Pompano Beach Golf Course, Pompano Beach, FL

Dog track, course is a joke. No grass all weeds and sand.
Pompano is ripping people off. Don’t wash your time playing here. Not worth $20 to play!

For many, the mere mention of Greater Fort Lauderdale conjures up images of the beach, sandy shores, and spring break. And rightfully so; after all, there are 24 miles of beach with sparkling turquoise water, sun-kissed white sand, and tall palm trees waving gently in the ocean breeze.

Golf enthusiasts will be happy to know that the Greater Fort Lauderdale area is also packed with a plethora of golf courses that are accessible to the public. In 2013, the city of Pompano Beach brought in renowned PGA TOUR superstar turned golf course architect Greg Norman to do a renovation of the Pompano Beach Municipal Golf Course. The Greg Norman Signature Pines Course - which borders the Pompano Beach Air Park - was originally a Bruce Devlin/Robert von Hagge design. Norman did a great job and made the course very playable and enjoyable. The course currently features Celebration Bermuda grass fairways and Platinum Paspalum putting greens. The city has been grappling with the prospects of re-grassing the Pines course and has been experimenting with several types of Paspalum turf. So far, the leader is Platinum Paspalum which can be seen on the greens and the 18th fairway from about 100 yards into the green. Look closely and you can see where the Bermuda ends and the Paspalum begins. The city is also involved with The Capillary Concrete Company in the development of a sub-surface irrigation system for greens. The city has already utilized this company’s technology in other areas of the golf course and has been pleasantly surprised. If everything goes according to schedule the city plans on using the Capillary Concrete program for the Pines bunkers during the re-grassing project. Once the city completes the re-grassing project for the Pines, they will turn their attention to the Palms course.

Galuppi's Restaurant – located at the clubhouse of the Pompano Beach Golf Club – is destined to become not only one of the area’s best eateries but also one of the most popular entertainment venues. The vision of proprietor Grant Galuppi is to create a space where visitors and people within the community can eat, meet, and mingle and enjoy some live entertainment. There’s live music just about every night and everything we ordered off the menu was delicious. Once everything is completed – sometime in probably 2025 – the Pompano Beach Golf complex will rival any other public golf facility in the state. Get out early and do a before and after and see for yourself!

Oceanic at Pompano Beach Pier is dedicated to capturing the energy of the Pompano Beach revitalization. Oceanic is owned by LM Restaurants who also own the Beach House next door. Oceanic offers indoor and outdoor seating and the ocean liner-inspired design provides an open interior with expansive and uninterrupted ocean views. Oceanic offers superior steak and seafood dishes. Their Brussels Sprouts appetizer with a horseradish and maple sauce is a must-try. After your main course, be sure to try one of Oceanic’s fabulous desserts including Key Lime Crème Brulee or Fat Elvis Pie, an interesting selection that combines all of the King’s favorites: peanut butter (ganache), banana (cream filling), and chocolate, all on a graham cracker crust.

Celebrity Chef Fabio Viviani now has his own restaurant in Fort Lauderdale. Riviera by Fabio Viviani is located in Hotel Maren on A1A and is part of Hilton’s Curio Hotel Collection. The food is considered coastal Italian cuisine; to me, it was simply delicious, probably the best meal I have ever had in almost 20 years of writing about golf travel. The signature meatball appetizer (Polpetti Di Fabio) was incredible, the Salt Spring Mussels were plump and delectable and my wife’s Mishima Reserve Wagyu Steak was the best I’ve ever tasted. I’m surprised she let me have a bite! If you’re there for Sunday brunch be sure to try their new Tootsie Roll drink. It’s the perfect breakfast drink.

While in the area, you’ll need a place to lay your head at night. I strongly suggest Cottages By The Ocean on SE 3rd St. in Pompano Beach. Not only are they centrally located to several public-accessible golf courses, but they’re also a block and a half from the beach and all kinds of restaurants and nightlife. These 1940s-era cottages and one-bedroom bungalows offer full kitchens with range, refrigerator, and microwave, a complete living room, and a king-size bed. They’ve also got you covered if you're headed to the beach with beach chairs, wakeboards, and beach toys. Owner Elaine Fitzgerald likes to greet each guest personally and when you see her ask her for some restaurant recommendations. She’s been in the area a long time and is well-connected. She has several similar properties in the area so if the Cottages By The Ocean are booked, check out her other locations.

The Pines course was redesigned and renovated to become a Greg Norman Signature Course that opened on January 1, 2013 to rave reviews. It boasts Celebration Bermuda fairways and TifEagle greens and golfers are charged a premium for this course of the Palms.
However, now, April, 2014, the course has deteriorated and rumor has it that they need to clean up their act or lose the Greg Norman name.