Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club, Boca Raton: The Complete Guide for Buyers and Sellers (2026)

What is Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club? Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club (RPYCC) is a 450-acre waterfront community in east Boca Raton, Florida, founded in 1959. It has about 680 single-family homes, about a third on the Intracoastal Waterway. Club membership is optional and by invitation. Homeowners pay an annual HOA to the Royal Palm Improvement Association.

Royal Palm works differently from Boca Raton's other club communities. Buying a home does not make you a club member, and you do not pay a club entry fee to buy. What drives price here is the lot: Intracoastal waterfront, golf course or interior.

This guide covers what you actually pay to live in Royal Palm: home prices from the MLS, the HOA, how the club membership works, and the marina and golf behind the name. The goal is to help you decide if Royal Palm fits your lifestyle and your financial plan.

"In Royal Palm, two similar houses can be worth very different amounts because of what sits behind them. A deep-water dock on the Intracoastal is a different asset from an interior lot. Price the lot first, then the house." Enrique Urdaneta, Real Estate Advisor and Yacht Broker, Engel & Völkers

Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club: Quick Facts (2026)

What Makes Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club Different?

Royal Palm separates the home from the club. Buyers pay no club entry fee to buy, and the community charges a modest HOA for its services and security. Value comes from location: the Intracoastal, deep-water dockage, the golf course, and a short drive to the beach and downtown Boca Raton.

The home and the club are separate

Two organizations run Royal Palm. The Royal Palm Improvement Association (RPIA) is the homeowners' association. It handles security, architectural review and community standards. The Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club is a private club with its own members. Club membership is by invitation, and you do not need to live in Royal Palm to be considered.

A waterfront community from the start

Arthur Vining Davis, then chairman of Alcoa, created the Arvida Corporation to develop part of his Florida land. Development of Royal Palm began in 1959. Its utilities run underground, including natural gas. Sam Snead was the club's first golf professional.

Three kinds of lots

About a third of the homes sit on the Intracoastal Waterway, about a third on the golf course, and the rest on interior streets. The lot type is the biggest driver of price in the community.

Security without a club requirement

RPIA employs 23 armed, State of Florida-certified officers who patrol the streets, the golf course and the perimeter around the clock. The community has two entrances, on Federal Highway and East Camino Real.

Do You Need a Club Membership to Buy in Royal Palm?

No. Club membership at Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club is optional and separate from homeownership. Membership is by invitation, through a process overseen by members, and there is no residency requirement. Homeowners pay only the RPIA HOA, about $4,540 per year, whether or not they join the club.

How membership works

• By invitation: candidates are selected through a process overseen by members. Brokers report that a candidate needs sponsorship from two members.
• No residency requirement: you can live in Royal Palm without joining, and you can join without living in Royal Palm.
• Categories: brokers report Full Golf and Social memberships, plus Junior and Legacy options for ages 24 to 39.

Reported membership costs

The club does not publish its fees, and it shares membership details only with serious buyers. An older comparison by Echo Fine Properties lists $125,000 for golf and $50,000 for social, which suggests fees have risen. Treat these figures as a reported range. If you are buying in Royal Palm, I can help you start that conversation with the club as part of your purchase.

What a buyer pays at purchase

The RPIA application fee is $3,500, and new owners attend an orientation with RPIA, per a 2026 MLS listing. There is no club fee at closing unless the buyer is invited to join.

How Much Are Homes in Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club?

In the last 12 months, 49 single-family homes sold in Royal Palm and 24 were listed for sale. Prices ran from $3,375,000 to $75,000,000, with a median near $11.75 million. Intracoastal waterfront estates sit at the top of that range. Data from Beaches MLS, October 7, 2025 to October 7, 2026.

Market snapshot

What drives price: the lot

Homesite counts per Royal Palm Properties. Koolik reports an average sale price near $11 million and about $2,235 per square foot over the prior year.

What this means for buyers and sellers

For a buyer, start with the lot type, then the house. An interior lot gives you the address and security at a lower entry price. For a seller, the right comparables are homes on the same lot type, not the community average. Waterfront sellers should also document dock length, water depth and vessel size limits, because yacht owners will ask.

What Amenities Does Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club Have?

Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club has an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus golf course renovated in 2024, a marina with more than 60 slips for yachts up to 130 feet, tennis and pickleball on Hydrocourts, croquet and bocce, a 7,000 sq ft wellness center, a spa, and five dining venues. These amenities are for club members.

Golf

• 18 holes, fully renovated by the Jack Nicklaus design team in 2024.
• Over 7,000 yards, with seven sets of tees.
• Original design by Robert Trent Jones Sr. in 1960. Joe Lee updated it in 1988, and Nicklaus redesigned it in 2003 and 2014.
• Year-round junior golf for ages 6 to 17 with PGA professionals, plus member events such as the Commodore's Cup and the Club Championship.

Marina and yachting

• More than 60 slips, for yachts up to 130 feet.
• TimberTech floating dock system, installed in 2015.
• Full-time dockmaster, with fuel, water and power.
• Direct access to the Intracoastal Waterway and Lake Boca Raton, a short trip to the ocean.
• New Yacht Club building opened in 2015. Membership in the Yachting Club of America.
• Fishing tournaments, sailing races and the annual Change of Watch ceremony.

Racquets, croquet and bocce

• Tennis and four convertible pickleball courts, renovated to Hydrocourts in 2024.
• Leagues, clinics, tournaments and events such as Pickleball Palooza.
• Croquet on the Greensward and side-by-side bocce courts, with clinics and interclub matches.

Dining: five venues

• Harbor Grille: the club's largest restaurant, with marina views.
• 1959: refined dining room for chef's tables, wine dinners and seasonal menus.
• The Gazebo: casual outdoor kitchen and bar by the pool and marina, opened in 2024.
• 19th Hole: overlooking the 9th and 18th greens.
• The Office: marina-side bar for members heading out on the water.

Wellness, spa and pool

• 7,000 sq ft Wellness Center on the water, opened in 2002, with Peloton bikes and digital rowing machines.
• Weekly yoga, Pilates, strength and cardio classes, and personal trainers.
• Royal Spa with massage and facials.
• Pool and entertainment deck.

Social life

The calendar includes happy hours, wine dinners, chef's tables, dinner dances, the Commodore's Bash, concerts, lectures and Women's Club events, plus kids' pool parties and art classes.

Where Is Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club and Which Schools Serve It?

Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club is in east Boca Raton, ZIP 33432. It is bounded by Federal Highway, the Intracoastal Waterway and the Hillsboro River, with the Boca Raton Resort & Club next door to the north. Entrances are on Federal Highway and East Camino Real.

The beaches, Mizner Park and downtown Boca Raton are a short drive away. The club does not publish drive times, so check them from the specific home.

Schools

Public schools listed for a Royal Palm address in a 2026 MLS listing:

• Boca Raton Elementary School
• Boca Raton Community Middle School
• Boca Raton Community High School

Private schools in the area include St. Andrew's School, Pine Crest School and American Heritage School.

Confirm the assigned schools for a specific address with the School District of Palm Beach County.

What Does It Really Cost to Own a Home in Royal Palm?

Without a club membership, a Royal Palm home costs $3,500 to apply and $4,540 a year in HOA, before property taxes, insurance and dock upkeep. With a reported golf membership, add about $210,000 at entry and $18,000 to $30,000 a year. The club decision is separate from the purchase.

Not included: property taxes, insurance (including flood and wind on waterfront homes), dock and seawall maintenance, and club food and beverage. At Royal Palm price levels, property taxes are the largest yearly cost. Check them with the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser.

Royal Palm vs. other Boca Raton country clubs

Royal Palm is the only one of Boca Raton's major club communities where membership is optional. The others require every homeowner to join. Figures are 2026 entry costs and base annual dues as reported, before HOA and tax.

Sources: Koolik, The Entel Group, Broken Sound 2026 dues, Polo Club 2025-2026 schedule.