PGA Golf Club's North Course in Port St. Lucie, Fla., has been named to the 2005 "Top 50 Courses for Women," as selected by a panel of experts for Golf For Women magazine. The ranking appears in the July-August issue, which is available June 21, on newsstands.

To compile its "Top 50 Courses for Women" package, Golf For Women editors and a nationwide panel of 100 women course-raters ranked the top 50 public and resort courses in the United States, based on a variety of criteria. PGA Golf Club's North Course, designed by Tom Fazio and opened for play in 1996, is listed No. 35 in the ranking.

Each course on the list was rated for superior playability, aesthetics and amenities, with all providing an overall positive golf experience for women.

"Not all courses are designed with the thought, skill, and care it takes to create a great experience from the forward tees," said Golf For Women Vice President/Editor-In-Chief Susan Reed. "With its women-friendly yardages, design and an excellent pro shop, PGA Golf Club's North Course has earned a place on 'Golf For Women's Top 50 Courses.'"

The North Course is one of three world-class public courses at PGA Golf Club, which is part of PGA Village, a premier resort community in Port St. Lucie. The community features the award-winning PGA Golf Club, the PGA Learning Center, PGA Historical Center and PGA Education Center. PGA Golf Club, The PGA of America's first owned and operated public golf facility, also has all three of its world-class courses as a member of the Audubon International Signature Status for environmental compliance.

"When the Association was forming a Chapter in the Port St. Lucie area, PGA Golf Club stepped up immediately to help support the growth of women's golf in the area by becoming a host course of the EWGA and supporting the efforts of the Chapter," said Executive Women's Golf Association (EWGA) Executive Director Sara Hume. "They have always been most accommodating to meeting the needs of our members playing on the course."

The North Course serves as a site for weekly leagues and has been the site of a qualifying round of the EWGA Championship, the largest women's amateur golf tournament in the world.

"The course is enjoyable to play, and most importantly, the staff creates an environment where women feel respected and welcome," said Hume. "The course also recently participated with the EWGA Chapter in the national Women's Golf Week initiative, to help introduce more women to the game.

"We are proud to be working with PGA Golf Club and to see their support of women's golf recognized at this level. Perhaps the enthusiasm for the facility is best expressed by Beverly Frebertshauser, president of the EWGA Port St. Lucie Chapter, who described her experience with PGA Golf Club as, 'Awesome.'"

The PGA of America, founded in 1916, is a not-for-profit organization that promotes the game of golf, while continuing to enhance the standards of the profession. The Association is comprised of more than 28,000 men and women who are dedicated to growing participation in the game of golf.

Golf For Women's 2005 "Top 50 Courses For Women" Ranking:

1. The Boulders - South Course, Carefree, Ariz.
2. Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club, Southern Pines, N.C.
3. Sea Island Golf Club - Seaside, St. Simon's Island, Ga.
4. The Greenbrier - Old White, White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.
5. Reynolds Plantation - The Oconee, Greensboro, Ga.
6. LPGA International - Champions, Daytona Beach, Fla.
7. Kingsmill Resort & Spa - Plantation, Williamsburg, Va.
8. Grand Cypress Golf Resort - South/East, Orlando, Fla.
9. La Quinta Resort & Club - Mountain, La Quinta, Calif.
10. Kiawah Island (S.C.) Golf Resort - Osprey Point
11. The Golf Club at Newcastle (Wash.) - China Creek
12. Keystone (Colo.) Ranch Golf Club - The River
13. Sunriver (Ore.) Resort - Meadows
14. Amelia Island (Fla.) Plantation - Ocean Links
15. The Lodge at Ventana Canyon - Mountain, Tucson, Ariz.
16. Pinehurst (N.C.) Resort - No. 8
17. The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club - Grande Lakes, Orlando, Fla.
18. Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links
19. Desert Willow Golf Resort - Mountain View, Palm Desert, Calif.
20. Seaview Resort & Spa - Bay, Galloway Township, N.J.
21. The Challenge at Manele - Lanai, Hawaii
22. Ocean Hammock Resort - Ocean Hammock, Palm Coast, Fla.
23. Pelican Hill Golf Course - Ocean South, Newport Coast, Calif.
24. Troon North Golf Club - Pinnacle, Scottsdale, Ariz.
25. Willbrook Plantation - Pawleys Island, S.C.
26. Bandon (Ore.) Dunes Golf Resort - Pacific Dunes
27. Half Moon Bay (Calif.) Golf Links - Ocean
28. Indian Canyons Golf Resort - Palm Springs, Calif.
29. Wailea (Hawaii) Golf Club - Wailea Emerald
30. Monarch Beach Golf Links - Dana Point, Calif.
31. Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa - Mystic Rock, Farmington, Pa.
32. Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club - Ghost Creek, North Plains, Ore.
33. Lake Las Vegas Resort - Reflection Bay, Henderson, Nev.
34. Whistling Straits - Irish, Kohler, Wis.
35. PGA Golf Club - North, Port St. Lucie, Fla.
36. Hermitage Golf Course - President's Reserve, Old Hickory, Tenn.
37. St. Ives Resort - Tullymore, Stanwood, Mich.
38. Snowmass Club - Snowmass Village, Colo.
39. Province Lake Golf - Parsonfield, Maine
40. La Cantera Golf Club - The Resort, San Antonio, Texas
41. TPC of Scottsdale (Ariz.) - Desert
42. Purgatory Golf Club - Noblesville, Ind.
43. Boyne Highlands Resort - The Heather, Harbor Springs, Mich.
44. Black Lake Golf Club - Onaway, Mich.
45. The Golf Course at Glen Mills (Pa.)
46. Lost Canyons Golf Club - Shadow, Simi Valley, Calif.
47. Golf Club at Redlands Mesa, Grand Junction, Colo.
48. Okemo Valley Golf Course, Ludlow, Vt.
49. Stonewall Golf Club, Gainesville, Va.
50. Semiahmoo Resort, Blaine, Wash.