The World Golf Village (WGV) is a

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...

resort in

St. Johns County, Florida St. Johns County is a county in the First Coast, northeastern part of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 273,425. The county seat and largest incorporated city is St. Augustine, Florida, St. August ...

, United States, located between

Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...

and St. Augustine. It was created by the

PGA Tour The PGA Tour (stylized in all capital letters as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in the United States and North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also k ...

and showcases the

World Golf Hall of Fame The World Golf Hall of Fame is located at World Golf Village near St. Augustine, Florida, in the United States, and it is unusual among sports halls of fame in that a single site honors both men and women. It is supported by a consortium of 26 go ...

. In addition to the resort the World Golf Village features residential and commercial developments.Conte, Christian
“World Commerce Center office condos planned”
''Jacksonville Business Journal'', August 11, 2006 There is also a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

with the same name.

Development

The parcel was approved in the 1990s as a "Development of Regional Impact" (DRI) under Section 380.06 of the

Florida Statutes The ''Florida Statutes'' are the codified, statutory laws of Florida; it currently has 48 titles. A chapter in the Florida Statutes represents all of the relevant statutory law on a particular subject. The statutes are the selected reproduction of ...

, and eventually have 18,000 residents. A new interchange on

Interstate 95 in Florida Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main Interstate Highway of Florida's Atlantic Coast. It begins at a partial interchange with U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) just south of downtown Miami, and heads north past Daytona Beach, through Jacksonville, and to t ...

was constructed to permit direct access to the site, which was expected to host a million visitors each year. Kelly Lake was created at the center of the village, surrounded by a brick Walk of Champions, which features a large flagstone for each Hall of Fame member, with their name and signature etched in granite. A large building on the west side houses the hall of fame, theater, cafe and 110-foot shrine tower. The "Shops of World Golf Village" are situated on the north and east sides, and the Renaissance Hotel and convention center are to the south.

World Golf Foundation

The

Ladies Professional Golf Association The word ''lady'' is a term for a girl or woman, with various connotations. Once used to describe only women of a high social class or status, the equivalent of lord, now it may refer to any adult woman, as gentleman can be used for men. Infor ...

created a hall of fame in 1951. It was inactive until 1967, when it moved into a physical location in

Augusta, Georgia Augusta ( ), officially Augusta–Richmond County, is a consolidated city-county on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The city lies across the Savannah River from South Carolina at the head of its navig ...

and was renamed the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame. In the early 1990s, the

was contemplating a Hall of Fame close to their north Florida headquarters.

Deane Beman } Deane R. Beman (born April 22, 1938) is an American professional golfer, golf administrator. He was the second commissioner of the PGA Tour, serving from 1974 to 1994. Early years Born in Washington, D.C., Beman attended the University of Maryla ...

asked LPGA commissioner Charlie Mechem if there was interest in a joint Golf Hall of Fame. When they responded in the affirmative, the

United States Golf Association The United States Golf Association (USGA) is the United States national association of golf courses, clubs and facilities and the governing body of golf for the U.S. and Mexico. Together with The R&A, the USGA produces and interprets the rules ...

was contacted, as was

The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews is one of the oldest golf clubs in the world. It is a private members-only club based in St Andrews in Scotland. It was previously known colloquially as "The R&A", but in 2004, a new organisation kn ...

. Both agreed to collaborate, and

PGA of America The Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA of America) is an American organization of golf professionals that was founded in 1916. Consisting of nearly 29,000 men and women members, the PGA of America's undertaking is to establish ...

closed the Pinehurst World Golf Hall of Fame, while the LPGA decided to merge their HOF into the new facility. An independent entity, the

World Golf Foundation The World Golf Foundation (WGF) mission is to unite the golf industry around initiatives that promote, enhance the growth of and provide access to the game worldwide, while preserving golf’s traditional values and passing them on to others. It ac ...

(WGF), was formed in 1994 to promote and honor the game and those who made significant contributions. The Board of Directors included representatives from the world's major golf organizations. The WGF owns and controls the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Hall of Fame

The foremost attraction at World Golf Village is the

, which superseded the PGA of America facility at

Pinehurst, North Carolina Pinehurst is a village in Moore County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 13,124. It is home of the historic Pinehurst Resort, a Golf resort, which has hosted multiple United States Open Champion ...

in May 1998. The Hall of Fame has a permanent display with biographical information for every individual inducted. There are also sections devoted to the history of golf, heritage, organizations, course design, equipment, attire and trends. The Trophy Tower contains a collection of all the major tournament trophies (and many of the minor ones). Many of the displays are interactive and give the visitor a "hands on" experience. Featured exhibits change yearly, and a round on the 18-hole putting course is included with museum admission. Additionally, there is a Challenge Hole with an island green similar to the

signature hole A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". The ...

TPC Sawgrass The Tournament Players Club at Sawgrass (TPC at Sawgrass) is a golf course in the southeastern United States, located in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, southeast of Jacksonville. Opened in the autumn of 1980, it was the first of several Tournament ...

, the par 3, 17th.

Golf

Courses

The resort features two championship golf courses: the King & Bear, designed jointly by

Arnold Palmer Arnold Daniel Palmer (September 10, 1929 – September 25, 2016) was an American professional golfer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most charismatic players in the sport's history. Dating back to 1955, he won numerous ev ...

and

Jack Nicklaus Jack William Nicklaus (born January 21, 1940), nicknamed The Golden Bear, is a retired American professional golfer and List of golf courses designed by Jack Nicklaus, golf course designer. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest go ...

, and the Slammer & Squire, a collaboration of

Sam Snead Samuel Jackson Snead (pronounced English_phonology">sni:d.html" ;"title="English_phonology.html" ;"title="nowiki/>English phonology">sni:d">English_phonology.html" ;"title="nowiki/>English phonology">sni:d May 27, 1912 – May 23, 2002) was an ...

and

Gene Sarazen Gene Sarazen (; born Eugenio Saraceni, February 27, 1902 – May 13, 1999) was an American professional golfer, one of the world's top players in the 1920s and 1930s, and the winner of seven major championships. He is one of five players (along ...

. Both courses consistently receive 4.5 stars rating (out of 5) by ''

Golf Digest ''Golf Digest'' is a monthly golf magazine published by Warner Bros. Discovery through its sports unit under its Warner Bros. Discovery Golf division. It is a generalist golf publication covering recreational golf and men's and women's competiti ...

''. Both courses have hosted professional tournaments including the

Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf The Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf at Big Cedar is a golf tournament in Missouri on the PGA Tour Champions. Since 2014, it has been played at Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale on the par-3 Top of the Rock course, designed by Jack Nicklaus and the 18- ...

, a

Champions Tour PGA Tour Champions (formerly the Senior PGA Tour and the Champions Tour) is a men's professional senior golf tour, administered as a branch of the PGA Tour. History and format The Senior PGA Championship, founded in 1937, was for many years ...

event, and ''

Shell's Wonderful World of Golf ''Shell's Wonderful World of Golf'' was a televised series of golf matches which began in the 1960s. The program was sponsored by Shell Oil. It was a part of the tradition of "challenge matches" between pairs of professional golfers, which were th ...

'', as well as other nationally televised events.

Academy

The PGA TOUR Golf Academy opened at WGV in 2000 as a one-stop facility to help players improve all facets of their golf game. Their instructors are experienced PGA and LPGA professionals who provide clinics, schools, private lessons, development programs and camps for juniors using the latest technology."PGA Tour Golf Academy"
PGA Tour Experiences Based on the success of the program, branches have been established at

TPC Scottsdale TPC Scottsdale is a 36-hole golf complex in the southwestern United States, located in Scottsdale, Arizona, northeast of Phoenix. Opened in 1986, the resort is part of the Tournament Players Club network of golf courses operated by the PGA Tour. ...

, TPC Las Vegas,

TPC San Antonio TPC San Antonio is a golf resort in the south central United States, located in the Cibolo Canyons area north of San Antonio, Texas.

and six other resort locations in the United States. The academy at World Golf Village trains and certifies all instructors at TOUR academies.

Accommodations

Four hotels/motels were constructed in anticipation of tourism at the center. The largest is the Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village, followed by the Laterra Resort & Spa. The Grande Villas and The Residences at World Golf Village also provide unique accommodations.

Attractions

One of the most popular attractions is the

IMAX IMAX is a proprietary system of high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (approximately either 1.43:1 or 1.90:1) and steep stadium seating. Graeme F ...

Theater, which plays the latest movies and documentaries in a 300-seat theater with an -wide by six-story-high screen. The Murray Brothers Caddyshack restaurant is located along the Walk of Champions and is owned by actor

Bill Murray William James Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his deadpan delivery. He rose to fame on ''The National Lampoon Radio Hour'' (1973–1974) before becoming a national presence on ''Saturday Nigh ...

and his five brothers. Their slogan is, "Eat, Drink and Be Murray!" Davis, Ennis
"Suburban St. Johns County: World Golf Village"
Metro Jacksonville, September 14, 2010 Villagio Bar and Grill and a Starbucks are located within the Renaissance Resort. The Fairways Café is part of the World Golf Hall of Fame and offers casual and takeout fare. The PGA Tour Stop (now closed) was situated along the Walk of Champions, and was the largest golf store in Florida. Historic St. Augustine and the beaches of the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

are nearby, and WGV is part of the

Greater Jacksonville Metropolitan Area The Jacksonville Metropolitan Area, also called the First Coast, Metro Jacksonville, or Northeast Florida, is the metropolitan area centered on the principal city of Jacksonville, Florida and including the First Coast of North Florida. According ...

, with over 1 million residents.

Education

The community is within the St. Johns County School District. Zoned elementary schools include: Mill Creek Academy, Picolata Crossing, and Wards Creek. Boundaries of two middle schools include portions of World Golf Village: Mill Creek and Pacetti Bay: All residents are zoned to

Tocoi Creek High School Tocoi Creek High School (TCHS) is a new public high school in the World Golf Village census-designated place, - Compare to the school zone maps. in north central area of St. Johns County, Florida near St. Augustine. It is part of the St. John ...

.
Maps from here

Other development

The St. Johns County Convention Center was constructed within the WGV and is connected to the Renaissance Resort. An

assisted living An assisted living residence or assisted living facility (ALF) is a housing facility for people with disabilities or for adults who cannot or who choose not to live independently. The term is popular in the United States, but the setting is s ...

facility for aging golfers, Westminster St. Augustine, is located nearby. A timeshare sales office is located on-site, and several nearby subdivisions will sell homes or homesites to golfers looking for a Florida vacation home.

References

External links

* {{authority control Buildings and structures in St. Johns County, Florida Golf clubs and courses in Florida Golf clubs and courses designed by Bobby Weed PGA Tour Golf clubs and courses in the Jacksonville metropolitan area Resorts in Florida Planned communities in Florida Hotels in Florida Tourist attractions in St. Johns County, Florida 1998 establishments in Florida Gene Sarazen Arnold Palmer Hotels in the Jacksonville metropolitan area