TIMELINE
Stockton family acquires the property in 1966
December, 1972 Ground Broken for Sawgrass CC Golf Course, Ed Seay Architect Membership Solicitation began. Initiation fee $2000
1973 Rough Creek completed Bob Ross first Director of Golf Ron Bohrnstedt, first Director of Tennis JimShine, first Golf Course Superintendent
Club House Contractor, E.C. Kenyon, Design by Freeman, Clements and Rummel
Tennis Courts and Tennis Pavilion opened
Golf Course has a“pre opening” for potential property buyers on August 17-24 with official opening a week later Clubhouse Opened Robert Case named General Manager
20 Deer Run units completed Al Wittenberg of Jacksonville bought the first lot near 16th green
Industrial America Corporation, the original developer, turned the property over to three banks, Atlantic Bank-trustee Harold Staub hired to manage the property Beach Club completed
Sawgrass Property Owners Association created
PGA Tour moves to Jacksonville and announced plans to move its signature event, the Tournament Players Championship to Sawgrass. (The TPC previously was played at different US sites) Contract with Florida Publico Charities to host TPC signed on June 10 The first USGA event held at Sawgrass; US Open regional qualifying. (Director of golf Bob Ross is one of the qualifiers)
1977 Mark Hayes wons the first TPC at Sawgrass with a field of 289 The course was so windy that Ray Floyd called the course “damn near unplayable” Harry Kraly hired as Director of Tennis Sawgrass Property Owners Association created Arvida Corp. bought Sawgrass
1975-1977 Atlantic National Bank Trusteeship
1978 Dick Stockton and Roscoe Tanner win Sawgrass Pro. Tennis over Arthur Ashe and Bob Lutz First Custom Homes are built Jack Nicklaus won second TPC at Sawgrass despite final round 75
The course was so difficult that Dan Jenkins wrote that it was a”swampy, scrubby, windy, chilly, narrow pain in the three wood.” Building of custom homes began
1979 Quail Point 1 completed, Quail Point 2 started Garden Homes I completed Bob Lutz defeated Dick Stockton to win Sawgrass Pro. Tennis Beach Club remodeling started in Dec.
Lanny Wadkins won third TPC over Tom Watson Dick Stockton named Touring Tennis Pro David Peoples won Florida State Golf Amateur Dale Haney joined Sawgrass as Reservation Manager
1980 Quail Point 2 completed Building of the Stadium Tennis Court Beach Club expansion to 130 dining, 70 lounge seating Lipton World of Doubles Tournament Garden Homes II completed Fisherman’s Cove completed Sawgrass Village construction started Lee Trevino won TPC
1981 Village Walk I completed
Peter McNamara and Heinz Gunthardt won Lipton World of Doubles, Sawgrass named one of “50 Greatest US Tennis Resorts” Spinnakers Reach I completed Ray Floyd won the final TPC at Sawgrass Jerry Walters hired as Director of Tennis Sawgrass named one of the 50 Greatest US Tennis Resorts
1982 Beach Club Villas renovated Clark Willingham became Golf Pro replacing Dutch Hood Spinnakers Reach II opens Brian Gottfried and Raul Ramirez won the Lipton World of Doubles
1983 Spinnakers 2 completed
Sawgrass Commercial Village started with Publix, Atlantic Bank & Jax Liquors First Northern Chapter PGA Open held at Sawgrass. It is now the Gate Invitational. Northgate started
1985 South Golf Course opened, designed by Ed Seay (Arnold Palmer Course Design )
Start of Walkers Ridge Arvida bought Sawgrass CC. John Yelverton is named General Manager Cary Splane of Gainesville wins the Florida State Golf Ass’n Amateur at Sawgrass
1986 Tony Trabert became Director of Tennis
Members buy SCC from Arvida and create the Transition Committee to oversee Arvida leaving
Gary Player won the Mazda Senior Tournament Players Championship over Bruce Crampton and ChiChi Rodriguez
Conversion of club to equity completed with 585 members First Board elected. Arvida has a majority and Arvida’s Tom Hale elected president
Lighthouse Bend opens with 56 homes
Sawgrass membership took control of club and first board was elected with Tom Wilson as president Ed Merritt, General Manager, Joe Burch, Golf Professional, Buck Mayers, Tennis Professional. David Nebel, G.M. Total membership 1457 East Nine renovated and Jeff Chandley named Tennis Director West Nine renovated. Frank Sbarro hired as golf course supt. .
1993 Ralph Pecca named G.M.
1994 Golf course irrigation system upgraded Arvida/JMB no longer on Board
1995 Opening of Health Club
Demolition of old Golf Clubhouse
February 14, 1996 Current Golf Clubhouse Opened, Equity membership at $16,000
1997 East Course Renovation Negotiations complete to purchase memberships from Arvida
Chuck Saacke hired as Director of Tennis
Membership approves buyout of Arvida for $2.5 million. Janet Collins and Mary McGarrigle join staff, Equity membership = $25,000
October, 2000 First SenioRITA Tennis tournament, Chair Mary Pappas
July, 2001 Green and White Tee renovation project completed
December, 2002 Demolition of old Beach Club began 2003 Sawgrass Ambassadors program introduced East Nine renovation completed
May, 2003 East/West course named 14th best in Florida
October, 2003 South course renovation completed
2004 Florida Mid-Amateur Championship New Beach Club opened Matt Durkee named golf course superintendant
2005 Magnus Berglund named new Head Pro of Tennis
April, 2009 MPS Professional Women’s Tennis Tournament played at SCC Practice Tee renovation and members website initiated Billy Pomeroy named Head Golf Pro Barry McDonald named General Manager
April, 2010 Caroline Wozniacki won second and last MPS Tournament
2011 Woman’s Western Golf Association National Amateur Champion (Victoria Tanco winner)
Todd Martin joined Sawgrass as Tennis Touring Professional Greg Lecker became Director of Golf
January, 2013 Opening of New Fitness Center
April, 2016 Opening of newly renovated Beach Club
March, 2018, Golf Clubhouse Renovation began