World Golf Hall of Fame

The World Golf Hall of Fame is one of our favorite golf mini breaks.

The World Golf Hall of Fame is located at World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Florida, and is a collaboration of 27 national and international golf organizations including the USGA, LPGA, PGA of America, PGA TOUR and SENIOR PGA TOUR. The dramatic 75,000 square-foot building houses interactive displays, historic artifacts, a special exhibit gallery, an IMAX Theater and the Hall of Fame itself, which honors the game’s greatest players and contributors. Each fall the newest members are inducted during the annual ceremony filled with all of the pomp and circumstance befitting a game that spans over 600 years.

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We like to take what we call golf mini breaks from our base in Englewood Florida. Sometimes, we also plan our trip to Florida via I-95 and we stop at the World Golf Hall of Fame before we even get to Englewood.

Directions:

The World Golf Hall of Fame is located at the World Golf Village golf exit off I-95, south of Jacksonville, and just a few minutes north of St. Augustine, Florida. We usually start our trip from Englewood early in the morning. After traveling north on I-75 to Tampa, we connect with I-4. We take this route east through Orlando to the Daytona Beach area, where we merge northbound on to I-95. If we leave home around 6:00 am and the traffic through the Tampa and Orlando areas is moderate, we usually arrive in the area for lunch.

Entering the parking lot at the Hall of Fame, your first impression will be, “Oh, I’ve made a wrong turn, this is a shopping mall!” But look closely, the stores and eateries all have a common theme. You guessed it. Golf!

When you make your way to the other side of the mall, you are immediately struck by the vision of a large building. But to get to the World Golf Hall of Fame you have to get around a large lake or as golfers refer to such a creation, a very large water hazard!

This watery obstacle is really no problem, as small trains powered by golf carts make frequent trips from the shopping concourse to the Hall of Fame. Or, you can stroll around the water hazard enjoying the warm Florida sunshine.

About:

The World Golf Hall of Fame is neither a museum nor a theme park. Instead, it is an interactive exploration of golf’s past, present and future. Upon entering the Hall of Fame, one is immediately, enveloped by rich traditions of golf.

World Golf Hall of Fame photo

St. Andrews, The Metropolis of Golf. A life-size replica of the famous Swilcan Burn Bridge on the 18th hole of the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland leads visitors into a large-screen video production that highlights a day in St. Andrews – recognized as the birthplace of golf – from dawn to dusk.

There is always a lot to do and see when you visit this great Florida destination.

- You can test your putting ability;

- Challenge your skills on a hole at a world famous golf course;

- Learn about the history of golf.

- Be entertained by the World Golf Imax Theater.

- Or, if you think your game is up to it, you can play on golf courses that were designed by four of the greatest golfers of all time!

The Tour:

You can start your tour at the World Golf Imax Theater as you enter the hall before heading to the Hall of Fame displays upstairs. The tour guides have a wealth of knowledge and can provide you with some very interesting pieces of golf history, you can also learn some fascinating World Golf Village golf trivia. For instance if you break down the word “GOLF”, you discover that G O L F, could mean to some folks, “Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden”.

On one occasion, a tour guide informed us that the term “caddy” had its roots back when Mary Queen of Scots was a student in France. The young princess enjoyed playing golf. But, as it would be unseemly for a royal person to carry her own clubs, she enlisted her fellow students or “cadets”, as they were known, to tote her clubs. Over time the word “cadet” evolved to become “caddy”.

The Hall of Fame is divided into three distinct sections featuring displays that are both interactive and traditional.

The history of the game is laid out as a nine-hole golf course. After completing the nine holes of historical exhibits one enters the Shell Hall. This section features the honored members of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

This display goes beyond a simple re-telling of the individual member’s accomplishments in the world of golf. Instead, it shows a more intimate side of these golfing legends.

In the Member’s Locker Room there are “lockers” for all the members of the Hall of Fame. Each display features artifacts from both the public and private lives of these legends of the game.

After reflecting upon the rich heritage of the game of golf, the third segment of the Hall of Fame provides an immediate return to the present and future of the sport.

Electronic scoreboards provide up to the minute results from the world of professional golf, simulators afford the visitor the opportunity to test his or her skill on golf courses around the world.

The World Golf Hall of Fame also boasts two championship courses designed by four of the biggest names in the history of golf. The Squire and Slammer is the creation of Sam Snead and Gene Sarazan, while the King and Bear is the result of collaboration between Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer.

King and Bear Golf Course Photo