Jennifer M. Jolly
Country Club Community
Jennifer M. Jolly, general manager of Boca Grove, a country club community in Boca Raton, says that you need a “hospitality heart” to be in her field. To her, that means you need tough skin in a business that can be difficult yet rewarding.
“As a female in a leadership position, I rely on my emotional intelligence to make meaningful connections with my team, creating a positive work environment. I’ve always had a strong business mind, a determination and resilience to succeed, but it’s knowing how to be adaptable to my staff’s needs and fostering a sense of collaboration that has made me successful,” says Jolly.
No other club is like Boca Grove, an intimate, luxurious, boutique-living lifestyle community with 444 homes and more than 300 kids.
“We’re a multigenerational community,” says Jolly. “It’s not unusual to have grandparents on one street and grandchildren and great-grandchildren on another. We truly are a community. We’re family-focused and family oriented.”
Boca Grove was built in 1983 on a 300-acre Honeybell orange grove. They offer many amenities that are usually reserved for larger luxury-living communities. Boca Grove’s crown jewel is its Jim Fazio-designed, 18-hole championship golf course boasting no tee times. You’ll find an imported Italian red clay stadium court, 12 Har Tru tennis courts, five pickleball courts, a resort-style pool and a new two-story sports and wellness center. Two padel courts are planned for this summer.
They offer many events for kids, including camp, a kids’ center, a teen center, babysitting and a playground with an adjacent splash pad.
“I love the members,” says Jolly. “I walk into the dining room and see an eight-month-old and a 98-year-old.” It is this age diversity that sets Boca Grove apart.
Jolly earned her bachelor’s degree at Michigan State University. Previously, she was a software engineer, running her own IT company and developing technology that arguably changed the marketing world. She then worked at two other clubs in Florida before landing in Boca Raton. She has been at Boca Grove for six years and GM since July 2020.
“I’m better in crises than in calm mode,” she says. That’s why she was so successful running the club during the early days of COVID-19. “I’m a jumper inner who thrives under fire. It highlighted everything I do best.” Some could say those qualities help her lead her team under pressure while maintaining grace and genuine care for the members of Boca Grove.
Boca Grove, 21351 Whitaker Drive, Boca Raton, 561-487-5300, bocagrove.org
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