- This page is for the community in Florida. For other places, see Pontevedra (disambiguation).
Ponte Vedra Beach on a December afternoon. During the summer months, the beach is often filled with local families as well as tourists.
A stream running through Ponte Vedra and into the St.Johns
Ponte Vedra Beach is an unincorporated seaside community in St. Johns County, Florida, United States, 18 miles (29 km) southeast of downtown Jacksonville and 26 miles (42 km) north of St. Augustine. It is an upmarket tourist resort best known for its association with golf. It is the home of the ATP Tour, the PGA Tour, and The Players Championship[1] is played at The Tournament Players Club at Sawgrass. Sawgrass is also the new home of The MPS Group Championships, a women's tennis tournament.
The area is known for its resorts including the Ponte Vedra Inn and Club (a AAA five diamond resort), the Lodge and Club (four diamonds), and the Marriott at Sawgrass (three diamonds). It also lies in the fourth wealthiest county in Florida, ranking just behind the Palm Beach and Naples areas. Most of the beaches have limited public access, with the exception of Mickler's Landing and Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve. Golf, tennis and boating are other popular activities.
History
European discovery
Ponte Vedra Beach may have been first sighted by Juan Ponce de Leon on his search for the Fountain of Youth in 1513. Since Leon's precise landfall is unknown, this claim may be made by many communities on the east coast of Florida. Recent evidence suggests that Eric the Red may have discovered Ponte Vedra (years before Juan Ponce de Leon).
Previous name
In 1916 the community was known as Mineral City, and titanium (ilmenite) extraction was significant, as well as that of zircon and rutile.[2] These minerals were recovered from beach sands by a private commercial firm called National Lead Company, directed by Henry Holland Buckman and George A. Pritchard. During the First World War titanium was a component of poison gas, and therefore a strategic mineral. The golf courses created for recreational purposes by their company became the root of the present golf industry.
Current name
The present name of the place appears to be in honor of the city of Pontevedra (Ponte Vedra), capital city of the province of the same name in the region (province) of Galicia in Spain. The Santa Maria, flagship of Christopher Columbus's 1492 voyage of discovery, was built in that town.[citation needed]
Submarines and saboteurs
During World War II the German submarine U-584 debarked four saboteurs at Ponte Vedra as part of the failed Operation Pastorius. The four German spies, all of whom had previously lived in the United States, came ashore on the night of June 16, 1942 carrying explosives and American money.[3][4] After landing they strolled up the beach to Jacksonville Beach, where they caught a city bus to Jacksonville and departed by train for Cincinnati. The invaders were captured before they could do any damage. They were tried by a military tribunal and executed.[5]
Nature preserve
Ponte Vedra Beach is also the site of the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, a large nature preserve that includes miles of protected beaches, wetlands, and near-pristine woods.
Demographics
Median household income in this "village" (city) is $79,608.[6] The population (including surrounding areas) in 2005 was given as 35,400.[6]
Ponte Vedra Beach was 50th on the list of 100 finalists for CNN and Money Magazine's 2005 List of the Best Places to Live. It was the first place in Florida to be named in that year and one of only four areas in the state to make the cut.[6]
Notable Ponte Vedrans
Famous past and present residents of Ponte Vedra:
- Betty Williams, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize
- Hamilton Jordan, White House Chief of Staff for President Carter
- Calvin Peete, pioneer black golfer
- Gene Hackman, actor
- Kim Alexis, actress and model
- Admiral Thomas Moorer, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
- Shelby Cannon, former professional tour tennis player
- Ron Duguay, former hockey player and coach
- Ben Nowland, professional football player
- Fred Funk, professional golfer
- Len Mattiace, professional golfer
- David Duval, professional golfer
- Vijay Singh, professional golfer
- Jim Furyk, professional golfer
- Matt Kuchar, professional golfer
- Bowie Kuhn, lawyer and former MLB Commissioner
- Frank Lickliter, professional golfer
- Todd Martin, professional tennis player
- Mark Brunell, football player
- Caitlin Brunell, Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2008 (daughter of Mark Brunell)
- Connie Fletcher, actress
- Nancy Soderberg, foreign policy strategist
- Donna Orender, professional athlete and sports executive
- Tim Tebow, college quarterback, University of Florida
- Tony Boselli, former professional football player
- Christian Laettner, former professional basketball player
- Rick Rhoden, professional athlete
- Billy Kratzert, former professional golfer and commentator
- Mark McCumber, professional golfer
- Tim Finchem, commissioner, PGA Tour
- Victoria Crawford, model and professional wrestler
- Jeff Klauk, professional golfer
- Michael Huyghue, commissioner of the United Football League
- Rick Wilkins, former professional baseball player
- Fred Rogers, television personality, Mr. Roger's Neighborhood
- G. Kennedy "Ken" Thompson, former CEO of Wachovia
- Bill Terry, Baseball Hall of Famer
- Bobby Thomson, Baseball star of "The Shot Heard 'Round the World"
- MaliVai Washington, tennis star
Communications designators
- Area Code: 904
- Zip Code: 32082
- In June 2006 the United States Postal Service designated an area to the south and southwest of the 32082 area as Ponte Vedra (distinct from "Ponte Vedra Beach") and assigned it Zip Code 32081.
- Ponte Vedra Beach is wholly located east of the Intracoastal Waterway, south of the Duval County line, and north of Vilano Beach. The South Ponte Vedra community is commonly considered to be a part of Ponte Vedra Beach.
References
External links
Coordinates: 30°14′23″N 81°23′08″W / 30.23972°N 81.38556°W / 30.23972; -81.38556
