Pinehurst is accepting items such as Gene Sarazen’s 1922 PGA Championship and 1935 Masters Championship trophies; Jack Nicklaus’ MacGregor bag from his 1965 Masters victory; Johnny Miller’s clubs, ball and gold medal from the 1973 U.S. Open at Oakmont (where he shot a record 63 in the final round); Seve Ballesteros’ wedge he used when he won the first of his five majors at the 1979 Open Championship; and the shirt worn by Annika Sorenstam when she became the first woman to play in a PGA Tour event at the 2003 Colonia.
Volunteer Coulter Schmitt walks past the wall of bronze plaques honoring members of the World Golf Hall of Fame. St. Johns County will retain possession of the plaques to be displayed in the reimagined Hall of Fame and Museum building.
But there are about 7,500 other items that were on loan or donated to the Hall of Fame. McLaughlin said the offer was made to living Hall of Fame members and the families of those deceased to return some items but other members have opted to send the items elsewhere:
Two-time U.S. Open champion Curtis Strange has asked for his donations to be sent to his alma mater, Wake Forest.
Items belonging to Chick Evans will be sent to the Western Golf Association.
Augusta National is accepting memorabilia associated with founder Clifford Roberts.
More than 3,000 books went to the USGA of the Southern Methodist Sports Management program.
“We haven’t had a problem finding a home for most of the assets,” McLaughlin said. “Eventually we hope to find a home for everything.”
The daunting process begins in six days — after the final visitor leaves the structure.
That’s when one era in First Coast golf history closes in St. Augustine, to be followed by the Hall of Fame’s mulligan in Pinehurst.
ST. AUGUSTINE, Florida — The World Golf Hall of Fame and Museum will be in business for one more week in St. Augustine — after a quarter-century that included 16 induction ceremonies, 76 new members, special exhibits honoring the game’s greatest players, entertainers and U.S. Presidents — plus the memories of as many as 280,000 visitors per year at its peak.
Therein lies the problem: attendance dipped to around 40,000 during the pandemic year of 2020 and was around 60,000 in 2021 and 2022.
That wasn’t enough to financially sustain the facility and some of its assets — and the brand — are being shipped to the Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina as part of the United States Golf Association’s new USGA Golf House Pinehurst, set to open in the late spring of 2024.
And it’s been with a mixture of curiosity, sadness and regret that visitors are prowling the halls and exhibit rooms of the Hall of Fame in the final days.
“It was so much fun to come here,” said Melody Herbert of St. Augustine, who came to the Hall of Fame with her husband Hank and their granddaughters Camille and Audrey to escape the heat of a late summer afternoon. “I loved the putting course and now that they’re old enough for that, it’s gone. I thought they had made improvements after [the recession of 2008].”
Another set of visitors were the Reyes brothers Benny (and his wife Janie) and Arnold (and his wife Elizabeth) from Corpus Christi, Texas. Arnold Reyes’ son had graduated from the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Field Operations Academy in Brunswick and they took the opportunity to drive to St. Augustine when they read about the facility closing.
“It’s a bucket list item,” said Benny Reyes. “We’re just lucky we could get here before it closed. It’s a shame, really. If you’re a golf fan this is an incredible place.”
David Feherty hosted the 2022 World Golf Hall of Fame Induction ceremony at the PGA Tour Global Home in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo: by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
They’re not alone with those feelings.
“We are sad … the vision 25 years ago was incredible,” said Sarah S. Arnold, vice-chairman of the St. Johns County Commissioner who represents District 2, which includes the World Golf Village. “Unfortunately times have changed.”
Henry Dean, the District 5 commissioner who formerly represented the district where the World Golf Village is located, said the county has an opportunity for the future of the property, rather than dwelling on why the concept failed.
“I think all of us at the St. Johns County Commissioner and many citizens of the county are a bit sad about the Hall of Fame leaving,” he said. “It had become sort of a fixture but it was never as successful as we hoped and what they [the World Golf Foundation and PGA Tour] thought. We’re turning the page. We have a blank canvas and we’re going to decide what’s best for the residents on what to do with the property. We look at this as an opportunity to bring good things to the area.”
Free admission the final week
With one week left, the facility is giving golf fans on the First Coast a parting gift.
Admission will be free to the Hall of Fame and Museum, plus the IMAX Theater, from Aug. 28 through Sept. 1 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (no visitors will be admitted after 5 p.m.). The theater will show a series of documentaries, with the movies and showtimes available on the IMAX website.
All of the golf artifacts and memorabilia still remain at the Museum, such as the Hall of Fame Members Locker Room, the replica of the Swilcan Bridge at St. Andrews, plus bags, balls, clubs, clothing, trophies, trinkets and treasures that tell the stories of the game’s greatest players, administrators and course architects.
The Hall of Fame and Museum, and the IMAX Theater are all that are departing at this time. Still in place will be the St. Johns County Convention Center, the Renaissance Hotel, resort condos, the two golf courses that are managed by Troon Golf (the Slammer & Squire and King & Bear) and the Caddyshack Restaurant.
Also remaining will be the bronze plaques honoring the World Golf Hall of Fame members, which at this time will remain in the rotunda of the Museum building, on the second floor.
“It’s important to the community that there still be some kind of identity to golf,” Arnold said.
St. Johns County in Florida has scheduled two public meetings in September to get more input on the uses of the World Golf Village property that will be vacated after Sept. 1 by the World Golf Foundation.
The meetings will be Sept. 27 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. and Sept. 28 from 9-11 a.m. at the St. Johns County Administration Building Auditorium, 500 San Sebastian View in St. Augustine.
The World Golf Foundation announced last year that the Hall of Fame will be moved to the United States Golf Association’s new headquarters at Pinehurst, N.C. The museum’s locker room will be moved to Pinehurst and other assets are being returned to Hall of Fame members or their families.
The World Golf Village Resort in St. Augustine, Florida. Photo by Troon
The St. Johns County commissioner staff has been taking ideas online but wants to hear verbal comments at the meetings. That input, along with other research being conducted, will be used to develop a report to the board of county commissioners.
The meetings also can be viewed lived or replayed online on GTV.
The county set up an informational website earlier this summer and set up a survey for county residents. The survey will end Sept. 30. Comments can still be emailed WGV@sjcfl.us.
The induction ceremony will be June 10, 2024, at Pinehurst and will coincide with the U.S. Open.
Padraig Harrington, Tom Weiskopf, Sandra Palmer, Johnny Farrell and Beverly Hanson will join the remaining seven of the 13 LPGA Founders in the World Golf Hall of Fame Class of 2024, it was announced on Wednesday.
Harrington has 21 victories worldwide, including three majors. He was a part of six Ryder Cup teams and he was the captain of the 2020 European squad.
“This is very exciting, obviously a huge honor,” said Harrington. “It’s somewhat humbling. At this stage of my life, it gives me some validation to what I’ve done in golf. Brings back a flood of memories. This is a deep-down satisfaction, and I’m very proud to be included with the players before me. Seeing your name beside the names that I’ve looked up to as a boy and young golfer, it’s very nice. Everybody on the ballot deserves to be there. It’s unfortunate that everyone can’t be in, but it’s great to be included in the Class of 2024.”
Six LPGA Founders – Patty Berg, Marlene Bauer Hagge, Louise Suggs, Babe Zaharias, Marilynn Smith and Betty Jameson – were already in the Hall. They will soon be joined by Alice Bauer, Bettye Danoff, Helen Dettweiler, Helen Hicks, Opal Hill, Sally Sessions and Shirley Spork.
Hagge is the only living LPGA founder.
The induction ceremony will take place on June 10, 2024, at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club in the Village of Pinehurst, North Carolina, and will coincide with the 124th U.S. Open.
Final selections for the 2024 induction class will be announced the week of March 6, 2023.
Last March at the Chevron Championship, the LPGA announced that all 13 of the tour’s founders would be included in the LPGA’s hall in an honorary category. Only five of the LPGA’s original founders were in the tour’s Hall of Fame at that time.
Now, seven founders not already in the World Golf Hall of Fame have been named a finalist. Alice Bauer, Bettye Danoff, Helen Detweiler, Helen Hicks, Opal Hill, Shirley Spork and Sally Sessions could join the other six – Patty Berg, Marlene Bauer Hagge, Betty Jameson, Marilynn Smith, Louise Suggs and Babe Zaharias – in the WGHOF.
On Wednesday, the WGHOF released the names of 12 finalists considered for induction in 2024: Padraig Harrington, Tom Weiskopf, Johnny Farrell, Jim Furyk, Dottie Pepper, Sandra Palmer, Beverly Hanson, Cristie Kerr, and contributors Peter Dawson, Butch Harmon and Jay Sigel, with the remaining founders collectively making up the final spot.
Final selections for the 2024 induction class will be announced the week of March 6, 2023. The induction ceremony will be June 10, 2024, at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club in the Village of Pinehurst, North Carolina, and will coincide with the 124th U.S. Open.
Final selections for the 2024 World Golf Hall of Fame induction class will be announced the week of March 6.
The World Golf Hall of Fame announced its finalists for the 2024 Hall of Fame induction class Wednesday, and it’s loaded with star power.
Among the big names? Padraig Harrington, Jim Furyk. Cristie Kerr and Dottie Pepper.
Final selections for the 2024 World Golf Hall of Fame induction class will be announced the week of March 6. There are 12 finalists, and they include major champions, instructors and those who had a profound impact on the game, including the remaining seven of the 13 founders of the LPGA.
The finalists were selected by a nominating committee comprised of select Hall of Fame members, media, World Golf Foundation Board organizations and at-large selections. Additionally, all living Hall of Fame members were sent ballots and had the opportunity to vote.
“The nominating committee has selected finalists who represent the highest caliber of competitors and contributors,” said Greg McLaughlin, CEO of World Golf Hall of Fame. “Congratulations to all who have been nominated for this special recognition.”
These 12 finalists will be considered for admission into the World Golf Hall of Fame, Class of 2024 by a 20-member Selection Committee, comprised of Hall of Fame members, media representatives and leaders of the major golf organizations. They will be tasked with reviewing the merits and qualifications of each finalist and ultimately selecting the Class of 2024.
The 12 finalists are Padraig Harrington, Tom Weiskopf, Dottie Pepper, Jim Furyk, Cristie Kerr, Sandra Palmer, Peter Dawson, Butch Harmon, Johnny Farrell, Beverly Hanson, Jay Sigel, and the seven remaining co-founders of the LPGA: Alice Bauer, Bettye Danoff, Helen Detweiler, Helen Hicks, Opal Hill, Shirley Spork, Sally Sessions.
Harrington won 21 times professionally, 15 of those coming on the European tour. he also has three major victories and appeared on six Ryder Cup teams. He also captained the 2020 team.
Weiskopf won 16 times on the PGA Tour and captured the 1973 Open Championship.
Pepper won 17 times on the LPGA, including two majors. She was also tabbed 1992 Player of the Year and was a part of six Solheim Cup teams.
Palmer has 21 victories and two majors in her career, earning Player of the Year honors in 1975.
Dawson served as chief executive of the R&A for 16 years and played a pivotal role in golf returning to the Olympics.
Harmon is one of the best instructors in golf history. His pupils include Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Greg Norman.
Farrell has 22 victories on Tour and won the 1928 U.S. Open.
Furyk has captured 17 wins on the PGA Tour, including the 2003 U.S. Open. He was named Player of the Year in 2010. He’s the only golfer to have shot a 58 in competition.
Hanson won the U.S. Women’s Am in 1950 and went on to win three majors and 17 titles.
Kerr has 20 official victories and two majors and has been a part of nine Solheim Cup teams. She ranks third on the LPGA’s all-time money list.
Sigel was a stellar amateur, winning 27 total am events, including the 1982-83 U.S. Amateur, the 1979 British Am and three U.S. Mid-Ams.
Hall of Fame member Jan Stephenson was a three-time major champion and winner of 16 LPGA events
A new women’s golf tournament is launching along Florida’s upper Atlantic coast, and a World Golf Hall of Fame member will be there to help.
The first Rain Girl Invitational will be held on Feb. 1-2 at Deercreek Country Club in Jacksonville, sponsored by the First Coast-based company that makes specialized rainwear for women golfers.
“The Deercreek Rain Girl Invitational will be a fun event that focuses on camaraderie with a bit of competition,” Rain Girls founder Kathy Nyman said.
The field will include amateur and professional women golfers from the region who have a USGA handicap of 26 or lower.
Appearing at the pairings party and welcome reception on Feb. 1 will be Hall of Fame member Jan Stephenson, 71, a three-time major champion and winner of 16 LPGA events. She will also promote her Jan Stephenson Wine, with a tasting at the party, and her Jan Stephenson Rum during the tournament round on Feb. 2.
The $125 entry fee will cover the reception, lunch on the day of the golf tournament, tee gift and an awards ceremony. The format will be a flighted Stableford with an optional team Nassau. There also will be a hole-in-one and closest-to-the-pin contest on all Par 3’s sponsored, by Aurora Resort at Anguilla, Jan Stephenson Wine, Rain Girl and Deercreek Country Club.
Titleist will conduct a golf ball demo day and sampling for all participants from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 2 before the 12:30 shotgun start.
For more information or to register, visit raingirlinvitational.com.
Here’s a look at Hall of Famer Stephenson through the years.
Majors for Lydia Ko and Lexi Thompson, buy-in from PGA Tour stars and more.
As we look ahead to 2023, there’s plenty to wish for inside the ropes on the LPGA. With major championship venues like Pebble Beach and Baltusrol on the horizon, and the first-ever Solheim Cup set in Spain, the stages are ripe for epic drama.
Watching Lexi Thompson, Nelly Korda and Annika Sorenstam compete alongside the men at the last two silly season events of 2022 got the excitement levels revved up for a mix-team format. Sorenstam’s continued presence in the game also serves as a reminder that the LPGA is in need of its next dominant superstar.
And with that, here’s what we’re wishing for in 2023:
Amy Alcott, the World Golf Hall of Fame member who has won 29 times on the LPGA and five major championships, is taking on a new role next year: captain.
Alcott will lead the United States Junior Solheim Cup team in 2023 at La Zagaleta in Spain, the American Junior Golf Association announced Tuesday.
“This is a wonderful honor,” Alcott said. “When I got the call from John Solheim, I was very flattered. I have always believed that junior golf is the lifeblood of the game. I grew up chipping and putting into soup cans in my front yard in Southern California and competed in junior tournaments from the age of 9 to 17.”
Modeled after the Solheim Cup, the Ping Junior Solheim Cup biennially features the 12 best female junior golfers (ages 12-18) from the United States against their counterparts from Europe. The team match play event includes foursomes, four-ball and singles matches and rotates between U.S. and European host sites coinciding with the Solheim Cup, next year happening from Sept. 18-19. The event includes both teams watching the final days of the Solheim Cup matches at Finca Cortesin, September 18-24, 2023.
The United States leads the all-time Ping Junior Solheim Cup Series, 7-3-1, and had won six consecutive matches before its loss in 2021. The US last won, 13-11, when the event was hosted in Scotland in 2019.
“We are very excited to have Amy Alcott as the 2023 Junior Solheim Cup US Team Captain,” John Solheim, Ping’s Chairman and CEO said. “With Amy turning pro at age 18 and eventually going on to be a LPGA Tour Hall of Famer, she knows what it takes to be an incredibly successful golfer. With her 29 LPGA Tour wins and five major titles, she will be a fantastic mentor and coach for the US Junior Team.”
Visitation saw a drop from around 280,000 at its peak to 60,000 last year.
The World Golf Village opened more than 24 years ago at what was believed to be a strategic spot by I-95, with a three-day festival that included parties, cover bands, fireworks, the induction of Nick Faldo and Johnny Miller into the Hall of Fame and the challenge in a commercial by charter member Gary Player: “For the love of golf, you’ve got to go.”
Not enough have.
The World Golf Foundation announced on Wednesday that the Hall of Fame and Museum building, which has more than 35,000 square feet of exhibit space, will close by the end of 2023, apparently a victim of dwindling attendance that saw visitation drop from around 280,000 at its peak to 60,000 last year.
The pending closure won’t immediately affect the Caddyshack restaurant, the Renaissance Hotel, the St. Johns Country Convention Center, the two golf courses associated with the World Golf Village and the PGA Tour Golf Academy, which all presumably will remain open since they are owned or operated outside the foundation’s purview.
The Hall of Fame declined through a spokesman to cite specifics or comment on financial elements regarding the decision.
The Hall’s assets in the locker room exhibit, including the burnished wood lockers assigned to the 164 Hall of Fame members with personal contents they or their families have donated, will be shipped to the Pinehurst Resort to be part of the United States Golf Association’s museum that will open in 2024.
The USGA will be offered other artifacts, but most will be returned to living Hall of Fame members or the families of those who are deceased, as well as their Hall of Fame plaques that adorn the wall of the main rotunda on the second floor.
The World Golf Foundation owns the Museum building but the land is owned by St. Johns County. A 25-year lease with the county and a bond issue with the state expire at the end of 2023.
The World Golf Hall of Fame locker room will include a set of clubs that Tiger Woods uses, including the familiar Tiger head cover.
What happens to the massive building with a 190-foot tower and the land surrounding it is under discussion. A Hall of Fame spokesman said its officials have been meeting with stakeholders, including the county and World Golf Village partners to evaluate options on the best future use for the area.
Input from residents around the village also will be sought. Details will be made available at a later date.
St. Johns County Commission chairman Henry Dean was optimistic that the property can be viable and vibrant in the future, given the growth surrounding it.
“I’m sorry the Hall of Fame did not work out as well as the PGA Tour had hoped,” Dean said. “But I think there will be a lot of good opportunities to develop that World Golf Village area, to really have a renaissance of it.
“We’re not at the point where it’s identifiable,” he continued. “But there is a clear push for re-development of that whole circle, that whole area and I think working with the private sector, we can come up with a vision that will make it better. This can be a bold new opportunity, a new chapter and I’m very excited about it.”
Monahan’s hint at The Players
The end was foreshadowed by PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan — who also is the current chairman of the World Golf Foundation board — at The Players Championship in March when he said “the business of the Hall of Fame and the way that people consume Halls of Fame has changed.”
Monahan struck an optimistic tone about the new iteration of the Hall of Fame in a statement emailed to the Times-Union.
“I’m confident today’s announcement and alignment with the USGA will further cement the long-term relevance and viability of the World Golf Hall of Fame, all while continuing to honor golf’s most storied individuals and artifacts,” he said. “Both organizations are committed to prioritizing the preservation of golf history, which will serve fans well in the years to come.”
Andy Murray, the owner of the Caddyshack Restaurant that has been the only original business to remain open at the World Golf Village’s “retail ring,” said he had not yet been informed of the decision to close the museum and termed the decision, “disappointing … very disappointing.”
“We all heard Jay in March,” Murray told the Times-Union. “They’ve been talking about it for years. I understand their thinking. It’s throwing money down the hole.”
Beyond two statements in the release that went out Wednesday at 9 a.m., World Golf Foundation CEO Greg McLaughlin had no additional comment.
“For nearly 50 years, the Hall of Fame has honored the history and legacies of those who have made golf great,” McLaughlin said in his statement. “Much like the USGA, the Hall of Fame is committed to connecting with fans around the world to highlight the greatest moments and legends of the sport. This expanded partnership will create an exciting new opportunity in Pinehurst — where the Hall of Fame originated — to celebrate Hall of Fame members and their contributions to golf.”
Village attractions dwindled
The warning signs were everywhere.
After induction ceremonies were held annually through 2013 in St. Augustine, they went on the road to other iconic golf sites at Pebble Beach and St. Andrews, were reduced to every other year and the nomination requirements tightened.
As visitation dropped to a low of 40,000 during 2020 (blamed on the pandemic), other features of the property began to die off:
The view from the tower at the World Golf Hall of Fame and Museum overlooking the lake with The Shops at World Golf Village on the other side. Bob Self/Florida Times-Union
• The 18-hole putting green was allowed to grow to weeds and the “Challenge Hole” in the middle of the lake in the center of the complex went unused.
• The museum snack bar and gift shop disappeared, leaving only movie snacks for sale at the IMAX Theater — which continues to do well this summer showing blockbuster hits such as “Top Gun: Maverick.”
• PGA Tour Entertainment will move from its building next door to the museum to Ponte Vedra at the PGA Tour’s Global Home.
• The 80,000 square foot retail ring, which once had two restaurants, a two-story golf equipment and clothing store and another gift shop, is now occupied only by the Caddyshack, a church and administrative offices for the foundation and The First Tee.
• And perhaps the biggest clue was in 2018, which ended a 20-year, $40 million corporate sponsorship with Shell: the Village did not mark a 20-year anniversary. The June anniversary date came and passed with zero fanfare.
Also in question is the future of the two golf courses co-designed by Hall of Fame members, the Slammer & Squire (Sam Snead and Gene Sarazen) and the King & Bear (Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus).
The Slammer & Squire is in the shadow of the Hall of Fame and Museum building and the King & Bear is located two miles away within the confines of a gated community.
Both are managed by Troon Golf of Scottsdale, Arizona. A phone message left for Troon Golf officials was not returned.
However, the first director of golf for the Slammer & Squire, Cathy Harbin, believes the two courses have been around long enough to be sustainable without the Hall of Fame.
“There was a time when it all meshed together very well and we helped each other,” said Harbin, who now owns the Pine Ridge Golf Course in Paris, Texas, and is a PGA of America board member. “We delivered people visiting the Hall of Fame and the Hall gave the golf courses credibility. That time has passed and I think the golf courses can stand on their own. They have a great reputation and with the population growth, I think they can sustain themselves.”
While the IMAX Theater is managed by the Hall of Fame and Museum, a Hall of Fame spokesman said it would be up to Troon Golf, the Renaissance Hotel (a Marriott) and the Murray brothers on how to proceed.
Murray said business has been “all right” at the Caddyshack but didn’t deny that Hall of Fame visitors were a big part of his clientele.
“When people come to the Hall of Fame, they always seem to show up at our place,” he said. “With the growth around us mushrooming, we’re doing okay. Will [the decision to close the Hall of Fame] hurt me? I don’t know.”
Hall of Fame still exists
There will still be a World Golf Hall of Fame, with a staff overseeing the nomination and election process, and planning biennial induction ceremonies. Indeed, the next induction has already been scheduled for 2024, in Pinehurst, North Carolina, during the week of the U.S. Open in mid-June.
And that’s no accident — because part of the current inventory of exhibits will have already been shipped to Pinehurst, the famed resort in the Sand Belt of North Carolina, to be stored at the USGA’s “Golf House.”
Jacksonville resident Jim Furyk autographs the ball he used to shoot a PGA Tour record 58 in 2016 at the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Conn. He donated the ball to the World Golf Hall of Fame.
The induction ceremony will return to Pinehurst in 2029 when the USGA will stage the men’s and women’s opens in back-to-back weeks. A Hall of Fame spokesman said there would be other new members inducted between those two dates, depending on whether any nominees receive the required 75 percent vote of the voting committee.
The move also means the Hall of Fame returns to its original site. It began in 1974 at Pinehurst, with 13 charter members selected by the Golf Writers Association of America. The list included Player, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Byron Nelson, Babe Zaharias and Patty Berg.
The USGA eventually will have two museums, with Pinehurst joining its Golf Museum and Library in Far Hills, North Carolina.
“There’s no better connection to golf’s past, present and future than Pinehurst, and no organization that works harder than the USGA to preserve the history of this great game. We look forward to celebrating the greatest moments, and golf’s greatest athletes, by including the World Golf Hall of Fame as an important part of our new Pinehurst home,” said Mike Whan, CEO of the USGA, in a statement.
Whan vows the exhibits and artifacts sent to Pinehurst will be treated with respect and displayed with prominence.
“Simply put — it just makes sense, and together with the Hall of Fame, we’re more committed than ever to delivering experiences that build even deeper connections between golf fans and those that have truly led the way in this great game,” he said in his statement.
Merging with USGA praised
Former Hall of Fame and Museum CEO Jack Peter said the decision seems to be a best-case scenario.
“It’s probably better to be involved with the USGA in Pinehurst,” Peter said. “As much as I love the World Golf Village in Northeast Florida, Pinehurst is a worldwide recognized golf destination like Pebble Beach. I think the collaboration will probably serve the Museum very well.”
The World Golf Hall of Fame at World Golf Village near St. Augustine, Florida. (Photo: Bob Self/Florida Times-Union)
The USGA will be responsible for the day-to-day operations, management and artifact preservation related to the World Golf Hall of Fame displays. The Hall of Fame also will collaborate with the USGA on digital content and other visitor interactives.
The original World Golf Hall of Fame was operated by Pinehurst’s management company until 1983 when ownership was transferred to the PGA of America. It then moved in 1998 to its current facility in St. Augustine.
“The Hall of Fame has the utmost appreciation for the support it has received from the state of Florida — as well as the Northeast Florida community — over the past two-plus decades,” said McLaughlin in his statement. “While the Hall of Fame is looking forward to this exciting new opportunity at Golf House Pinehurst, we will reflect fondly on the memories created across nearly 25 years in St. Augustine.”
Golf boom fueled early years
The complex opened in 1998 at the peak of a golf boom sparked by a roaring economy and the emergence of Woods and other stars such as Phil Mickelson, David Duval and Ernie Els.
A vision of former PGA Tour commissioner Deane Beman and seen to completion by his successor, Tim Finchem, the initial $80 million price tag was financed by a $40 million bond issuance and a matching contribution by Shell, which committed to $2 million per year over a 20-year period.
The World Golf Hall of Fame brought the LPGA Hall of Fame under its umbrella and also began enshrining members of other constituencies in golf: administrators, architects, agents, journalists, TV producers and two Presidents noted for their passion and support for the game, Dwight Eisenhower and George H.W. Bush.
Beman and Finchem eventually joined them.
The World Golf Village wasn’t all about golf. There were fireworks for the Fourth of July, performances of The Nutcracker during the holidays, car shows and the Murray Brothers annual Caddyshack charity tournament.
“It was really a vibrant place,” Peter said.
Bill Murray (right) entertained golfers and fans at the Murray Brothers Caddyshack Tournament, played at the two World Golf Hall of Fame courses.
The World Golf Foundation also launched The First Tee, which is thriving. The initiative to make golf accessible and affordable for youth, and also provide academic and character development, is in its 25th year and has reached 3.4 million boys and girls at 150 chapters, programs at 10,000 schools and at 1,700 youth centers.
In exchange for the bond issuance, the PGA Tour provided $2 million per year in ad buys promoting Florida and First Coast tourism. The Tour and the World Golf Foundation committed to 300,000 visitors per year but according to the terms of a state statute, if the number dipped below that, the ad buy increased to $2.5 million.
“It was genius, really,” Peter said. “But we never touched 300,000.”
After Shell’s corporate commitment ended four years ago, the foundation was never able to secure that level of sponsorship.
The other major sports Halls of Fame — Baseball in Cooperstown, New York, Pro Football in Canton, Ohio, basketball in Springfield, Massachusetts, and Hockey in Toronto, report between 200,000 to 300,000 per year prior to the pandemic and all have said 2021 visitation and the current trend in 2022 are close to pre-COVID levels.
Peter believes there is still a market for a golf museum and hopes the collaboration with the USGA will work better than the World Golf Foundation going it alone.
“The key to any museum is innovation,” he said. “You have to continue to change what you present to people and how you present it. People love the stories of golf. It just needs to keep up with the times.”
