Jacksonville-based Corner Lot and Hampton Golf announced Jan. 6 they bought the Glen Kernan Golf & Country Club golf course and are partnering in a yearlong project to redesign and revamp it.
Corner Lot CEO Andy Allen announced the purchase of the golf course and related facilities in a news release, but did not disclose the price. The deed was not recorded with the Duval County Clerk of Courts as of Jan. 7.
The course is closed and Allen expects to reopen it in January 2025. The community is at northeast Kernan and Butler boulevards.
Glen Kernan will remain a private golf club upon the project’s completion. Membership will be open to the residents of Glen Kernan and will be offered to those outside the community by invitation only.
Golfweek.com first reported the story Jan. 6.
Jacksonville-based Hampton Golf operates almost 20 courses with many of them in the Southeast, according to its website.
The Glen Kernan course redesign will be handled by Hampton Golf under the PGA Tour professional and area resident Jim Furyk and his design team, according to the release. Furyk has won 17 times on the PGA Tour including the 2010 FedEX Cup. He won the 2003 U.S. Open.
Furyk is a longtime member of Glen Kernan, according to Golfweek.com. He is currently working with Hampton Golf on building the Glynlea County Club at Wylder in Port St. Lucie.
Cameron Smith, the winner of both the Players Championship and the Open Championship in 2022, has also bought into the project, according to Golfweek.com
Smith currently plays on the LIV Golf tour.
Smith, a St. Johns County resident, is a member of the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club and Marsh Landing Golf & Country Club, according to Golfweek.com.
Smith left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf after winning The Open championship. He lost membership privileges at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach.
Golfweek.com speculated that Smith’s involvement will allow him similar practice facilities. Smith could not be reached for comment by Golfweek.com.
“The golf course has a lot of promise and good bones,” Furyk told Golfweek.com.
“Our plan is to make a few holes a little more playable for our average golfers and extend some tee boxes to lengthen the course for our better players.”
For example, the driving range will have front and back hitting areas with one reserved for practice without interruption.
“Corner Lot’s mission has always been to build up Jacksonville through intelligent development and partnerships,” Allen said in the Corner Lot news release.
“As Jacksonville continues to grow, the market is in over demand for premier private clubs, and we look forward to supplying more of that demand with Glen Kernan G.C.C.”
Corner Lot said its participation will be a full-scale renovation of the clubhouse and dining facilities. It will redesigned and expanded and look totally different, according to the release.
Jacksonville-based Avant Collaborate Construction announced it is the contractor for the project's buildings.
Glen Kernan plans to hire a new chef.
“One of the highlights of this project is the introduction of a new culinary experience led by a renowned chef, carefully selected to elevate the dining options at Glen Kernan. The revamped menu will feature an array of gourmet offerings, catering to diverse tastes and preferences,” according to the release.
Glen Kernan is at 4590 E. Glen Kernan Parkway between Kernan and Hodges boulevards north of Butler Boulevard. It opened in 1999.
Sports figures are regular residents at Glen Kernan. Tim Tebow and professional golfer Fred Funk own homes in the neighborhood. Former Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer bought and sold a home in Glen Kernan.