There’s a simple answer as to why so many pro golfers (and other wealthy celebs) live in the small Florida town of Jupiter: golf courses.
In fact, there are 16 golf courses within a 15-mile radius of the destination, both public and private, per Golf Digest. The variety of playing areas and Florida’s warm weather and no state income tax have drawn the likes of Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and more athletes to join Jupiter’s population of over 61,000 residents over the years.
Born in Holywood, County Down, Northern Ireland, McIlroy, 36, has been a Florida native for many years. He purchased a home in Palm Beach Gardens but relocated to Jupiter in 2017. His current home — worth approximately $18 million, per Realtor.com — was previously owned by fellow golfer Ernie Els.
McIlroy’s home is located inside the gated community of Bear’s Club, which features its own eponymous private golf course. The club was founded by former pro golfer Jack Nicklaus in 1999.
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“The club possesses a memorable collection of par-5 holes, anchored by the gorgeous home hole, which features an inspiring greensite,” the club’s website reads. “The long pear-shaped green is tucked into the elbow of a lake, leaving a generous bailout area to the right. Just beyond the water that guards the green sits the impressive stone facade of the grand Tuscan-style clubhouse.”
In addition to the nearby golf course, McIlroy’s house features amenities such as a home theater, tennis court, outdoor kitchen, recording studio, spa and pool, per Realtor.com. The residence sits on 2.4 acres and includes nine bedrooms and 10.5 bathrooms.
Earlier this month, McIlroy and his wife, Erica Stoll, finalized plans to move across the pond into their newly built mansion in Surrey, England, with their 4-year-old daughter, Poppy. Per The Telegraph, the couple will still retain their Florida home, which will serve as their “base” during the golf season.
Not only does fellow golf legend Woods, 49, live nearby McIlroy in Jupiter, but his approximately $60 million mansion is close to his girlfriend Vanessa Trump’s home, per Realtor.com. Woods purchased his grand home for $40 million back in 2006. His primary residence is fitted with his own golf studio and putting green.
McIlroy and Woods’ other Jupiter natives and golf stars include Rickie Fowler, who purchased his $14 waterfront mansion back in 2016. Golf Monthly previously pointed out that his home’s entrance features what looks like a replica of the August National Golf Club’s Magnolia Lane.
Fowler, 36, gave fans a glimpse at the front of his home back in June 2020, sharing an Instagram video of himself successfully shooting a trick shot.
Brooks Koepka also lives close-by in a $7 million home overlooking the Loxahatchee River. He reportedly purchased the house for a little over $3 million in 2018.
Golfers aside, several (possible golf-loving) celebrities have lived in Jupiter over the years, including Burt Reynolds, Alan Jackson, Michael Jordan, Olivia Newton-John and more. Célion Dion reportedly sold her $38.5 million beachfront Florida estate in 2017, while Serena Williams bought her Jupiter home for $8 million with her husband, Alexis Ohanian, in 2020.
Bachelor Nation star Tyler Cameron was born and raised in Jupiter. Earlier this year, he revealed that the house shown during his hometown date with Hannah Brown on The Bachelorette season 15 was not in fact his childhood home. “It was really beat-up and as [my mom] did all that work, the Bachelorette producers told us, ‘It’s too small. It’s not going to work,’” he shared in a March TikTok video.
