"Golf course people like hot dogs and hamburgers," North Palm Beach's manager, Chuck Huff, told The Palm Beach Post in 2024, while North Palm Beach was choosing a new restaurant operator for its country club. Two years later, the clubhouse at 951 US-1 still sells the burger-and-fries lunch golfers wanted. This October its calendar also has Tuesday mahjong dinners, a monthly community mixer, a pumpkin-decorating night for kids, and a dining membership that doesn't require anyone to own a set of clubs.
The change makes sense once you remember who owns the place. North Palm Beach Country Club is the Village's own property. This fall it is being set up as a dining room for the whole town, with golf as one reason among several to show up.
A Public Building With a Private-Club Name
The word "country club" suggests a gate and a waiting list. The Village describes NPBCC as publicly owned, open to the general public seven days a week, and set on 145 acres the Village bought in 1961. The first clubhouse opened in 1963 and was torn down in 2018. It was replaced by a 37,000-square-foot building overlooking the redesigned Jack Nicklaus Signature course.
The two projects overlapped. Golfers went back on the renovated course on March 18, 2019, after work that started the May before, according to The Palm Beach Post. The new clubhouse held its grand opening that December.
Since the Village owns the building, it also chooses who cooks in it. In 2024 it put out a five-year food-and-beverage contract. Village staff recommended Lessing's, the top-ranked finalist. By that October, Lessing's had partnered with the club and was renaming the former Farmer's Table as The Clubhouse. Lessing's still lists The Clubhouse as open to the public. The restaurant side now runs under four names: The Clubhouse, the Grill Room, the Snack Shack, and the beverage cart.
The Kitchen Getting a New Menu This Month
On October 1, the Village posted a Country Club alert pointing residents to a profile of Chef Nick in the October newsletter. It added that The Clubhouse has "an exciting menu change later this October."
The profile, on page 13 of the October 2026 Village newsletter, says Nick grew up helping his father, a chef, in the kitchen while his grandmother was always cooking. His first job was making burritos on a line. He tried other work and kept coming back to the kitchen. Today he is Executive Chef at The Clubhouse.
"Just trying to find the balance in a dish is challenging and fun. Sometimes you throw something in that you're surprised actually works, and that's what makes cooking so much fun."
According to the newsletter, the Buddha Bowl has become a popular choice with guests, and the burgers have turned into a fan favorite. So the menu Huff pictured is still there, with a grain bowl beside it. Nick judges a meal by whether it reminds people of their childhood or something they have done or eaten before. His own example is a plain ham sandwich with Italian dressing that his dad used to make. He now calls it Grampy's Sandwich, and his nine- and 10-year-old daughters love it.
The newsletter confirms the new menu launches in October but doesn't list the dishes. Until the menu is posted, the details are unknown. The Clubhouse's number is 561-691-3430.
What the Social Dining Membership Costs to Justify
The clearest sign that the club is courting non-golfers is the Social Dining Membership. It runs from October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027. It costs $900 for residents and $1,200 for nonresidents, and existing club members can add it for $600. Residents of the Village that owns the club pay $300 less than nonresidents.
Here is what the membership includes, according to the club:
- 20% off food and beverage at The Clubhouse, the Grill Room, the Snack Shack and the beverage cart
- A concierge reservation line for peak times and early booking for special events
- A VIP wine and spirits dinner curated by the chef, plus the monthly Community Mixer
- Free kids' meals with the purchase of an adult entrée
- A complimentary dessert for the table at dinner, chosen by the Executive Pastry Chef
- 20% off soft-goods merchandise in the golf shop
- NPBCC pool membership for recreational swimming
- Complimentary food and beverage at the Let It Glow Party during the Palm Beach Holiday Boat Parade
On the discount alone, a resident breaks even after spending $4,500 at the club's restaurants over the year. That's about $375 a month. The mixers change the math. Each one costs $25 per adult plus tax and a 20% gratuity, and members get in free. One adult who goes to a mixer every month for the full term saves at least $300 in base prices, and more once tax and gratuity are counted. That leaves no more than $600 of the fee for the 20% discount to cover, which works out to $3,000 in dining or less. Free kids' meals and pool access push the break-even lower for households that use them. For golf members already paying for the course, the $600 add-on breaks even at $3,000 in dining before any of the extras.
October Through December, Mostly Without Golf
The only fall item aimed squarely at golfers is the 19th Hole Special. It's $15 for a burger or two hot dogs with fries and a Clubhouse Lager at lunch, with a same-day scorecard, through October 31. The rest of the calendar works for anyone:
| Date | Event at The Clubhouse | Time | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesdays, game days | Mahjong Girl Dinner, when Palm Beach Mahjong plays | 4:30–8 p.m. | $25 |
| Wednesday, Oct. 21 | First monthly Community Mixer with house beverage, themed buffet and raffle ticket | 5–7 p.m. | $25 per person, $10 for kids 10 and under, plus tax and 20% gratuity; free for social dining members |
| Thursday, Oct. 29 | Halloween pumpkin decorating for families | 4:30–6 p.m. | $5 per pumpkin |
| Thursday, Nov. 26 | Thanksgiving buffet | Reservations 12–6 p.m. | $75 per person, $25 for children under 10 |
| Saturday, Dec. 5 | Palm Beach Holiday Boat Parade and Let It Glow Party | Parade starts 6 p.m. | Complimentary food and beverage for social dining members |
The Thanksgiving listing first went up last year. Its date, price and reservation window match this year's calendar, but call to confirm the menu before you book.
The Night the Parade Starts on Your Side of the Water
The Let It Glow Party is the membership perk with the best view, because the boat parade starts in North Palm Beach. The Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County lists the 32nd annual Palm Beach Holiday Boat Parade for Saturday, December 5, 2026. Fireworks lead it off at 6 p.m. The boats travel up the Intracoastal from North Palm Beach to the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and reach Jupiter around 8 p.m.
The association's parade page names North Palm Beach Country Club as a public viewing location. Anyone can watch from the club. Social dining members also get the complimentary food and drinks. The club hasn't posted hours or details for this year's party yet, so check with The Clubhouse as December gets closer. The parade will also stream live on the WPBF app and Facebook page.
A resident who signs up this month could get the new menu in late October, a free mixer every month, and complimentary food and drinks at the start of the boat parade on December 5, all on a membership priced for people who live in the Village.
If you're weighing a dining membership or wondering what amenities like this add to life on your street, Joel Poulin can walk you through it. Schedule your complimentary listing consultation and market snapshot to see how Village-owned amenities like NPBCC factor into what homes nearby are worth.
