Pending a final permit, construction of the World Golf
Village in St. Johns County, FL, near St. Augustine, is set to
begin in June, with completion scheduled in early '98, according
to the FLORIDA TIMES-UNION. The first phase is already having an
impact on the area, as developers are buying land near the
Village, and large residential developments, hotels, shopping
plazas and restaurants are expected to follow. The project is
expected to create 13,150 jobs, according to World Golf Village
estimates, not including 25,542 construction jobs. World Golf
Village Exec Dir Ruffin Beckwith: "It will have a far greater
economic impact on the area than the Jacksonville Jaguars because
it will be open year round." Features of the Village include a
golf Hall of Fame, Mayo Sports Clinic, PGA Tour Golf Academy, and
PGA Productions with production studios and a video library (Earl
Daniels, FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 3/25).
NINETEENTH HOLE: George Lazarus examines a Leap Partnership
print ad for Tommy Armour Co.'s new Tommy Gun Titanium Driver.
The ad shows the club in use at the nation's most distant par 6
hole at Meadow Farms Golf Course in Locust Grove, VA (CHICAGO
TRIBUNE, 3/25)....Greg Norman has signed a licensing deal with
Tandy Brands Accessories to design, manufacture and market a
collection of Greg Norman belts and personal leather goods. ...
"Swing guru" David Leadbetter is shopping for new management as
his IMG contract runs out in mid-June (GOLFWEEK, 3/22 issue).
