm Beach County than anywhere else. If you want to read an in-depth analysis on the who’s and where’s, then Golfweek wrote a long article a while back diving into all of that, complete with quotes from many players.
The Why is Obvious
Palm Beach County has more golf courses (at over 160) than anywhere else in the United States. From this elite group of Grand Slam winners to the weekend low-handicappers and all the way to the once-in-a-while recreational player, there’s plenty of golf to go around.
For the pros and aficionados, Northern Palm Beach County and southern Martin County specifically have some of the most prestigious, well-known clubs and courses in the world: Seminole, Dye Preserve, Medalist, Bear’s Club, Grove XXIII, Panther National, and more.
But again, there’s plenty for everyone, with many more mid-range private clubs, and lots of different kinds of public and municipal courses.
The concentration of world-class golf is definitely the biggest attractor for the pros, but the weather and lifestyle (which everyone around here can appreciate) are close seconds. The beaches are well taken care of (thanks to Friends of Jupiter Beach!), the water is often blue and clear, the fishing is excellent, the social and dining scene is first-rate, and the airport is one of the most convenient in the world.
Calling Jupiter Home
If you love golf, then a strong argument can be made that there’s nowhere better to live. From large waterfront estates to modest golf retreats, there’s a wide range of options to choose from. Browse the current homes for sale and contact one of our local experts if you have questions or want to talk through all of the different courses, communities, and clubs!
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