HOBE SOUND, Florida — Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is trying to do more than win a Super Bowl this season. He’s also enjoying his first foray into the private golf club business, and, as usual, he wasn’t aiming low.
Ross is partnering with North Palm Beach resident Michael Pascucci to build an audacious three-championship-course private club in Hobe Sound, just west of Interstate 95 off Bridge Road.
The club is called Apogee, which is the term for when an object orbiting Earth is the greatest distance from the center of the Earth. Kind of like a Rory McIlroy drive. (McIlroy and Ernie Els are consultants for the project.)
Pascucci (pronounced Puh-scooch-y) is no stranger to golf. He built the highly respected Sebonack Golf Club in Southampton, New York, and has lived next door to golf legend Jack Nicklaus at Lost Tree Club for more than three decades. Ross, 83, is a Palm Beach resident whose Related Companies have become a major player in West Palm Beach real estate.
Why build something like Apogee at this stage of their careers (their ages are a combined 170 years)? A legacy project, perhaps, but both men are fit enough to walk 18 holes. When uber-successful businessmen such as Ross and Pascucci do a project, it’s because they see an opportunity: The COVID-19 pandemic has sent millions of folks heading to the Sunshine State from the Northeast and West Coast, raising the demand for high-end private golf.
“We were seeing this tremendous growth in South Florida — particularly the area around West Palm Beach where Related has had a presence for more than 20 years,” Ross told The Palm Beach Post. “We noticed all these businesses and companies coming to town and we knew there was going to be tremendous demand for world-class golf.
“Our plan with Apogee is we set out to create the highest-quality golf experience to meet the incredible demand. We had a vision to create a true six-star experience that will become the world’s greatest golf experience. Beyond the golf, we’re creating amenities that are absolute best-in-class. Essentially, we believe we’re setting a new standard.”
Apogee is planned as a three-championship-course private club in Hobe Sound, Florida, just west of Interstate 95 off Bridge Road. (Provided photo)
Former Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga piqued Pascucci’s golf interest
It was another Dolphins owner — the late Wayne Huizenga — who got Pascucci interested in owning a golf course. Pascucci visited Huizenga’s Floridian Club in Palm City about a quarter century ago and came away impressed.
“I asked Wayne, ‘Why are you doing this?’ He said, ‘It’s great for business and I get to take care of my friends,’ ” Pascucci said. “Almost nobody was there that day, but there was one guy he wanted me to meet. It was (Supreme Court Justice) Clarence Thomas. That was impressive.”
Soon, Pascucci got the golf ownership bug. In 1999, he joined forces with Nicklaus to become a founding owner of The Bear’s Club in Jupiter. Seven years later, Pascucci built Sebonack, somehow persuading his neighbor to do a co-design with Tom Doak.
Miami Dolphins owner Stephen M. Ross looks on from the sidelines during a game against the Denver Broncos in the fourth quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Almost a generation later, Pascucci is taking another bite of the private golf course apple. A large bite. Not only did he also see the influx of younger, well-heeled folks heading to South Florida, he knew exactly what the area was lacking.
“The price of joining private clubs has gotten so expensive and there are so many restrictions on guest play here,” Pascucci said. “I made the decision that if I can find the right piece of land, I’m going to build three championship courses.”
More: Former USGA boss Mike Davis takes on ambitious golf course design project in South Florida
The two men divided the tasks: Pascucci concentrated on the golf end by finding the site — 1,220 acres with 5,000 feet of frontage along the St. Lucie Canal — and hiring the architects, while relying on Ross to use his expertise with buildings. There is no residential component — Pascucci didn’t want to deal with homeowners associations — but plans call for 54 luxury villas that range from two bedrooms to eight bedrooms, as well as two Hart Howerton-designed clubhouses, a golf learning center, short par-3 courses and putting greens, practice areas and a heliport. For the non-golfers, there is a wellness spa, fitness center, racquet sports, fishing lakes, restaurants and nature trails.
“Working with Mike is a great experience,” Ross said. “He is the epitome of a true professional — not to mention the world’s greatest salesman. We complement each other really well in what we bring to the table with this project, our ability to execute and his incredible golf knowledge. You don’t have to look any further than what he created at Sebonack to see his talent. This is really a great collaboration.”
Becoming a member won’t be cheap — initial prices are $550,000 and above. But Pascucci and Ross believe the appeal of being able to have three championship courses to choose from, not to mention all the other amenities and not having to buy a home, makes the prices reasonable.
Different architects designing three courses
Course architect Gil Hanse at a media event unveiling the PGA of America’s new golf courses in Frisco, Texas on October 18, 2019. Photo by Darren Carroll/Getty Images for the PGA of America
Pascucci hired different architects for the three courses: Gil Hanse/Jim Wagner, who recently did a superb job on The Park in West Palm Beach, and who built Apogee West, which opens at the end of the year; South Florida residents Tommy Fazio and Mike Davis, the former USGA executive director, are building Apogee South, which is scheduled to open in late 2024; and Kyle Phillips, who built Kingsbarn in Scotland, is building Apogee North, with an opening slated for late 2025.
As with most elite private clubs with multiple courses, Pascucci felt it was essential that each architect offered differing styles of golf for the members. He allowed them the freedom to do their own work, with one caveat.
“I requested all three courses finish with par-5s,” Pascucci said. “I talked Jack and Tom into it (at Sebonack) when I reminded Jack of all the courses he did that finished with par-5s. I didn’t want any of Apogee’s courses to finish with a very hard par-4” because that usually puts members in a bad mood after the round.
Living next door to the game’s greatest golfer at Lost Tree has its perks, Pascucci says. And not just because of the Golden Bear’s golf expertise, whether it’s building or taking apart courses.
“You couldn’t have a better neighbor,” Pascucci said. “There’s always something going on at Jack’s. He got nice toys like grass tennis courts and, of course, Barbara is such a wonderful person. There’s always something there for you to eat and drink.”
While Pascucci played golf throughout his life, Ross was late to the game, not picking up the sport until his 70s after a shoulder injury ended his days on the tennis court. He has tried to make up for lost time on the links.
“Right when I took up golf, I became addicted to it,” Ross said. “It’s the one sport where you’re not only playing the course or a competitor but you’re also playing yourself. It’s a humbling game, it’s a mind sport, and it’s incredibly addicting.”
Kind of like trying to win the team’s first Super Bowl in 50 years.