Feb
 
19

The Vision of World Golf Village

Posted by: Sherry Davidson in News
 

Behind anything great, you find a great story. World Golf Village is no exception. In the 1980s, St. Johns County had less than 100,000 residents. It was inevitable that the area would blossom with the right vision and execution. Jim Davidson, President of Davidson Development, was the man for the job. 

Jim could see the pieces of the World Golf Village puzzle come together. “Not only could Jim see the Jacksonville market heading south and knew this was the perfect area between Jacksonville and St. Augustine, but he could see the pine trees becoming the development he envisioned,” shared Davidson Realty President and Jim’s wife, Sherry Davidson. “Jim saw beyond the golf courses, lakes, and homes and saw people walking their dogs and pushing their children in strollers on the sidewalks.” 

Jim was persistent in bringing World Golf Village to life. He met regularly with land planners, engineers, attorney’s and an environmental team to make sure the pieces came together as he planned. Although many along the way didn’t believe, Jim never doubted he could get the job done right. Once the World Golf Village developer financed a new interchange on Interstate 95, the development became extremely attractive to commuters, as World Golf Village was one of only a few options for buyers in St. Johns County who worked in Jacksonville. 

The pieces continued to come together after Jim brought the PGA TOUR and other golf organizations on board to build the World Golf Hall of Fame. From there, Jim assembled various partners for the golf courses, the hotel, and the retail stores to further bring attraction to the area. World Golf Village turned out to be exactly what people were looking for, including the Davidsons. Jim and Sherry Davidson were one of the first homeowners in World Golf Village and still live in World Golf Village to this day. 

While building World Golf Village, the Davidsons worked hard to protect the environment to ensure the community maintained its natural beauty. More than 2,775 acres, nearly half of the project site, was set aside for preservation. These efforts were recognized by the Florida Association of Realtors ®  when the Davidsons received the ENVY award in 2002. The ENVY award honor is given to developments that preserve Florida’s natural quality of life. 

The infrastructure added by World Golf Village paved the way for the development of other communities in the area like The Hutson Companies’ SilverLeaf, which will have 10,700 homesites, 2,650,000 square feet of mixed-use commercial space, and more than 3,500 acres of conservation land. It is clear that World Golf Village blazed the trail. 

The master planned community has prospered over the last 23 years and is regarded as one of the most desired communities on the First Coast. With more than 6,000 homes and more than 15,000 residents, World Golf Village provides a place to live that is picture perfect. Whether you are a golf lover eager to take advantage of the award winning golf courses or a family wanting to give their children the opportunity to attend fantastic public schools or interested in enjoying an active adult community, you have a home in World Golf Village.

World Golf Village has a vibrant history to be proud of and a legacy to look forward to, as it continues to be a highly sought-after area. No one knows World Golf Village better than Davidson Realty. If you are interested in calling World Golf Village home, contact Davidson Realty at (904) 940-5000.

 
 
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Aug
 
28
 

For Rickey and Marsha Johnson, moving to World Golf Village was destiny in a way. After raising their two children and travelling all over the country in their RV, the Alabama natives found the First Coast had already become home to something very special – their growing family. They knew this was the place for them.

We recently caught up with Marsha to learn more about the Johnsons and their story.

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Apr
 
28
 

Like many residents who settle into the World Golf Village area, Lynn and Craig Stambaugh were attracted to our area’s warm sense of community, great location, and abundance of golf.

Lynn, a registered nurse working in IV home care, and Craig, a mechanical engineer who works on fighter jets, initially owned World Golf Village property about 10 years ago but opted to sell it. However, when they began considering a place to live when they retire, World Golf Village stood out as a great option. As Lynn says, “We came down in 2012 and there were some beautiful lots for sale, so we took the leap…again!”

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The World Golf Village area home to people with a wide bevy of interests. From sports and games to books and films, there is always a neighbor close-by with whom you can connect and share an interest. One such neighbor is the Greene family.

Jay and Leigh moved to their home in the King & Bear’s Laterra community in May of last year and have come to be right at home in World Golf Village. As major film buffs, the Greenes enjoy taking in movies, exploring the local food scene and walking their beloved Boston Terrier around their new neighborhood.

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Davidson Realty agent Mirtha Barzaga will be sponsoring a food and supplies drive this Saturday, December 13 between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. at the Heritage Landing Amenity Center. All are invited to donate to the drive, which will benefit the Emergency Services & Homeless Coalition of St. Johns County. The drive is co-sponsored by Amenity Services Group, Inc.

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Jun
 
16

Resident Spotlight: Ron Savarese

Posted by: Peyton Davidson in WGV Residents
 

Over the past 20 years, World Golf Village has been developed and nurtured by builders, contributors and residents who truly understood the vision of this special community. For more than five years, Ron Savarese has been one of those valuable contributors. We recently caught up with him to learn more.

Ron graduated from Franklin Pierce University in 1966 and joined the U.S. Army. After a tour in Vietnam, he taught fourth and fifth grades in Middleton, New York, and then pursued a more than 30-year career as a general manager and owner in the automobile business.

Upon retiring in 2004, Ron and his wife Gail moved from Southwick, Massachusetts right here to St. Augustine. They immediately fell in love with the area and Ron joined Davidson Realty in 2008. Since then, he has been dedicated to cultivating strong knowledge of neighborhoods and homes in and around World Golf Village.

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For John and Dianna Singleton, love and family have deep roots right here in World Golf Village. In fact, after relocating from St. Augustine to Nashville, Tennessee nearly 600 miles away, the couple was eager to return to World Golf Village, which they were able to do recently.

John and Dianna’s love story has been nothing short of storybook material. The couple met through work seven years ago and in February 2012 John popped the question to Dianna – with a bang.

“He proposed in front of Cinderella’s castle at Disney World during the fireworks show,” smiles Dianna. In April 2013, the couple held their nuptials in a waterfront ceremony at the historic Castillo de San Marcos.

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Located within the Neighborhoods of World Golf Village, Isles of the World is an intimate neighborhood of high-quality, spacious townhomes. Davidson Realty agent Loreal Greathouse and Homes by Deltona’s Sales Associate Mary Gaskill gave us a tour of these first-class units designed by the award-winning architectural firm The Evans Group.

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Attention World Golf Village neighbors and friends! Davidson Realty, Inc. is holding a free self-defense seminar that you won’t want to miss! Andrew Wooten, International Self Protection Training Expert and President of S.A.F.E. (Safety Awareness Firearms Education) will be presenting a hands-on training at the Davidson Building on January 31st at 7 pm. This presentation is for men and woman alike, so mark your calendars!

Andrew’s step-by-step, hands-on training gives you the techniques you need to protect yourself in a variety of situations.  He will give great safety tips, so you feel more in control and are aware of your surroundings at all times. He also has great advice on identity theft and securing your home.

Andrew is the Safety Advisor of the National Association of REALTORS and an expert in the fields of safety and security (as well as crime and loss prevention). He’s also an accredited multi-blackbelt in Judo, Jiu-jitsu, Taekwondo and Aikido. He is an internationally known author, trainer and speaker who has completed more than 6,000 trainings worldwide.

More information on this free self-defense training, please visit www.davidsonrealtyinc.com or call Peyton at 904-940-5000.

 
 
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This Davidson Speaker Series event is a must whether you are a company owner, entrepreneur or business professional! Make sure to mark your calendars for Thursday, November 15th at 7 pm to get great tips from the experts at RedFin Group located in Jacksonville. The RedFin team will discuss numerous topics including internet do’s and don’ts, social media, internet marketing, websites, digital trends, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and key words.

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