BH Group Buys Wellington Golf Course for Luxury Home Community

Published: July 5th, 2026

The Aventura-based developer closed on 150 acres of shuttered fairways after settling litigation with the seller. A luxury single-family home community is coming to a site with a complicated past.

BH Group paid $20.8 million for the former Polo West Golf Course in Wellington.
The developer sued the seller, Glenn Straub, in December 2025 to compel the deal's closure.
BH plans a luxury single-family home community on the 150.5-acre site.

BH Group closed on one of Wellington's most controversial parcels: 150.5 acres at 2470 Greenview Cove Drive, the former Polo West Golf Course, for $20.8 million. The site had sat overgrown and idle for years, and the deal nearly fell apart. BH had to sue seller Glenn Straub to get to closing, and the settlement was approved on May 11, 2026. BH now plans a luxury single-family home community there.

What happened with the lawsuit?

Here is how this played out. BH Group went under contract to buy Polo West in November 2025. By December 2025, BH had filed suit against the entity managed by Straub, seeking a court order to force the sale. The details of what went wrong between contract and closing have not been publicly disclosed, but the fact that BH went to court tells you this was not a smooth transaction. You do not sue someone unless you have to.

The settlement was approved on May 11, 2026, with both sides paying their own legal fees. BH's brokers on the deal were Paul Shooster (who has previously worked with BH) and Dusty Dodge of Dodge Real Estate Corp. The final price came out to approximately $138,000 per acre, which is solid for 150 acres of developable land in Wellington.

As Larry Mastropieri explained on the Discover South Florida Podcast: "When a company like BH Group buys a site like this, you can believe they are not just taking a random shot. This is probably going to get done. The real question is how much money they put into it and how much they can fit on the site to make the project work."

Who is Glenn Straub, and why was this property a mess?

If you want to understand why BH had to sue to close this deal, you need to understand Glenn Straub. He bought the entire 2,250-acre Palm Beach Polo & Country Club at a government auction in 1993 for $27 million. He was initially credited with financially reviving the property. Lawsuits followed.

The code violations: Wellington slapped Palm Beach Polo with 130 code violations in 2014 after Straub chopped down cypress trees in a 92-acre preserve designated as protected land. He developed an illegal dog park and subdivision in the Big Blue Preserve. He accrued $7.2 million in combined fines across two separate code enforcement cases. That is not a typo. $7.2 million in fines.

The $50 million lawsuit: In 2019, Straub sued Wellington for $50 million, claiming "discrimination" and civil rights violations over the code fines. A federal judge upheld a magistrate's report calling Palm Beach Polo's suit "frivolous, unreasonable and without foundation" and ordered the club to pay $85,903 in attorney fees to the village. So not only did he lose, he had to pay the village's legal bill.

The property itself: The Polo West course once hosted PGA Tour events and had polo fields and croquet lawns. But Straub's failed redevelopment efforts left the property overgrown and idle with ongoing code citations. He sold the 150-acre parcel to equine veterinarian Scott Swerdlin for $16 million in 2019 (Straub provided the financing), then later reacquired the property before ultimately selling to BH.

So when BH Group closed this deal, they were not just buying land. They were buying out of a decade of legal drama and neglect. That is the baggage that comes with this site, and BH is betting they can turn it around.

Considering Wellington or western Palm Beach County? Talk to a Wellington real estate agent who understands how new development affects existing neighborhoods. Reach out to The Mastropieri Group or call (561) 556-9853.

Why are developers buying shuttered golf courses?

Here is the bigger picture. This is a trend across South Florida. Developers are buying defunct or shuttered golf courses and building inside existing residential neighborhoods. There is a reason these courses were originally built where they are. Developers wanted to sell golf course-front property. But now some of these courses are not being used the way they were before, and that land becomes the opportunity.

Toll Brothers did this in Boca Raton with Hidden Valley, building on former golf course land. Pulte did something similar in Margate with Coral Edge. The math is simple: you get large acreage in established areas where zoning and infrastructure already exist. You are not building out in the middle of nowhere. You are building inside communities that already have schools, shopping, and road access. That is valuable.

For BH Group, this 150-acre site in Wellington fits that playbook perfectly. The location is already surrounded by residential development, and the Palm Beach Polo & Country Club complex has been a known address for decades. If you can clean up the legal mess and push through the planning process, you are sitting on a prime piece of land.

What other luxury projects are coming to Wellington?

BH Group is not the only developer betting on Wellington right now. This area is attracting serious money, and you can see it in the pipeline.

The Wellington: Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake are backing this 600-acre luxury community with golf and equestrian facilities. Homes start at $6 million, and the target completion is 2028. When you have celebrity investors and Abu Dhabi capital behind a project, you know the bet is real.

Joe Farrell's equestrian project: Farrell is building exclusive luxury homes in Wellington's equestrian community. This is the Hamptons developer bringing his high-end residential playbook to South Florida.

Stephen Ross: The Related Ross founder is also betting big on Wellington. When you see names like Ross, Woods, and now BH Group all showing up in the same market, it tells you something about where the money sees opportunity.

BH Group's Polo West project adds another option to Wellington's growing luxury pipeline. And given their track record (they partnered with Lennar on Greenview at Presidential near Aventura, where homes are priced $2.5 million to $3.5 million), you can expect a similar luxury positioning here.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much did BH Group pay for the Polo West Golf Course in Wellington?

BH Group paid $20.8 million for the 150.5-acre property, which works out to approximately $138,000 per acre. The deal closed after the developer settled litigation with seller Glenn Straub in May 2026. Not a cheap site, but solid for 150 acres of developable land in Wellington.

What is BH Group planning to build on the Polo West site in Wellington?

BH Group plans a luxury single-family home community on the former golf course. No specific unit count, pricing, or design details have been disclosed yet. But given BH's Greenview at Presidential project near Aventura (priced $2.5 million to $3.5 million), you can expect a similar luxury positioning here.

Why did BH Group sue to buy the Wellington golf course?

BH Group went under contract in November 2025 and filed suit in December 2025 seeking a court order to force the sale. The specific dispute has not been publicly disclosed, but when a buyer has to sue to close, you know something went sideways. The settlement was approved on May 11, 2026, with both sides paying their own legal fees.

Who is Glenn Straub, and what happened at Palm Beach Polo?

Glenn Straub bought the 2,250-acre Palm Beach Polo & Country Club in 1993 for $27 million. He later faced 130 code violations, $7.2 million in fines, and lost a $50 million lawsuit against Wellington that a judge called "frivolous." The Polo West course sat overgrown for years before this sale. That is the history BH is inheriting.

What other luxury home developments are coming to Wellington?

The Wellington (backed by Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake) is a 600-acre luxury community with homes from $6 million, targeting a 2028 completion. Joe Farrell and Stephen Ross are also developing luxury projects in the area. BH Group's Polo West project adds another option to Wellington's growing luxury pipeline. This market is stacking up fast.

Local help for buyers in Wellington

If you are buying or investing in Wellington luxury homes, Royal Palm Beach, or anywhere in western Palm Beach County, you need to understand how new development changes these neighborhoods. Reach out to The Mastropieri Group, Realtors®.

For hands-on support across Palm Beach County, call (561) 556-9853.