A new luxury golf community is coming to Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. With a course designed by PGA legend Jack Nicklaus and up-and-comer Justin Thomas, the community is taking a sustainable approach, including solar power from Tesla Energy.
Surrounded by more than 2,000 acres of protected Florida wetlands, Panther National, the golf community coming from Swiss entrepreneur Dominik Senn, will feature a course designed by golf legend Jack Nicklaus and golf pro Justin Thomas. It will also be the world’s first residential luxury community powered by Tesla Energy.
The 218 residences, which start at $3.5 million, will all be outfitted with Tesla’s Solar and Powerwall products. Panther National says this will bring sustainably generated energy to the community as well as energy independence to a “world-class setting.”
Nicklaus is one of the most-decorated PGA members of all time and the only golfer with more wins than Tiger Woods. Nicklaus has designed more than 420 golf courses. Panther National marks the first joint venture between Nicklaus, 82, and Thomas, 28. The project broke ground last month.
“I’m fascinated with golf course architecture,” Thomas told CNBC. “I’m going to learn from one of the best in the game. I’m going to sit back and listen more than anything,” he said.
Panther National
The new 18-hole gold course community spans more than 400 acres with properties ranging in size from 4,700 square feet to 10,000 square feet.
The Panther National community is the brainchild of Senn, a Swiss entrepreneur and sports manager since the mid-nineties, widely considered one of the most successful sports marketers of Switzerland.
“This land parcel represents what is probably the last remaining opportunity to develop a luxury golf course community in Northern Palm Beach County, one of the nation’s strongest residential real estate markets.” Senn said in a statement last November. “The project’s location, just 20 minutes from the world-class social infrastructure of Palm Beach island and West Palm Beach, together with its immediate proximity to the North County private airport, will undoubtedly help position this development as one of the nation’s premier new golf communities”.
Panther National says its exclusive enclave, designed by architect Max Strang, pairs environmental-modern elegance with visionary engineering for effortless luxury. All of Strang’s floor plans reflect a sustainable commitment through “ecologically sensitive” construction. The community is also focused on bespoke wellness services including a fitness center, tennis center, yoga studio, and spa.
“Panther National is the first modern golf and lifestyle community built for a new generation, a world catering to the select individuals who will call it home,” reads the Panther National website. It says the signature golf course, the custom estates, and the amenities “at your doorstep” put Panther National residents “at the center of unparalleled beauty and sophistication with European-style service.”
“It’s our job to try to make this golf course a little different, a little more special, something that’s as interesting and something that will attract people out here … we want to create a successful mousetrap to draw the mice,” Nicklaus said.
Tesla Energy
Florida is an ideal climate for solar energy. All of the Panther National homes will be outfitted with flat roof designs to help with generating energy. A region that’s prone to hurricanes that can knock out power lines for days or longer, the backup system could prove useful and a model for future community developments.
Last July, Tesla Energy reported more than $800 million revenue for its three key products: solar, Powerwalls, and its utility storage unit, Megapack. Tesla said revenue for its solar energy products grew 62 percent from the previous quarter and more than 116 percent over 2020 numbers.
Tesla has been struggling with chip shortages for its vehicles; the Powerwalls use the same chips. Founder Elon Musk has said the company would give preference to vehicles—the bulk of its business.
“As that significant shortage is alleviated, then we can massively ramp up Powerwall production,” Musk said during an earnings call last summer. “I think we have a chance of hitting an annualized rate of a million units of Powerwall next year — maybe, on the order of 20,000 a week. Again dependent on cell supply and semiconductors. … As the world transitions to a sustainable energy production, solar and wind are intermittent, and by their nature really need battery packs in order to provide a steady flow of electricity. And when you look at all the utilities in the world, this is a vast amount of backup batteries that are needed.”
Tesla Energy recently sent Powerwall units to Ukraine to help people fleeing Russian attacks. The units, meant to be mounted in homes, can be converted to mobile power sources. Tesla released an unlisted YouTube video to help explain how to use the Powerwall units this way.
The move followed several shipments of Starlink terminals from Musk’s SpaceX company aimed at helping Ukrainians maintain internet access.