The World Golf Village, Slammer & Squire Golf Course

Guest (cart included), played on Tuesday, March 2021 at 10:00 AM

Millions of golfers each year flock to the Sunshine State to play golf. From Destin in the Panhandle to Key West, the year-round warm weather makes Florida a golfer’s paradise. While there are great courses to be found all over the state, the Orlando area seems to be the most popular among golf travelers. In addition to some fantastic golf courses, there’s a lot to do off of the golf course.

One of the areas that seem to be overlooked is St. Augustine, which in my opinion has the most to offer golfers: World Golf Village. World Golf Village is to golfers what peanut butter is to jelly. They just naturally go together. Within World Golf Village is The PGA TOUR Golf Academy at World Golf Village, the World Golf Hall of Fame, the Renaissance World Golf Village Hotel, several eateries, and two championship golf courses: The King & Bear and The Slammer & Squire.

Whether you’re new to golf or just fine-tune your game, the PGA TOUR Golf Academy at World Golf Village can set you on the right path. They specialize in providing clinics, group exercises, as well as one-on-one teaching for all levels of golfers. The academy also offers group activities such as team-building exercises, night golf, and challenges. They can help with every facet of your game, from the driver to the putter using the latest technology: TrackMan and the SAM PuttLab.

If you’re a golf junkie like me, you can easily spend a couple of days at the World Golf Hall of Fame. Next year (2022), four new members will be inducted into the Hall of Fame including Tiger Woods, Tim Finchem, Marion Hollins, and Susie Maxwell Bering. Exhibits include the Member’s Locker Room, containing personal items from each member, Tales From the Collection, Tributes to Nancy Lopez and African American Golfers, THE PLAYERS Experience, built around the PGA tournament in nearby Ponte Vedra, and The Challenge Hole – a 132-yard island green reminiscent of the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass.

The Renaissance World Golf Village Hotel is located in the middle of WGV and puts you in walking distance of the Hall of Fame, PGA TOUR Academy, Bill Murray’s Caddyshack Restaurant, and The Slammer & Squire Golf Course. The rooms are spacious and well-appointed, offering everything you’ll need to relax after a round of golf or touring the grounds. The Villagio Restaurant is located on the first floor and serves a great breakfast buffet during non-COVID 19 times as well as sumptuous dinners.

All this leads us to the golf courses, The Slammer & Squire, and The King & Bear. The Slammer & Squire course was designed by Hall of Fame members Sam "The Slammer" Snead and Gene "The Squire" Sarazen with the help of well-known golf course architect Bobby Weed. The three of them shared a desire to design and build a golf course that rewards good shot-making while maintaining the natural beauty of the Florida property. They have created a layout that showcases the naturally wooded areas and wetlands. This resort course is wide open, with only a few water hazards and some well-undulated greens. Just like the two legends that helped create the course, the layout places a premium on the short game, which requires several finesse shots. The Hall of Fame is visible from just about anywhere on the course.

After your round at the Slammer & Squire, head over to The Legends Restaurant and Grille located inside the clubhouse. Floor-to-ceiling windows provide stunning views of the golf course and the surrounding area. The restaurant is all Florida with warm colors and unusual ceiling fans. Enjoy your favorite post-round libations and try some unique golf club food including Smokey Shrimp Tacos, Cauliflower and Field Pea Paninis, and a variety of leafy green salads.

Both courses have comprehensive practice facilities with full-length driving ranges, short game areas with bunkers, and large practice greens. Many players that don’t have time for a round will spend a couple of hours at one of the two practice facilities.

World Golf Village is currently accepting new members so if you can’t get enough of these courses, here’s your chance! WGV is managed by Troon Golf, the #1 golf course management company in the country. As a member of a Troon-managed property, you’ll have access to other Troon private and daily fees across the country and around the world. And with Troon’s recent acquisition of Indigo Golf Partners, that list has grown significantly!

Guest (cart included), played on Friday, March 2018 at

If you’re into golf, one venue on your bucket list should be the World Golf Village in St. Augustine, FL. There’s plenty to do there, for example, you could spend all day at the World Golf Hall of Fame, taking in all the exhibits, viewing movies in the IMAX theater and testing your stroke on the Challenge Hole – reminiscent of Number 17 at Sawgrass. Or, if you’re looking to play a round of golf designed by a couple of legends, you can book a round on the Slammer and Squire Golf Course, one of two courses connected with the World Golf Village.

The Slammer & Squire Golf Course is the property’s original course and is located just a wedge shot away from the World Golf Hall of Fame. It was designed by noted golf course architect Bobby Weed with considerable input from the course’s namesakes: Sam "The Slammer" Snead and Gene "The Squire" Sarazen.

Five sets of tees plus a blended set – a combination of the Blues and Whites – makes The Slammer & Squire enjoyable for any golfer – provided you play from the set that best suits your game. From the back (Stone) tees, the course plays 6,939 yards with a course rating of 72.7 and a slope of 127. The Blue tees at 6,132 yards (69.2/121) will challenge most golfers and still enable them to leave with a little dignity. Ladies will find the Green Tees at 4,996 (68.0/115) an enjoyable test.

The Slammer & Squire opened to the public in May 1998 and features two distinct nines. The outward nine traverses through fairways lined with giant Loblolly pines, while wooden pathways and bridges guide you through traditional Florida wetlands. On the back nine you will find generous fairways, contoured greens, and plenty of water hazards. You’ll also be treated to impressive views of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Just behind the pro shop is a full length driving range with plenty of targets, a large practice putting green as well as a short game area that includes a sand trap. The Clubhouse has a fully stocked pro shop with lots of logoed gear from a number of top apparel companies as well as Men’s and Women’s locker rooms complete with showers. Inside the clubhouse you’ll also find the Legends Grille where both breakfast and lunch are served. The food is reasonably priced and very delicious. I highly recommend the Philly Cheesesteak Sliders or the Caribbean Fish Tacos after a round of golf. The bar has all of your favorite libations as well as several domestic and craft beers on tap.

Memorable Holes (All Yardage is From the Blue Tees)

Most Memorable Hole: Number 18, Par 4, 371 yards. The distant bunker is a good line for your tee shot. With water running down the entire left side, there is ample room right of the green to bailout. The subtle undulations of the green will make your last putts quite memorable and the view of the Hall of Fame across the water is quite spectacular and definitely camera worthy.

Favorite Par 3: Number 7, 143 yards. This hole is truly a shotmaker’s delight. Fashioned after The Redan, the famous 15th at North Berwick, the flag can be attacked either by carrying the bunkers straightaway, or better yet, by fading a tee shot. This allows the ball to feed down to the hole. Miss the green and you’re most likely staring a big number right in the face. No wonder The Redan is the most copied par 3 in all of golf.

Favorite Par 4: Number 1, 358 yards. The wind will dictate how difficult this hole plays. Keep your tee shot left of the right-side fairway bunkers on this dogleg right. Make it to the dogleg off the tee and you’ll have a short approach to the slightly crowned green. Par – or better – is a good way to jump start your round.

Favorite Par 5: Number 16, 527 yards. The last three holes are a daunting task and feature the longest par 5 and the longest par 4 on the course. Shot placement off tee is essential on #16. If you’re feeling good about your game thus far, you may want to take an aggressive line over the fairway bunkers in an attempt to get home in two. Should you choose to layup, you must avoid the left hazard as well as the trees on the right side. The green’s false front slopes heavily back towards the fairway.

Last Word: The Slammer and the Squire provides a challenge regardless of which tees you play from or how good you are. Low handicappers will be challenged by a number of risk/reward opportunities; playing these holes smartly will yield a low score. High handicappers will be glad to know that the greens are pretty straight forward with not a lot of hidden breaks and subtle undulations. They are quick, running about 11 or 12 on the stimpmeter. There’s a full length driving range as well as a large practice putting green and short game area to hone your skills. Should you arrive hungry or get so during your round, the Legends Grille is a great place to grab breakfast or lunch. The food is very good as are the portions. You won’t leave hungry.

$126 (cart included), played on Friday, April 2016 at 7:30 AM

Played this course in the morning as part of a 36 hole day - playing the other course in the afternoon - the King and the Bear. Very challenging layout, especially early in your round with tight holes and lots of water. However, if you know the layout, that would help. Nice staff and a very well-maintained golf course. I just felt that paying $140 each for both courses was too steep - should be in the $80-100 range. Be ready to reload as water looms on just about every hole and if the wind kicks up - wow! Good bunkers and smooth greens. Definitely worth a visit - we included these courses as part of our trip from San Diego to play TPC Sawgrass and we were not disappointed.

Guest (cart included), played on Tuesday, April 2014 at 6am

Pricing for this course should apply to King and Bear course. Very enjoyable layout to play and fair to average golfer. Be sure to play tee-it-forward.

Guest (cart included), played on Sunday, March 2007 at 10am

This is another one of those golfing experiences that anyone who loves the game of golf should not fail to experience. Although priced higher than one might expect, players should (and probably will) look past that for at least one time. Trying to find a hole without water offers the greatest challenge, since the 9th is the only completely dry hole on the golf course. I love the manner in which they recommend which set of tees to play based on your handicap range. More courses should do this. I also like the fact that each green is divided into three sections and the "number of the day" dictates which "third" the pin is located in on that particular day...another very nice idea.

Guest (cart included), played on Tuesday, February 2009 at 10am

The Slammer & Squire is a players course. Slick greens, many bunkers and water hazards and plenty of wildlife to distract you. It is a beautiful layout. Can be pricey in the high season, but is a great rate in the off seasons. One of the top courses that I have personally played.