PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — When they’re not practicing or competing on the PGA Tour in events such as the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches, golfers who live in Palm Beach County love the variety of activities that the region offers.
From pastimes such as fishing and bicycling to attending sporting events to dining out on fresh, local seafood, there is no shortage of ways to spend their time off the golf course.
Daniel Berger is one of the few pros who didn’t move here from another state or country. Though he was born in Plantation, he grew up and still lives in Jupiter.
Now that he is 100% healthy after having constant back pain for more than two years, he said he feels good enough to play beach volleyball, tennis and pickleball. He’d even “go fishing for 12 hours on my boat in 5-foot seas and feel like a million bucks.
“Now I feel like I’m capable of doing that. But a year ago, no way.”
Daniel Berger, Adam Svensson, Eric Cole enjoy fishing
Daniel Berger hits his tee shot on the ninth hole during the first round of the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Berger enjoys fishing out of Jupiter Inlet and live-baiting for dolphin, wahoo, tuna and sailfish. If he needed a crew, he said he would probably call his brothers rather than his local tour player buddies because “they’re like my first mates.”
Adam Svensson played at Barry University in Miami and lived in Jupiter for a few years before moving to Hobe Sound so he could have a shorter drive to the Medalist Golf Club. He also is a serious fisherman.
Growing up in South Surrey, British Columbia, he fished for salmon in rivers with his father and uncle.
“I loved it, so I’ve always had fishing in my life,” Svensson said. “I used to do a little offshore fishing, but now it’s more inshore for snook. I’ll just put a little shrimp on the hook. Or I’ll just do bass fishing, I have a pond right beside my house.
“There’s a golf course called Eastpointe Country Club (in Palm Beach Gardens), I used to catch 5-, 6-, 7-pound bass there every day. It’s very relaxing.”
Like Svensson, Eric Cole doesn’t own a boat, but if friends invite him to go fishing on their boats, he’ll go.
“I like the idea of other people having the boat. I think that’s the way to do it. It’s more fun for me,” said Cole, who was born in California and lived in Orlando from ages 3 to 24. He moved to Tequesta and lived there for five or six years, then moved to Delray Beach, where he lived for three or four years before buying a house in Tequesta last year.
“I grew up in Orlando bass fishing, but down here I fish mostly offshore. Just being out there is what I like.”
When he’s home, Cole and his wife sometimes go to the beach in Jupiter. “One of the better things about South Florida versus Orlando is the proximity to the beach is pretty nice,” Cole said.
Shane Lowry and family bike around Palm Beach
Shane Lowry reacts to a missed birdie putt on the eighth hole during the opening round of The Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches at PGA National Resort & Spa on Thursday, February 29, 2024, in Palm Beach Gardens, FL.
Shane Lowry, a native of Ireland who moved to Jupiter six years ago, enjoys going to Juno Beach with his wife and kids. They also spend time in Palm Beach.
“We rent bikes and cycle around the island,” Lowry said. “We are very lucky, we have an amazing backyard. The weather is so nice we cook out a lot. We just take it easy at home. I just love being around here. The climate and the golf courses are just perfect for us.”
Erik van Rooyen has lived in Jupiter since August 2019. He goes back to his native South Africa once a year in December. When he’s not on the road playing golf, he enjoys spending time with his family.
“I hang out with my kids, be a dad, go to the beach, go to the gym, play a bit of guitar, I do that when I’m not raising my kids,” he said.
Van Rooyen plays golf at The Bear’s Club, Turtle Creek and Panther National. Off the golf course, he spends time with several of his pro buddies.
“Shane Lowry lives in my neighborhood so we grab a bite to eat every now and then, and our wives are good friends as well,” said van Rooyen, who also hangs out with “all the South Africans in the area — Branden Grace, Garrick Higgo, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, (Charl) Schwartzel.”
Svensson plays with fellow tour pros at Medalist but doesn’t spend time with them off the course.
“There’s a lot of guys at Medalist that I hang out with, but once I’m done with golf it’s kind of just my friends I’ve had over the years,” he said.
Max Greyserman, who recently moved from Boca Raton to Palm Beach Gardens, likes to take his dog for a walk on Juno Beach, where people can also swim and surf fish.
“It’s such a great place to live because you have the calmness and quietness of Palm Beach County, the golf, and then if you want to drive down and get like a New York City type of environment, go to Miami,” he said.
Like Svensson, Greyserman said “The guys that I play with the most at Medalist I would say are not the guys I hang out with the most. I play the most with Pete Uihlein, Matt Wolff and Aaron Wise at Medalist. I hang out the most with Denny McCarthy. He lives in Jupiter and Denny and I both have goldendoodles.”
Panthers home games on the menu for local golfers
When he’s not on the road, Cole said he likes to simply relax and hang out with his wife and their dog. But he will go to the occasional hockey game in Sunrise.
“I’m a Florida Panthers fan,” he said. “I go to a decent amount of those games. They’re having a great year, too. I try to make it to a game or two when I can.”
Svensson grew up watching hockey in Canada, but he’s typically exhausted when he returns home from tournament play.
“I went to one Panthers game maybe two years ago. I love hockey. It’s just hard to find the time,” he said. “I played 35 events last season and I just want to come home and do nothing.”
Lucas Glover, who’s lived in Jupiter for nearly 10 years, enjoys pro sports, but he’s really into youth sports. When the former U.S. Open champion isn’t playing golf, he spends time with his 10-year-old daughter, who plays softball and basketball, and his 8-year-old son, who plays hockey.
“I don’t go to the beach much, I kind of go from the golf course to school pickups to whatever sports practices are going on,” said Glover, who plays golf out of The Bear’s Club and Tequesta Country Club. “I’ve been to a couple of Panthers games, been to a couple of Heat games, been to a couple of spring training games in Jupiter and Port St. Lucie.”
Cole also plays golf out of Tequesta Country Club, often with Nick Hardy, who moved to Tequesta from Arizona.
“I hang out with him a lot when we’re at home or on the road,” Cole said. “Our wives are friends with each other, so it’s great. We go out to dinner.”
Where do the pro golfers eat in Palm Beach County?
Speaking of dinner, many of the pros like the same restaurants.
Cole likes Hog Snappers in Tequesta, Food Shack in Jupiter and Lynora’s, which has locations in Jupiter and Palm Beach Gardens. Greyserman also likes Hog Snappers and Lynora’s, as well as Kitchen in Palm Beach Gardens.
“If I had to choose one restaurant, it’s Leftovers Café in Jupiter,” he said. “They have all fresh seafood, daily.”
Glover is a fan of Leftovers, Lucky Shuck in Jupiter and Lynora’s. Lowry enjoys 1000 North in Jupiter and Lola 41 in Palm Beach.
Svensson rarely goes out for dinner, but one of his favorite places is U-Tiki Beach in Jupiter.
“I try not to eat out as much when I’m at home just because I eat out so much when I’m traveling,” he said. “My girlfriend usually cooks, so it’s nice to have a home-cooked meal. But U-Tiki’s a great spot, I love the sushi there.”
Camilo Villegas of Jupiter will be a player director on the PGA Tour Policy Board starting Jan. 1, 2025, which means the 42-year-old won’t have much free time off the golf course during his three-year term.
“As Adam Scott texted me this morning, ‘Enjoy 2024, because come 2025 you’ll be a lot more busy,’ ” Villegas said Wednesday. “So I guess I might spend a little more time on my bicycle this year because that’s my passion. I love riding the bikes. A little bit of everything — road, gravel, mountain bike. Just good energy being out there pushing myself.”
