Original Name | Eugenio Saraceni |
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Death | 13 May 1999 (aged 97) Naples, Collier County, Florida, USA |
Burial | Marco Island Cemetery Marco, Collier County, Florida, USA |
Gene Sarazen | |
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Died | May 13, 1999 (aged 97) Naples, Florida |
Height | 5 ft 51⁄2 in (166 cm) |
Weight | 162 lb (73 kg; 11.6 st) |
Sporting nationality | United States |
The Slammer & Squire course was designed by Hall of Fame members Sam "The Slammer" Snead and Gene "The Squire" Sarazen with the help of well-known golf course architect Bobby Weed. The three of them shared a desire to design and build a golf course that rewards good shot-making while maintaining the natural beauty of the Florida property.
World Golf Village is home to 36 challenging holes of championship golf. The Slammer & Squire Course is named after the two World Golf Hall of Fame legends, Sam Snead and Gene Sarazen, who served as consultants to the course's designer, Bobby Weed. The golf course is known for its tricky par-3 holes and the carefully preserved beauty of the landscape. Its traditional layout meanders through native flatwoods and hardwood hammocks, running alongside wetland preserves and a wildlife habitat. The scenic Slammer & Squire Course features contoured greens and gently rolling, generous fairways. There is also an abundance of water on the golf course in the forms of lakes and marshes.
World Golf Village is to golfers what peanut butter is to jelly. They just naturally go together. Within World Golf Village is The PGA TOUR Golf Academy at World Golf Village, the World Golf Hall of Fame, the Renaissance World Golf Village Hotel, several eateries, and two championship golf courses: The King & Bear and The Slammer & Squire.
The Renaissance World Golf Village Hotel is located in the middle of WGV and puts you in walking distance of the Hall of Fame, PGA TOUR Academy, Bill Murray’s Caddyshack Restaurant, and The Slammer & Squire Golf Course. The rooms are spacious and well-appointed, offering everything you’ll need to relax after a round of golf or touring the grounds.
WGV is managed by Troon Golf, the #1 golf course management company in the country. As a member of a Troon-managed property, you’ll have access to other Troon private and daily fees across the country and around the world. And with Troon’s recent acquisition of Indigo Golf Partners, that list has grown significantly!
Next year (2022), four new members will be inducted into the Hall of Fame including Tiger Woods, Tim Finchem, Marion Hollins, and Susie Maxwell Bering.
Slammer & Squire was a beautiful and fun course to play. It was actually a little more difficult than I was expecting. The course was in pristine shape. I would definitely recommend playing if you are in the area...especially for the price.
It was designed by noted golf course architect Bobby Weed with considerable input from the course’s namesakes: Sam “The Slammer” Snead and Gene “The Squire” Sarazen.
The Slammer & Squire opened to the public in May 1998 and features two distinct nines. The outward nine traverses through fairways lined with giant Loblolly pines, while wooden pathways and bridges guide you through traditional Florida wetlands. On the back nine you will find generous fairways, contoured greens, and plenty of water hazards. You’ll also be treated to impressive views of the World Golf Hall of Fame.
From the back (Stone) tees, the course plays 6,939 yards with a course rating of 72.7 and a slope of 127. The Blue tees at 6,132 yards (69.2/121) will challenge most golfers and still enable them to leave with a little dignity. Ladies will find the Green Tees at 4,996 (68.0/115) an enjoyable test.
Most Memorable Hole: Number 18, Par 4, 371 yards. The distant bunker is a good line for your tee shot. With water running down the entire left side, there is ample room right of the green to bailout. The subtle undulations of the green will make your last putts quite memorable and the view of the Hall of Fame across the water is quite spectacular and definitely camera worthy.
Favorite Par 3: Number 7, 143 yards. This hole is truly a shotmaker’s delight. Fashioned after The Redan , the famous 15th at North Berwick, the flag can be attacked either by carrying the bunkers straightaway, or better yet, by fading a tee shot. This allows the ball to feed down to the hole. Miss the green and you’re most likely staring a big number right in the face. No wonder The Redan is the most copied par 3 in all of golf.
The design philosophy of the new course revolves around creating holes that foster the match-play style of golf design while harnessing a player’s emotion of attempting heroic shots on each.
More than 50,000 square feet of putting green surface was regained, expanding the greens to 140,000 square feet, as designed when the course first opened in 1986. The benefits of increasing the greens include creating more interesting hole locations, (which decrease with age) such as the ability to tuck and hide the flagsticks in varying positions on the same hole.
81 years ago at the 1935 Masters, Gene Sarazen made what is known as the “ shot heard ‘round the world .” It was that shot that landed him his only Masters title, and is one of the most famous shots in the history of the game.
The Gene and Mary Sarazen Foundation provides contributions to hospice facilities, Boys & Girls Scouts, SW Florida Golf Charities, Wishing Well and more. The foundation offers several different scholarships, as well. "In May, 1978, Gene received the honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa from Siena College in Loudonvile, New York.
Sam "The Slammer" Snead and Gene "The Squire" Sarazen are the eponyms after which the Slammer & Squire course at World Golf Village is named. The golf legends worked with architect Bobby Weed to design the excellent golf course. Florida First Coast of Golf is proud to be home to one of the famous courses that Mr. Sarazen helped create.