Sawgrass, Florida facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sawgrass, Florida
CDP
Location in St. Johns County and the state of Florida
Country	United States
State	Florida
County	St. Johns
development	1972
Area
• Total	3.37 sq mi (8.73 km2)
• Land	3.02 sq mi (7.83 km2)
• Water	0.35 sq mi (0.90 km2)
Elevation	3 ft (0.9 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	5,385
• Density	1,780.17/sq mi (687.34/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
Area code(s)	904
FIPS code	12-64525
GNIS feature ID	2402826

Sawgrass is a special community in St. Johns County, Florida, United States. It is known as a census-designated place (CDP). This means it's a specific area identified for census purposes.

In 2020, about 5,385 people lived here. This was more than the 4,880 people counted in 2010. Sawgrass is located near Ponte Vedra Beach and is part of the larger Jacksonville area. It is also home to a very famous golf event, The Players Championship (TPC). This tournament started in 1974 and offers the biggest prize money in golf!

History of Sawgrass

How Sawgrass Began

The idea for Sawgrass came from James Stockton Jr. His family was well-known in real estate and banking. In 1970, while on a trip in Africa, he imagined a new golf resort. He wanted it to be like Ponte Vedra, but in a wilder coastal area.

When he returned to Florida, he bought land near what his family already owned. He hired experts to help plan a new community. This new development would eventually cover about 1,200 acres.

Choosing the Name "Sawgrass"

At first, Stockton wasn't sure about the name "Sawgrass." The plant called sawgrass often grows in wet, swampy places. Its leaves are sharp, like a saw.

However, many people think of "Pampas grass" when they hear "sawgrass." Pampas grass looks similar but is less sharp. So, the name stuck!

Overcoming Challenges and Growth

In its first year, 140 homes were sold in Sawgrass. But in 1973, sales dropped a lot because of problems in the country. Stockton worried if the project would succeed. All the money from sales went back into developing the area.

Two big things helped turn things around. First, Jacksonville started building J. Turner Butler Boulevard. This new highway made it much faster to travel from the beaches to downtown.

Second, Paul and Jerome Fletcher sold 415 acres next to Sawgrass to the PGA Tour for just one dollar! This land became TPC Sawgrass. It was the first of many golf courses known as Tournament Players Clubs.

Geography of Sawgrass

Sawgrass is located at 30°11′34″N 81°22′22″W / 30.19278°N 81.37278°W / 30.19278; -81.37278. It covers a total area of about 3.2 square miles (8.73 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 3.1 square miles (7.83 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.1 square miles (0.90 square kilometers), is water.

TPC Sawgrass Players Club Community

This is a fancy community in Ponte Vedra Beach. It covers 1,200 acres. It sits between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway.

TPC Sawgrass Players Club is a gated community. It has 16 smaller neighborhoods inside. It also includes a retirement community called Vicar's Landing. The Oak Bridge Golf and Country Club is here, along with the famous TPC Sawgrass golf course.

Sawgrass Country Club Community

This residential area is also in Ponte Vedra Beach. It is located east of the A1A road. This large gated community has 38 smaller neighborhoods within it.

Sawgrass Country Club has its own private golf course and other fun facilities. There's also a beach club right across the street. To use these, you need to be a member.

Population and People

Sawgrass is made up of two main parts: Sawgrass Country Club and TPC Sawgrass Players Club. There are about 1,409 homes in Sawgrass Country Club. TPC Sawgrass Players Club has about 1,564 homes. This makes a total of 2,973 homes. This number does not include the retirement apartments at Vicar's Landing.

The average age of people living in Sawgrass is about 56.6 years old. This is older than Florida's average age of 41.8 years. About 47.6% of the people are male, and 52.4% are female. There are about 1,600 people living per square mile.

Money and Homes in Sawgrass

In 2015, the average income for a household in Sawgrass was $79,951. This was much higher than the state average. Many residents (19%) earned $200,000 or more each year.

In 2015, the average home in Sawgrass cost $338,755. Detached houses (stand-alone homes) cost about $386,262. Townhouses cost about $168,720. Homes for sale can range from $200,000 to $2,000,000. Many people living here work in finance and insurance in nearby Jacksonville.

Sawgrass in 2020

The 2020 census counted 5,385 people living in Sawgrass. There were 2,143 households and 1,385 families. About 408 households had children under 18 years old.

About 3.2% of the people were under 5 years old. About 12.9% were under 18 years old. A larger group, 32.6%, were 65 years or older. The average age in Sawgrass was 51.6 years old. Slightly more than half, 50.5%, of the people were female.

Most of the people (94.2%) identified as White. Other groups included African American (0.6%), Native American (1.0%), and Asian (3.3%). About 8.0% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

The average household income was $119,349. About 6.4% of the people lived below the poverty line. This included 3.5% of those under 18 and 5.3% of those over 65. Most adults (96.6%) had a high school degree or higher. A large number (63.5%) also had a bachelor's degree or higher. About 6.1% of the population were military veterans.

Education in Sawgrass

Sawgrass is part of the St. Johns County School District. Students in the community attend specific schools.

Local Schools

• PV-PV/Rawlings Elementary School
• Alice B. Landrum Middle School
• Ponte Vedra High School

Palmer School (for grades K-8) is also located nearby.

Colleges and Universities

There are several colleges and universities close to Sawgrass:

Community colleges

• Florida State College of Jacksonville
• Saint Johns River State College

Universities and four-year colleges

• Flagler College
• Jacksonville University
• University of North Florida

See also

In Spanish: Sawgrass (Florida) para niños