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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Residents of Heritage Landing were recently treated by Davidson Realty Agent Mirtha Barzaga to an educational event that explored the past, present and future of the World Golf Village area. About 25 homeowners came out to enjoy the May 27 event in the community’s Heritage Room featuring speaker Rick Pariani, Vice President of Design and Development for Davidson Development.

“The story of World Golf Village includes more than 25 years of history. Every development, every golf course green and every home is part of that story, which is still being written,” said Mirtha. “Many thanks to Rick for coming out and sharing the past stories about World Golf Village and Heritage Landing, as well as insights about the future of the area.”

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In the World Golf Village community, each resident brings their own interesting perspective on what makes this a great place to live. We recently sat down with 12-year-old Adam Cake, who lives in Royal Pines with his family – including his parents, Davidson Realty agents Woody and Pauline Cake.

Adam provided insights on the daily life of a WGV kid as well as great suggestions for how kids can have fun in St. Augustine!

What grade are you in? I’m in 7th grade at Pacetti Bay Middle School.

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As you have probably noticed, there is a lot of residential and commercial construction going on in World Golf Village and the surrounding areas. In the second quarter 2014 Metro Study report, World Golf Village was ranked in the top ten communities for annual construction starts with 86 homes under construction. Two of World Golf Village’s premier communities, The Cascades and Heritage Landing, are building out their remaining few homesites and The Residences’ new condominium phase, La Fontana at the Residences, will begin construction of a new building of 13 condominium homes in September. There are 23 homes currently under construction in the King & Bear from Laterra Links’ luxury coach homes to magnificent custom homes. As you can see, there is a lot going on!

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July is Family Golf Month and World Golf Village is celebrating with big savings for the entire family! Offering plenty of exercise, the great outdoors and quality time together, golf is one of the best activities you can share with your family. So pack up the clubs, sunscreen the kids and head out to take advantage of these great deals.

Slammer & Squire / King & Bear – During the entire month of July, play the Slammer & Squire for just $79 or the King & Bear for just $89 and bring up to three children (17 & Under) to play for free! Rates are available all day Monday through Thursday and after 11 a.m. Friday through Sunday.

If you don’t have time of 18 holes or you’re just introducing your kids to the game, take them to the driving range at Slammer & Squire or King & Bear for free! Parents just pay $10 for unlimited balls.

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May
 
27
 

People move to World Golf Village for a variety of reasons – a safe family environment, sense of community, the golf lifestyle. But the Village also provides great career opportunities for many of our residents, including Josh and Stephanie Pate.

Both find their passion and career in the hospitality industry – Josh’s focus being on the hotel side and Stephanie focusing on catering and conventions. The couple recently joined the staff at the Renaissance World Golf Village.

The Pates, who also just bought their condominium in The Legends this winter, are enjoying their time settling into their new jobs and beautiful new home. We recently caught up with Stephanie to learn more about our new residents!

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Feb
 
19
 

Michael Narace has proven that a passion for helping people never really goes away.

After serving our country for 20 years as a U.S. Marine, he found a new path that enabled him to continue being an active community contributor, this time as a Realtor guiding clients through the home buying and selling process, as well as a resident of World Golf Village.

Says Michael, “I look forward to being an active part of the community and also helping fellow veterans with all of their real estate needs.” We recently caught up with Michael to learn more about him, his background, and the Narace family.

You’ve traveled and lived all around the world. What inspired you to make World Golf Village your family’s home?  I had the opportunity to compare many different neighborhoods. But, from the first time that I played the King & Bear and had a chance to visit the local schools, I decided it would be the perfect place to raise my kids, and build a life after the military.

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Jan
 
14
 

When Jacksonville native Astreia Mitchell Bauer met her now husband Jesse Bauer twelve years ago, the couple had an exciting journey ahead. Through an overseas deployment, three children, and several moves, the Bauer family has come to settle in World Golf Village’s King & Bear and is loving every minute of it. We recently caught up with Astreia to learn more.

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Dec
 
5
 

When she moved to her seventh state in 2008, Margherite Myers found a place she can truly call home in World Golf Village.

Having resided in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New Hampshire and North Carolina, Margherite relocated to Columbia, South Carolina and became an established Realtor, evening earning Century 21’s coveted Ruby Award. After 20 years in the Palmetto state, she made her way south to St. Augustine. Today, the Davidson Realty agent lives in Waterbury by the Links and loves the weather, culture, and natural beauty of our area.

Most recently, Margherite was named as a 2013 Five Star Real Estate Professional by Jacksonville Magazine, an esteemed award based on customer nominations.  We recently got the chance to learn a bit more about Margherite, her real estate career, and her experience living in World Golf Village.

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Nov
 
5
 

You would be hard pressed to find a better example of dedication to community than Shelby Heinemann. A resident of Heritage Landing since 2004, Shelby has become a fixture in the World Golf Village scene. In fact, if you live here or have kids in the area’s schools, you have likely seen her busily helping out at school, showing properties to potential new residents, or smiling and waving at neighbors. For Shelby, it’s these seemingly small gestures that add up in a meaningful way.

Shelby has been a Property Manager with the Davidson Companies since May 2012 and boasts almost seven years of experience in the Property Management field – most of that experience garnered in World Golf Village. A mother of three, she is also an active education advocate within St. Johns County Schools and a Davidson Cares Board member. Davidson Cares is an organization that offers support for local schools, including Mill Creek Elementary, Wards Creek Elementary, Palencia Elementary, and Pacetti Bay Middle School.

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