In June 1932, the best golfer in America walked into the British Open with a secret hidden under his coat. It was a new kind of club, one he worried the rule makers might ban, and he had built it in a small machine shop in New Port Richey. He won the tournament by five strokes. His name was Gene Sarazen, and today one of the buildings at The Central on Orange Lake carries it.<\/p>\n
Gene Sarazen at a Glance<\/h2>\n\n- Born:<\/strong> Eugenio Saraceni, 1902, Harrison, New York<\/li>\n
- First majors:<\/strong> The 1922 U.S. Open, at age 20, and the 1922 PGA Championship<\/li>\n
- In New Port Richey:<\/strong> Arrived in December 1927; sold his home here in 1934<\/li>\n
- Invention:<\/strong> The modern sand wedge, which he called the “sand-iron”<\/li>\n
- 1932:<\/strong> Won both the British Open and the U.S. Open<\/li>\n
- Orange Lake connection:<\/strong> Championed a short chip-and-putt course around Orange Lake for children<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
A Champion Moves to Town<\/h2>\n
In the 1920s, local developers Warren Burns and James Becker wanted a golf course that would put New Port Richey on the map, and they recruited Sarazen to help build one at Jasmin Point, along the Pithlachascotee River. In August 1927 the New Port Richey Press reported that he had bought a lot there, across from land owned by silent film star Thomas Meighan, and that he would list New Port Richey as his home course on tour. On December 17, 1927, Sarazen and his wife arrived and checked into The Hacienda<\/a> while their riverfront home was finished.<\/p>\nThe Jasmin Point course opened in February 1929. Sarazen later admitted it “wasn’t a very good one,” but it had one excellent sand trap behind his house, and that trap changed golf.<\/p>\n
The Sand Wedge, Born on Grand Boulevard<\/h2>\n
Sarazen got the idea while taking flying lessons, watching how a plane’s tail dropped as it lifted off. He ordered niblicks from Wilson, filed them by hand, and soldered metal onto the soles at his home and at the Scofield-Huddleston Garage at Grand and Gulf boulevards, a short walk from where The Central stands today. Then he went out to that trap behind his house and tested them. His daughter, Mary Ann Sarazen, later described the result as “the first modern sand wedge, with a steel shaft.” Within months he had won two majors with it.<\/p>\n
A Neighbor, Not Just a Legend<\/h2>\n
The people of New Port Richey remembered Sarazen as much for his kindness as his trophies. He gave away clubs and helped get local kids into the game. Allan Safranek Sr., who caddied for him at 12, recalled a 50-cent tip and summed him up simply: “He was just a wonderful guy.” Longtime residents remembered a parade down Main Street in his honor after a major win.<\/p>\n
Sarazen also proposed and championed a municipal course on Orange Lake: 18 short chip-and-putt holes meant for children and for neighbors who could not afford a country club. Residents eventually voted on December 3, 1935, to turn it into park space. The water that the Sarazen building looks toward today was once where New Port Richey’s kids learned to chip a golf ball.<\/p>\n
The Sarazen Building<\/h2>\n
At The Central on Orange Lake, the Sarazen building’s tower residences, along with those in the Irwin building, stand as the gateway to Central Avenue, the first thing you see as Downtown New Port Richey<\/a> opens up around Orange Lake. It is a fitting job for a building named after a man who helped introduce this town to the rest of the world. You can learn more about Sarazen’s time here from the West Pasco Historical Society<\/a>, and his story is part of what makes the Downtown District supported by New Port Richey Main Street<\/a> worth exploring.<\/p>\nWant to see more of the New Port Richey Gene Sarazen knew? The West Pasco Historical Society Museum<\/a> sits in a renovated 1915 schoolhouse in Sims Park, steps from The Central on Orange Lake. Check their Facebook page for current hours and stop in.<\/p>\nGene Sarazen and New Port Richey: Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n
Did Gene Sarazen live in New Port Richey?<\/h3>\n
Yes. He arrived in December 1927 to help build and manage the Jasmin Point golf course and lived in a riverfront home here until he sold it in 1934.<\/p>\n
Was the sand wedge invented in New Port Richey?<\/h3>\n
Sarazen built and tested his first sand wedge here, working at his home and at a garage at Grand and Gulf boulevards, and first used it to win the 1932 British Open.<\/p>\n
Was there ever a golf course on Orange Lake?<\/h3>\n
Yes. Sarazen championed a short chip-and-putt course around Orange Lake for children. Residents voted to convert it to park space in 1935.<\/p>\n
Why is a building at The Central named Sarazen?<\/h3>\n
The buildings at The Central on Orange Lake are named for people who shaped New Port Richey, and Gene Sarazen is one of the most famous.<\/p>\n
Life at The Central<\/h2>\n
History is part of the view here. Take a look at our community amenities<\/a>, check floor plans and availability<\/a>, or schedule a tour<\/a>. You can also call or text 727.478.0770<\/a> to learn more about life here.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In June 1932, the best golfer in America walked into the British Open with a secret hidden under his coat. It was a new kind of club, one he worried the rule makers might ban, and he had built it in a small machine shop in New Port Richey. He won the tournament by five […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32366,"featured_media":162,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[3,46,48,50,29,49,47,40],"class_list":["post-150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-history","tag-downtown-new-port-richey","tag-gene-sarazen","tag-golf","tag-new-port-richey-history","tag-orange-lake","tag-sand-wedge","tag-sarazen-building","tag-the-hacienda"],"metadata":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":["Gene Sarazen in New Port Richey | The Central"],"_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":["Golf legend Gene Sarazen built the first sand wedge in New Port Richey. Meet the man behind the Sarazen building at The Central on Orange Lake."],"_yoast_wpseo_metakeywords":[""],"_pingme":["1"],"_wp_old_slug":["gene-sarazen-new-port-richey"],"_thumbnail_id":["162"]},"yoast_head":"\n
A Champion Moves to Town<\/h2>\n
In the 1920s, local developers Warren Burns and James Becker wanted a golf course that would put New Port Richey on the map, and they recruited Sarazen to help build one at Jasmin Point, along the Pithlachascotee River. In August 1927 the New Port Richey Press reported that he had bought a lot there, across from land owned by silent film star Thomas Meighan, and that he would list New Port Richey as his home course on tour. On December 17, 1927, Sarazen and his wife arrived and checked into The Hacienda<\/a> while their riverfront home was finished.<\/p>\n The Jasmin Point course opened in February 1929. Sarazen later admitted it “wasn’t a very good one,” but it had one excellent sand trap behind his house, and that trap changed golf.<\/p>\n Sarazen got the idea while taking flying lessons, watching how a plane’s tail dropped as it lifted off. He ordered niblicks from Wilson, filed them by hand, and soldered metal onto the soles at his home and at the Scofield-Huddleston Garage at Grand and Gulf boulevards, a short walk from where The Central stands today. Then he went out to that trap behind his house and tested them. His daughter, Mary Ann Sarazen, later described the result as “the first modern sand wedge, with a steel shaft.” Within months he had won two majors with it.<\/p>\n The people of New Port Richey remembered Sarazen as much for his kindness as his trophies. He gave away clubs and helped get local kids into the game. Allan Safranek Sr., who caddied for him at 12, recalled a 50-cent tip and summed him up simply: “He was just a wonderful guy.” Longtime residents remembered a parade down Main Street in his honor after a major win.<\/p>\n Sarazen also proposed and championed a municipal course on Orange Lake: 18 short chip-and-putt holes meant for children and for neighbors who could not afford a country club. Residents eventually voted on December 3, 1935, to turn it into park space. The water that the Sarazen building looks toward today was once where New Port Richey’s kids learned to chip a golf ball.<\/p>\n At The Central on Orange Lake, the Sarazen building’s tower residences, along with those in the Irwin building, stand as the gateway to Central Avenue, the first thing you see as Downtown New Port Richey<\/a> opens up around Orange Lake. It is a fitting job for a building named after a man who helped introduce this town to the rest of the world. You can learn more about Sarazen’s time here from the West Pasco Historical Society<\/a>, and his story is part of what makes the Downtown District supported by New Port Richey Main Street<\/a> worth exploring.<\/p>\n Want to see more of the New Port Richey Gene Sarazen knew? The West Pasco Historical Society Museum<\/a> sits in a renovated 1915 schoolhouse in Sims Park, steps from The Central on Orange Lake. Check their Facebook page for current hours and stop in.<\/p>\n Yes. He arrived in December 1927 to help build and manage the Jasmin Point golf course and lived in a riverfront home here until he sold it in 1934.<\/p>\n Sarazen built and tested his first sand wedge here, working at his home and at a garage at Grand and Gulf boulevards, and first used it to win the 1932 British Open.<\/p>\n Yes. Sarazen championed a short chip-and-putt course around Orange Lake for children. Residents voted to convert it to park space in 1935.<\/p>\n The buildings at The Central on Orange Lake are named for people who shaped New Port Richey, and Gene Sarazen is one of the most famous.<\/p>\n History is part of the view here. Take a look at our community amenities<\/a>, check floor plans and availability<\/a>, or schedule a tour<\/a>. You can also call or text 727.478.0770<\/a> to learn more about life here.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In June 1932, the best golfer in America walked into the British Open with a secret hidden under his coat. It was a new kind of club, one he worried the rule makers might ban, and he had built it in a small machine shop in New Port Richey. He won the tournament by five […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32366,"featured_media":162,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[3,46,48,50,29,49,47,40],"class_list":["post-150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-history","tag-downtown-new-port-richey","tag-gene-sarazen","tag-golf","tag-new-port-richey-history","tag-orange-lake","tag-sand-wedge","tag-sarazen-building","tag-the-hacienda"],"metadata":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":["Gene Sarazen in New Port Richey | The Central"],"_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":["Golf legend Gene Sarazen built the first sand wedge in New Port Richey. Meet the man behind the Sarazen building at The Central on Orange Lake."],"_yoast_wpseo_metakeywords":[""],"_pingme":["1"],"_wp_old_slug":["gene-sarazen-new-port-richey"],"_thumbnail_id":["162"]},"yoast_head":"\nThe Sand Wedge, Born on Grand Boulevard<\/h2>\n
A Neighbor, Not Just a Legend<\/h2>\n
The Sarazen Building<\/h2>\n
Gene Sarazen and New Port Richey: Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n
Did Gene Sarazen live in New Port Richey?<\/h3>\n
Was the sand wedge invented in New Port Richey?<\/h3>\n
Was there ever a golf course on Orange Lake?<\/h3>\n
Why is a building at The Central named Sarazen?<\/h3>\n
Life at The Central<\/h2>\n