.jpg){kind=link}
St. Augustine, FL
St. Augustine & World Golf Village
Palmer and Nicklaus's only co-design, played from the oldest city in America.
easy-logisticshistory-and-golfoldest-citypalmer-nicklaus
The place
World Golf Village grew up around a simple, irresistible idea: get the two greatest rivals in golf history to build one course together. The King & Bear is that course — Palmer and Nicklaus's only co-design — and the Slammer & Squire beside it honors Sam Snead and Gene Sarazen. Down the road, St. Augustine layers on everything a golf trip's off-hours could want: the Castillo's 350-year-old walls, cobblestone lanes, and a tavern scene that has been serving travelers longer than anywhere in America.
The courses on property
| Course | Designer | Notes | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| King & Bear | Arnold Palmer & Jack Nicklaus | The only course the King and the Bear ever built together — loblolly pines, lakes and legacy. The must-play. | resort |
| Slammer & Squire | Bobby Weed | Bobby Weed's tribute to Snead and Sarazen — friendly, clever, and quick to make you overconfident. | resort |
| St. Johns Golf Club | — | The county's well-kept public round — a value add between the headliners. | public |
Where you crash
The resort
World Golf Village Renaissance Resort
The full-service tower at the heart of World Golf Village — walkable to the courses, with packages that bundle both headliners.
◆ The private house
The Private House
A house at St. Augustine Beach or on Anastasia Island — ocean across the street, fifteen minutes to the old city, twenty-five to the first tee. Beach rentals run deep and reasonable.
5-6 BR · sleeps 10-12 · ~$700–$2,200/nt
The 5-day plan
- 1
Arrive & the old city
AM Road-trip day to the First Coast — arrive by afternoon.
PM Check in, walk the Castillo and the cobblestones, dinner and drinks in an old-city tavern.
- 2
Slammer & Squire
AM Open on Weed's tribute course — a confidence builder.
PM Beach hour at St. Augustine Beach; seafood on the Intracoastal.
- 3
St. Johns & the taverns
AM The public value round at St. Johns.
PM Ghost tour or distillery stop, then the trip's big old-city dinner.
- 4
King & Bear — the Cup
AM The Palmer-Nicklaus co-design for the team match — legacy on the line.
PM Trophy dinner, cigars, and one last round of tavern debates.
- 5
Beach sunrise & home
AM Sunrise on Anastasia Island or a farewell nine, then the drive home.
Why it wins
The King & Bear is the only course Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus ever built together — and it anchors an easy, affordable trip with America's oldest city, its forts and its taverns fifteen minutes away.
Booking notes
Stay-and-play packages through the World Golf Village resort bundle both courses; add a public round in town for variety. Old-city dinner spots and ghost-tour slots book up on weekends.