The state of Florida, it can be argued, is resplendent with overrated golf courses. Equally, it can be argued, Florida is loaded with underrated layouts. Deposit the King & Bear, and Slammer & Squire each in the “underrated’’ category.
Basically the last vestiges of World Golf Village in St. Augustine, FL, the King & Bear and Slammer & Squire each should be on the “must play’’ list for any Northeast Florida golf trip. Less than 30 minutes from St. Augustine’s historic district, the courses at WGV each have seamless, “build your own’’ stay and play packages at a number of area hotels and resorts, including the The WGV Renaissance St. Augustine Resort, (within walking distance of the Slammer & Squire), Grande Villas at World Golf Village, Renaissance St. Augustine Historic Downtown Hotel, and the Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa.
The only course in the world co-designed by Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, the King & Bear is a 7,279-yard (par 72) layout that indeed features a few of Palmer’s and Nicklaus’ trademark design features – from the King’s sweeping dogleg fairways to the Golden Bear’s high-fly approach shots. A 2024 renovation included resurfacing each green, as well as chipping areas, with TifEagle Bermuda grass, and upgrades in the drainage and irrigation systems.
In addition, the nines were reversed to make the turn more convenient to players and for better overall course operation.
Slammer & Squire
Designed by Pete Dye protege Bobby Weed, The Slammer & Squire, which opened in 1998, was named in honor of legends Sam Snead and Gene Sarazen, respectively, and plays 6,939 yards (par 72) from the back tees.
Each course – managed by Troon – offers a variety of tee-box options, which makes them a solid test of golf for all skill levels. The Slammer & Squire has more of a woodlands look, while the King & Bear, about 10 minutes away, effortlessly plays through the country club community that bears (pardon the pun) its name and where many WGV club members live.
“I think Slammer & Squire is super underrated,’’ said Matt Hipps, head professional for each course.”The slopes and ratings will show that King & Bear is a bit more difficult, but there is plenty of trouble on Slammer & Squire. There are opportunities to score, too. There’s not a bad hole on the course.’’
The courses combined, according to Hipps, see approximately 80,000 rounds of play annually.
“We don’t want to be too much over that because of the wear and tear on the courses,’’ Hipps said. “But we’re about 1,700 rounds ahead of where we were last year. We host around 200 events per year, including buddy trips. So there always is something going on.’’
Impressive numbers to be sure – perhaps even more so given that many players falsely believed the courses were directly tied to the defunct Hall of Fame.
St. Johns County owns the physical buildings and the surrounding land that includes the Hall of Fame and shuttered IMAX theater, but has yet to reveal future plans for the properties.
Meanwhile, the WGV Renaissance St. Augustine Resort, with its 301 guestrooms and adjoining convention center, is a popular and comfortable headquarters for golf buddy trips, families and conventions.
“The Hall of Fame was a great partner,’’ Taylor Fuller, Troon marketing manager for the WGV courses. “We were sad to see it leave (in 2023), but it gave us a great opportunity to identify ourselves as a premier golf destination in St. Augustine.’’
Feature Photo: King & Bear
Photos Courtesy of Troon
