By Tiffany Merlo Phelps
mail@floridanewsline.com
When Chris Hord looks over the 31 ½ acres of his family’s business at the Palm Valley Golf Club and Practice Range, he sees childhood memories everywhere.
There is the tree on the property that was once home to his very own fort. There is the parking lot where he took a spill off his bicycle, earning him a bump on his forehead that he can still feel today. There is the land that he spent countless hours mowing, earning $2 an hour for special projects.
Go a little deeper and the memories hit closer to the heart like those of his late father Jack Hord teaching him to play golf and the many lessons learned from his parents on the value of hard work and dedication to the community. Jack, along with his wife Sue Hord, built and designed the golf course which opened in 1990. The driving range opened in 1989.
It was and still is a labor of love for the family.
“The mission was to make golf affordable and open to everyone,” said Chris Hord. “My dad’s dream in building this facility was to have a place where families could enjoy the game of golf together.”
The facility, located in Nocatee, includes a nine-hole golf course, grass, and mat practice tees and a 10,000 square foot putting green. A year ago, Hord introduced the Toptracer Range, which uses the same technology as Topgolf facilities. “But at half the price,” said Hord, adding that it offers 20 different virtual courses to play and kids’ games. “And it is not just entertainment; it actually has some really good golf metrics.”
Hord said his father grew up in Coral Springs loving golf and played for Miami Dade College; however, his parents wanted him to get a “real” career, so he got his master’s degree in psychology. He worked as a psychologist for the state of Florida, but he also pursued his PGA Class A Teaching Pro certification.
Prior to opening Palm Valley Golf Club and Practice Range, Hord said his parents purchased a rundown range off Beach Boulevard and brought it back to life. Around the same time, they also found property for sale off Palm Valley Road, formerly an old rodeo, and bought it, creating Palm Valley Golf Club and Practice Range. Jack Hord rented a bulldozer and started shaping the golf course with no prior experience. Chris Hord said they put in the irrigation themselves and turned an old horse feed building into a pro shop.
“My mom was really the heart and soul of finances,” he said. “My dad was more of the superintendent, and he loved giving lessons the most. He was an incredible instructor.”
Hord said his dad passed away in 2014. At that time, Hord became more involved and ultimately took on a full-time role as the vice president of the facility, wanting to preserve what his parents had built and nurtured. The family never considered selling for this very reason, even as the Nocatee development took shape all around them and offers were made.
Hord’s mother, who often mowed, tended to the flowerbeds, and took on any chore, was diagnosed with incurable metastatic stage 4 lung cancer in 2017. As a result, she has slowed down, but remains committed to the success of the business and is doing fine health wise, Hord said.
Today Hord is focused on the golf industry and its future and on giving a facelift to the course. Hord is also interested in making the facility more sustainable by possibly incorporating crops and livestock. Maintenance of the golf course keeps Hord and his staff busy every day as they focus on being environmentally friendly and efficient. He said he and his father always considered themselves to be “grass farmers.”
“In season, it is probably 100 to 120 manhours to do the basic maintenance, not including any projects like aerification,” he said.
Kimberly Lawlor, general manager and Director of Golf, said she recognizes the beauty of the place.
“You are out in the middle of nature. There really isn’t another place quite like this,” she said. “It is not a country club environment.”
Lawlor, who played golf at Jacksonville University and turned pro in 1995, likes giving lessons to beginners the most — at any age. The facility has the most First Tee classes of any golf course in North Florida.
“It is very rewarding to watch someone implement what you told them. When they make that connection, you have succeeded,” she said.
Photo courtesy Chris Hord
Palm Valley Golf Club and Practice Range looking down the 1st tee hole.
