Tar Heel Travels

World Golf Village

Florida has welcomed the game's 
Hall of Fame since it deserted Pinehurst

By Bill F. Hensley

The World Golf Hall of Fame was a fixture in Pinehurst from 1974 until 1986 when, like the Charlotte Hornets of the NBA, it fled the state for what it hoped would be a new life in the promised land. The facility is now in Florida, just a good drive and a wedge shot off busy Interstate 95, 12 miles north of St. Augustine. Whether it has reached the land of milk and honey remains to be seen, or so I concluded after a recent visit.

The attraction deserted North Carolina, critics at the time said, because Pinehurst was off the beaten path and the few visitors who came to the shrine did so only when the weather was so bad they couldn’t play on the numerous championship courses at their disposal. That was a bum rap.

Upon arriving at the World Golf Village for the first time, the unique complex appears to be confusing and cumbersome, spread out over a vast area. But it takes only a half-mile walk around the lake on the “Walk of Champions” to become acquainted with the village.

The focal point of the 6,300-acre complex of prime Florida real estate is the stately 75,000-square-foot Hall of Fame building with a dramatic 18-story tower that provides commanding views of the area. The modern, attractive village surrounds a lake and includes a golf course, two hotels, several restaurants, a Golf Academy, a mega golf store, a convention center, an Imax theater and numerous shops and residential units.

There is also an 18-hole putting course, a 132-yard challenge hole across the lake to an island green, the PGA Tour Production headquarters, and the main office of The First Tee, a charitable organization that is working to positively impact the lives of children through golf.

A short distance from the core village is a second golf course, another hotel, a super market, a service station, and a number of spacious homes and condominiums. The ocean and the charming city of St. Augustine are less than a half-hour drive, and a new beach club, Serenata, is open to resort guests.

“Whatever a visitor or resident needs is here,” says Jane Fader, the village’s communications manager. “Ours is a village with many features and amenities, and it has been warmly accepted.”

Construction on the World Golf Hall of Fame and the village began in 1996 and was completed two years later. The Hall details the 600-year history of the game and includes the inductees section, which covers the 96 men and women who have been elected since the hall debuted in Pinehurst in 1974. There are numerous interactive attractions such as putting, swing analysis and a simulator that lets the avid golfer play the world’s most famous courses.

While attendance has not been overwhelming, Hall officials are satisfied that the facility is making gains. In the four years of operations, annual attendance has ranged from 180,000 to 220,000. If the Hall has been slow to catch on, the village’s two fine courses have met with immediate success. The on-site Slammer & Squire, designed by Bobby Weed with some consulting input from course namesakes Sam Snead and Gene Sarazen, opened in 1998. Six miles away is the King & Bear, which opened in 2000 and was co-designed — as you might have guessed — by Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. Each layout has five sets of tees to accommodate players with a variety of handicaps.

Should the golfer find problems with his game, the PGA Tour Golf Academy is on hand to correct swing faults. The full-service school features seven certified instructors as well as the latest video technology for analysis purposes. That familiar face giving lessons? It’s Calvin Peete, the one-time PGA Tour star who’s now a noted teacher.

Accommodations in the village are available at the nine-story, 300-room Renaissance Resort, next to the Hall of Fame, and the Sheraton Vistana. There are also two and three bedroom condos for rent. A 40,000-square-foot convention facility for large meetings adjoins the Renaissance.

Two of the village’s most popular restaurants are Sam Snead’s Tavern, and the Caddyshack, owned and operated by actor/comedian Bill Murray and his brothers. The 300-seat IMAX theater is adjacent to the Hall of Fame and takes viewers on larger than life adventures each day and is a major attraction for school groups.

While you are in the area, don’t miss seeing St. Augustine, the nation’s oldest city. There are dozens of fine restaurants in town and a fascinating variety of interesting shops, museums and travel attractions throughout the charming, history-filled town that dates to 1565.

For more information on the World Golf Hall of Fame and Village, log on to www.wgv.com or call 904-940-4123. To book a vacation package, call 1-800-WGV-GOLF.

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