World Golf Hall of Fame moving this year as its land lease expires

The United States Golf Association announced to local Historic City News reporters on Wednesday that after being a landmark in northwest St Johns County for the past 25 years, the World Golf Hall of Fame is relocating to Pinehurst, North Carolina.

The relocation represents the latest example of Pinehurst and Moore County officials angling to make the Sandhills the hub of golf in the United States.  The Hall of Fame will be part of the previously announced “Golf House Pinehurst” project, which will include office space for the USGA, a state-of-the-art research and innovation facility, and a visitor center.

“There’s no better connection to golf’s past, present, and future than Pinehurst, and no organization that works harder than the USGA to preserve the history of this great game,” said USGA CEO Mike Whan.  “We look forward to celebrating golf’s greatest moments and greatest athletes, by including the World Golf Hall of Fame as an important part of our new Pinehurst home.”

The relocation of the World Golf Hall of Fame from St. Augustine is not exactly a shock after PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said in March that the organization was committed to the World Golf Hall of Fame through 2023 when its land lease expires.

“We’re looking at all of our options as we go forward,” Monahan said during a press conference.  “The business of the Hall of Fame, and the way that people consume halls of fame, has changed.  We just want to make certain that any decision that we make about the next 25 years maximizes our ability to showcase the incredible careers and impact that every single member that’s in the Hall of Fame has had on our game.”

The World Golf Hall of Fame plans to reopen in Pinehurst in 2024, the same year the village is slated to host the U.S. Open golf tournament.