Adam Vermut Wins 20th Annual St. Augustine Amateur Golf Tournament

In December, we hosted our strongest field to date at the 20th St. Augustine Amateur, highlighted by champion Adam Vermut of the University of North Florida. The event brought together 84 amateur golfers from around the world to compete for the St. Augustine Amateur title, the iconic Conquistador helmet, and World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points.

You can read the final round recap here.

St. Johns County Golf Club Staff Wins Awards for Contributions to Golfing in North Florida

As many of you know, Bea was named Northern Chapter PGA Assistant of the Year, an honor that included participation in the PGA Magazine Assistant of the Year Conference held in Philadelphia this past fall. This article in PGA Magazine features several quotes from Bea, and we are incredibly proud of her accomplishments and excited for her future here.

In December 2025, Bea was once again voted Northern Chapter Assistant of the Year, while I was honored as Northern Chapter Professional of the Year and Public Merchandiser of the Year. In January, I was also named North Florida PGA Section Professional of the Year. It is always meaningful to be recognized by our peer professionals in both the Northern Chapter and the North Florida Section. We continually strive to grow and improve in order to provide the best professional staff and experience possible.

Player Development & Programming

Throughout the year, we offer a wide variety of private and group instruction opportunities. Our instructional team includes three PGA Members, one PGA Associate, and one Certified Instructor, each bringing unique teaching styles for golfers of all ages and skill levels.

All programs are run through Operation 36, a platform that allows us to communicate with students, track progress, manage data, and enhance the learning experience.

Last year, we hosted 51 programs with 377 registrations, with continued growth in junior and women’s participation.

2026 St. Johns Golf Club Spring PGA Junior League (13U) is a fun, team-based program for boys and girls ages 6–13. Open to both beginner and intermediate players, the league will be led by PGA Professionals Jared Cross, Tommy Aycock, and Bea Mauricio. Space is limited, and registration is open.

Course Conditions & Winter Play

As temperatures drop during the winter months, our warm-season turf slows or becomes dormant, coinciding with our busiest time of play. As a result, playing surfaces take longer to recover from traffic and wear. You may notice reduced color and thinner lies during this period.

Morning frost is also possible in freezing temperatures. When frost is present, all turf areas are closed to prevent long-term damage. Once the frost begins to melt, our maintenance team must prepare the surfaces before play can resume, which requires additional time to ensure safe and sustainable conditions.

Winter weeds, particularly Poa annua, have been an ongoing challenge. Our Golf Course Superintendent, Anthony Baur, GCSAA, has implemented a thorough pre- and post-emergent program to minimize this issue this season.

You will also notice increased use of artificial mats on the driving range during the winter. We expect to be on mats approximately 3–4 days per week, depending on Bermuda recovery. We rotate these days to spread impact evenly, with the goal of providing the best possible practice conditions, whether on turf or mats.

As temperatures warm, weak areas will fill in as our TifTuf (fairways) and TifEagle (greens) Bermuda grasses return to active growth. We appreciate your understanding and hope this insight helps explain seasonal course conditions.