Jacksonville Golf Scene

The World Golf Hall of Fame, located in Northeast Florida at World Golf Village, is the ultimate destination for the celebration and recognition of golf ’s greatest players and contributors and serves as an inspiration to golfers and golf fans worldwide. Located between Jacksonville and historic St. Augustine off Interstate 95, the Hall of Fame has something for everyone who loves the game. Supported by all of the world’s leading golf organizations, the Hall of Fame honors over 100 members through displays of personal memorabilia, interactive exhibits and historical artifacts.

Visitors will first learn what it takes to become one of the Hall’s esteemed members and take a look at its history and signature event, the annual Induction Ceremony. Next, they receive a comprehensive look at the history of golf from its development in Scotland and the history of The Open Championship through today. Guests can take a keepsake photo of their party crossing the famous Swilcan Burn Bridge at the Old Course at St. Andrews with The R&A Clubhouse in the background, and also try their hand at putting with hickory-shafted putters and gutta-percha balls on a replica 1880s-style putting green.

It’s an occasion to give to the community, an opportunity to enjoy the wonderful game of golf, and a chance to display your love for cigars. Aroma’s 4th Annual Charity Golf Tournament will be held Tuesday, July 10th, 2007 at the King & Bear Golf Course at World Golf Village. With great support and combined enthusiasm from the community, Aromas has set a 2007 goal at 125,000 which will benefit the following local charities: The Heart Gallery, The Betty Griffin House, Schools and Communities, and Edward Waters College.

You remember the shot Tiger hit at the island green 17th, or Vijay’s into the 18th, or any number of players who almost aced the par-3 13th? Sometimes we forget in all the hoo-hah over the unbelievable transformation of the TPC Sawgrass for the “new” PLAYERS Championship in May that for the other 51 weeks of the year, all of the millions spent on improvements to the course, not to mention the brand new $32-million clubhouse, are for our enjoyment. And now that experience is at a whole new level.

As probably the only member of both the American Society of Golf Course Architects and the Golf Course Superintendents Association, Ponte Vedra Beach-based Bobby Weed literally brings a down- toearth perspective to golf course design. From years of collaborating with an eclectic range of TOUR players and course designers ranging from mentor Pete Dye to Hall of Fame players Sam Snead and Gene Sarazen, comes a unique set of experiences that have resulted in the Weed “signature”, what he calls “half-par” holes. Nobody creates a wider variety of the shortest and longest par-3s and 4s you will ever play than Bobby, who loves to create fun and interesting holes that allow players to “step on and off the gas”.

You’re a busy professional who loves golf; the challenge, the camaraderie, the courses. But how often do you have 4,or 5, or 6 hours in a day to devote to that passion? And how was your experience the last time you visited a golf facility? Chris Brock shares your passion, and your pain. But more than just commiserating with you over lunch or dinner and a beer or glass of wine, he’s done something about it. And golf, food and a beverage are all involved.

Ponce DeLeon can't take credit for discovering golf in Florida, but the Spaniard obviously had an eye for real estate and the confluence of those two factors with fabulous weather, miles and miles of pristine beaches, and so much more has Northeast Florida not only an undeniably great place to vacation, but many visitors find it an even better place to live.

Year after year, many golf enthusiasts who visit the Jacksonville area become so enamored by the area and its splendid amenities, especially those beaches and world-renowned golf courses, they choose to make their home here.

What a difference a date makes! The simple move of the PLAYERS Championship from late March to early May, seven weeks on the calendar, will make a world of difference, not just in the way we view the tournament, but its impact on Jacksonville and the entire First Coast.

Out from under the competition of March Madness and the perception as a “Masters preview” by the national media, the PLAYERS new dates, May 7-13, will make it the focal point of play on the PGA TOUR between the Masters and the U.S. Open. It could well make PLAYERS Week as big economically for Jacksonville and the First Coast as Super Bowl XXIX was, every year.

There have been a couple of rare opportunities like this before. But they’re rare indeed. A golf community considered by some to be on the fringe of convenience, yet by others to be on the cutting edge of golf lifestyle. The latter group was the progressives, who foresaw the fabulous future and pulled the trigger on literally the deal-of-a-lifetime. You know those people, might even envy them a little for their vision. But now you can become an active part of your own little slice of paradise at Amelia National Golf & Country Club.

The World Golf Hall of Fame, located in Northeast Florida at World Golf Village, is the ultimate destination for the celebration and recognition of golf’s greatest players and contributors and serves as an inspiration to golfers and golf fans worldwide. Located between Jacksonville and historic St. Augustine off Interstate 95, the Hall of Fame has something for everyone who loves the game. Supported by all of the world’s leading golf organizations, the Hall of Fame honors over 100 members through displays of personal memorabilia, interactive exhibits and historical artifacts.

Visitors will first learn what it takes to become one of the Hall’s esteemed members and take a look at its history and signature event, the annual Induction Ceremony. Next, they receive a comprehensive look at the history of golf from its development in Scotland and the history of The Open Championship through today. Guests can take a keepsake photo of their party crossing the famous Swilcan Burn Bridge at the Old Course at St. Andrews with The R&A Clubhouse in the background, and also try their hand at putting with hickory-shafted putters and gutta-percha balls on a replica 1880s-style putting green.

Next to Amen Corner and the 18th at Pebble Beach, the closing trio of holes at the Stadium Course at the Tournament Players Club at Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra might be the most recognizable piece of golf real estate in America. And after the 2006 PLAYER Championship in March, it should become even more fan- and player-friendly, following a $25-million renovation that is expected to be completed by early 2007.More fan-friendly with the terracing and re-configuration of the mounds and grandstands around the three finishing holes that created the phrase “stadium golf”.

For example, the hill overlooking the lake on the famed par-3 17th will actually be lowered, the more subtle slope allowing for even more fans to see the renowned island hole. Also, new video screens will replace the mechanical leaderboards, more closely merging the knowledge we who stay at home and watch on TV get with the flavor of truly being there. While the Stadium Course currently sells out at 35,000 fans daily on THE PLAYERS Championship week, officials think they’ll be able to sell 50,000 tickets daily and still have more room for everyone on the course.