Over two decades ago, The World Golf Village had a grand opening of its doors at the public facility prominently located on I-95. Today, the remembrance of that historic launch which included a three-day festival, vibrant parties, live entertainment, and even spectacular fireworks, is a distant memory.
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. The announcement apparently the result of declining attendance, which dropped to a low of approximately 60,000 last year, way beyond its 280,000 peak.
Venues that are a part of the location will not be immediately impacted: The Caddyshack restaurant, Renaissance Hotel, St. Johns Country Convention Center, and the two golf courses associated with the World Golf Village and the PGA Tour Golf Academy. These establishments will presumably remain open, as they are owned or operated outside the foundation’s scope.
The Hall of Fame declined through a spokesman to cite specifics or comment on financial elements regarding the decision, according to golfweek.usatoday.com.
Assets such as the locker room exhibit, the burnished wood lockers assigned to the 164 Hall of Fame members with personal contents they or their families have donated, will be relocated to Pinehurst Resort to be part of the United States Golf Association’s museum that will open in 2024.
The USGA will most likely be offered other artifacts, but perhaps most items 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.
Although the World Golf Foundation owns the Museum building, it does not own the land that it sits on and its 25-year lease with the county and a bond issue with the state will expire at the end of 2023. Still under discussion is the fate of the land along with the massive building and its 190-foot tower. According to golfweek.usatoday.com, 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.
Former PGA Tour commissioner Deane Beman, who had the vision to rescue the original Hall of Fame from Pinehurst, where it was struggling a decade after it was launched in 1974, said he understood the reasoning for the move.
“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.”
“I’m not disappointed,” he said. “We stepped in and rescued a failing World Golf Hall of Fame in Pinehurst, but if going back to Pinehurst with the USGA presence there is what will make it prosper, I’d be delighted. I’m very hopeful that this new agreement provides the kind of financial backing that organizations like the USGA can provide. It’s about time the rest of the golf industry steps up and supports the hall of fame, not just the PGA Tour.”
Jay Monahan’s point of view
The demise was indicated by PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan — also serving as the current chairman of the World Golf Foundation board — at The Players Championship in March Monahan stated “the business of the Hall of Fame and the way that people consume Halls of Fame has changed.”
Monahan sounded optimistic in 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, according to golfweek.usatoday.
