World Golf Hall of Fame Relocating From Florida to Pinehurst, North Carolina
The Village of Pinehurst, North Carolina, is strengthening its claim as the home of American golf, as it was announced Wednesday that the World Golf Hall of Fame will relocate there from St. Augustine, Florida.
The USGA and World Golf Hall of Fame are creating a new visitor experience at the USGA's Golf House Pinehurst campus, opening in 2024.
"If you ask people who love baseball they will tell you they’ve never really made the pilgrimage to Cooperstown. I’m not going to Cooperstown or Canton (for the NFL Hall of Fame) anytime soon," said Mike Whan, CEO of the USGA, at a press conference Wednesday at Pinehurst.
"But the Hockey Hall of Fame being in Toronto is interesting because everybody in Canada and everybody associated with the game at some point is in Toronto. We’re kind of following that model. Everybody who plays the sport — if not annually — at some point will make the pilgrimage here to Pinehurst. We want to make it where they don’t have to make a separate trip. The golfers are already coming and we need to make it convenient and sized appropriately and not worry so much about what the bottom line is. With those three ingredients I think it is different than it has ever been.”
Most of the most popular items in the Hall of Fame's current collection will be relocated to Pinehurst, such as the "locker room" where Hall of Famers donated items from their careers. The USGA will include assets from its Golf Museum and Library to create a comprehensive collection of golf artifacts. The USGA will also be responsible for day-to-day operations at Golf House Pinehurst.
The U.S. Open will be held again at Pinehurst in 2024, and the World Golf Hall of Fame ceremonies will be held that week, as well as when the U.S. Women's Open returns in 2029.
The North Carolina General Assembly awarded the USGA $7 million toward the World Golf Hall of Fame project.