Developer Jim Davidson’s name is linked to some of North Florida’s prestigious developments. However, he is most known as the master developer and visionary behind World Golf Village, the award-winning community located between Jacksonville and St. Augustine. The former Arvida Corporation executive and his wife, Sherry, planned every step in creating the perfect residential community with world-class amenities, championship golf, community parks, retail shops and office parks.
World Golf Village is home to the World Golf Hall of Fame, which has been called “the most ambitious project in the history of the sport.” The roots of the project trace back to 1987 when the PGA Tour entertained the idea of having its own Hall of Fame in a one-of-a-kind residential community.
Davidson, along with the co-owners of the property, offered land to the Tour for the World Golf Hall of Fame, which is the community’s centerpiece. Development participants representing varied industries - from real estate and retail to restaurants and hotels - came onboard with the shared vision of creating a first-rate community committed to the First Coast’s deep-rooted golf lifestyle.
The community is composed of two residential areas, one next to the Slammer & Squire golf course and the other surrounding the famed King & Bear course. Designed by the legendary Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, the King & Bear marks their first and only collaboration.
Under the leadership of Davidson, World Golf Village was awarded the 2002 Florida Association of Realtors Environmental Award. To ensure the 6,300-acre community’s natural beauty, he set aside 2,775 acres - nearly half of the project site - for nature preserves, including 800 acres of uplands teeming with wildlife and regional flora and fauna.
The development participants remained committed to preserving the area’s natural beauty, resulting in a full 44 percent of the development’s acreage designated for preservation.
Through the hard work and commitment of the Davidsons, World Golf Village has received numerous awards including being named one of the First Coast’s “Most Environmentally Friendly Developments” by Jacksonville Magazine; Florida Planning & Zoning Association, Northeast Florida Chapter Master Plan Award, Private Sector (1994); and Florida Planning & Zoning Association, Northeast Florida Chapter Private Design Award, Large Scale (1998) and a 2000 Merit Award from the American Society of Landscape Architects, Florida Chapter, in addition to numerous Laurel Awards.
The community-minded Davidsons also donated three school sites to St. Johns County for future needs and 450 acres for recreational purposes.