World Golf Village
Designed by Bobby Weed
History
The King & Bear and the Slammer & Squire may draw the tourists to World Golf Village, but the Slammer & Squire’s more private sibling course, opened in 1998 under Bobby Weed’s hand, was built to serve a different purpose entirely — anchoring the ambitions of a development conceived alongside the World Golf Hall of Fame. St. Johns County, just west of Jacksonville, became the site for this larger vision: a place where the game’s history and its future infrastructure might share the same address. The private club emerged as the residential and membership component of that plan, offering a course removed from the resort traffic that would define its more famous neighbors.
Weed, who had spent years working under Pete Dye before establishing his own practice, brought a restrained hand to the flat Florida terrain here. His design work throughout the World Golf Village property reflected a philosophy suited to the region — moving earth enough to create interest without fighting the natural lay of the land. For this particular course, that meant a layout built for membership play rather than championship spectacle, distinguishing its purpose from the Hall of Fame’s tournament-ready siblings from the outset.
Since 1998, the course has remained in private hands, functioning as the residential anchor for the World Golf Village community even as the surrounding development expanded around it. It has not hosted the PGA Tour events or televised championships that brought attention to the King & Bear and the Slammer & Squire, and that separation appears to have been by design rather than oversight — a private retreat within a very public golf destination.
Playing Notes
Before you book a tee time here, know that World Golf Village actually operates two distinct 18-hole layouts — the King & Bear and the Slammer & Squire — so ask which course you're playing when you reserve, since the on-course experience differs between them. Both are cart-path courses built for Florida's flat terrain, meaning you won't face elevation changes, but expect water hazards worked into a good number of holes and bunkering that requires club selection discipline off the tee. Wind off the surrounding wetlands can affect approach shots more than the scorecard suggests, so bring extra sleeves of balls if conditions are gusty. The greens run true and quick, rewarding golfers who can read subtle breaks rather than those who rely purely on distance, and walking is discouraged given the spread-out routing — budget for a cart and arrive early to warm up on the practice facilities, which are extensive enough to dial in your irons before you start.