The Palm Beach Par 3 at 2345 S. Ocean Blvd. played a record number of rounds this July, in what has usually been its slowest month. Its year doesn't turn over until November 1, ten days after this post goes up.
For anyone on the island who plays, that date sets more than the price of a round. Resident passes renew on November 1. The "Summer+" rate period ends that day. Passes are also now sold only to people who live within Town limits. Taken together, these details describe a course built for the people who are here all year.
A record set in the slow months
In August, the Palm Beach Daily News reported that the course had its busiest July on record. Manager Tony Chateauvert told the paper, "Here we are in (typically) our slowest time of the year, and the shop's full and we're setting records."
According to the same report, much of that traffic came from town and county residents. Many of them arrived after work for the twilight rate, which cuts the 18-hole price in half. Chateauvert described summer to the Daily News as "a great time to get the locals in here."
That record grew from more than one good season. Chateauvert came to the Par 3 in 2011 from Bedford Golf & Tennis Club in Bedford, New York. Since then he has run the municipal course with the hospitality and upkeep standards of a private club. The Daily News reported that crews mow the greens twice a month and roll them at least three times a week. He also compares the course to local private clubs during Recreation Advisory Commission meetings at Town Hall.
The numbers back him up. The pro shop brought in just over $1 million in net revenue last year. Across fiscal year 2025, the course added about $5.5 million to the town's coffers, according to the Daily News.
The ground under all of it
The setting is a large part of why the course draws a steady local crowd. Dick Wilson and Joe Lee designed it, and it opened in 1961 as a private course. The town bought it in 1973 for $5 million. Its 39 acres sit between the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic. In 2009, Hall of Fame golfer Raymond Floyd renovated it with the aim of a course that "flows and fits into the overall landscape."
Chateauvert told the paper that other Florida courses border water, but this is the only public course where every hole sits between two large bodies of water. Every hole is designed to be played in three strokes, which is where the Par 3 name comes from.
The course's year turns over on November 1
The course's posted rates show the turnover. Both the resident and public rate tables are labeled "Summer+" for October 1 through November 1, 2026. After that date, the course moves to its next rate period. The rates appear on golfontheocean.com as graphics, and the course notes they can change without notice. Check the current figures there before you book. The Town's Master Fee Schedule, revised October 13, 2026, does not list golf fees and refers readers to the course website.
The annual pass follows the same calendar. Resident annual passes run November 1 through October 31, so anyone renewing or buying for the first time is deciding right now.
| Annual Resident Pass | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Single | $3,500 | Single access |
| Double | $5,250 | Double access |
| Junior | $2,400 | Under 17 |
Listed prices do not include sales tax, and the course says they can change at any time. The course details page also lists a $220 range pass.
Passes are now for residents only
The pass page states that non-resident passes are no longer available. The course defines a resident as anyone living within the Town of Palm Beach limits, and discounted rates require proof of residency.
On the day you play, staff check that proof at the counter. Residents also have their own booking portal, separate from the public tee-time page. Golfers from elsewhere in the county can still book and play at public rates. Annual commitment pricing is now limited to people who live within Town limits. To use a golf cart, any golfer needs a valid driver's license.
This is how the course becomes a residents' asset. The town bought it, the town keeps the revenue, and the town now reserves the yearlong pass for its own residents.
Using it during the season
Tee times run from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., except Tuesdays, when they start at 11 a.m. Book them at GolfOnTheOcean.com.
The clinic schedule gives the week a steady rhythm. The Daily News reported that clinics start at $50, and the course lists these weekly sessions:
- Monday, 10 to 11 a.m. with Bob Hite
- Thursday, 10 to 11 a.m. with Katrina Howard
- Friday, 10 to 11 a.m. with Sammy Sicard
- Friday, 4 to 5 p.m. junior clinic for ages 5 to 7
- Sunday, 10 to 11 a.m. with Gene George
The course asks golfers to register at least two hours ahead, because a clinic with no sign-ups may be canceled.
Upstairs in the clubhouse, Al Fresco serves breakfast daily from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. Lunch and dinner run from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Chateauvert credits the oceanview restaurant with giving the course its private-club feel. It works just as well as a breakfast stop after an early tee time or as a South End dinner when you haven't played at all.
The clubhouse opened in 2014. Its pro shop is a regular on the PGA's list of top merchandisers, and the Daily News described it down to the custom "Cocoanut Beach" scent in the diffuser.
What's still in progress
Two projects were in the works as of August. Three new restrooms, south of the clubhouse parking lot and beside the 10th tee, were expected to be finished before the start of the season. Shade over the driving range was described only as a possible project. Chateauvert said shade would protect golfers in summer heat and keep lessons running on rainy days.
The dates on the near calendar
- Saturday, October 24, 9 a.m.: One Club Tournament, listed on the resident events calendar.
- Sunday, November 1: The Summer+ rate period ends and the new resident pass year begins.
- After work: The twilight rate at half the 18-hole price, the same deal that filled the shop in July.
On the South End, many homes sit within a short drive of an oceanfront tee time and a table at Al Fresco. If that is part of how you picture your week on the island, Breakers West Properties can walk you through which addresses fall within Town limits and how the South End compares with the rest of Palm Beach. Work With Sarah.
