Murray Bros. Caddyshack, the golf-themed restaurant at World Golf Village, is packing up the clubs at the end of June, the owners announced, closing out roughly 25 years in St. Augustine. Management says the move will mean staff layoffs and blames rising operating costs and ongoing staffing shortages. For many locals and visitors, the Shack had become a go-to stop near the World Golf Hall of Fame complex.
Owners point to costs and staffing
In a statement to First Coast News, the restaurant’s operators confirmed that the St. Augustine location "will close at the end of June" and said that "rising costs and staffing challenges" made it impossible to keep the doors open. The statement noted that an undisclosed number of employees will be laid off when the restaurant shuts down, and managers did not offer details on severance or any potential re-deployment for staff.
A local landmark at World Golf Village
The St. Augustine Caddyshack opened in June 2001 as the brand’s original outpost and quickly became a fixture at World Golf Village. It was known for burger-heavy comfort food, movie-inspired decor and charity golf events that leaned into the Caddyshack theme. Visitors and locals alike have long described the restaurant as part of the World Golf Village experience, according to coverage and tourism guides for the First Coast of Golf. Over the years, the Murray Bros. name has expanded into other themed locations around the country.
Industry pressures help explain the move
Restaurant operators across the country have been feeling the squeeze from higher costs and tight labor markets. The National Restaurant Association reports that input costs have climbed sharply since 2019, including roughly 35% increases in both food and labor, which has left many independent operators working with razor-thin margins. Murray Bros. management pointed to those same cost and staffing pressures when announcing the St. Augustine closure, putting the local shutdown in the broader context of a strained hospitality industry.
What comes next for the space
The closure comes as World Golf Village continues to adjust after the World Golf Hall of Fame moved back to Pinehurst, a shift that has changed foot traffic patterns and the mix of attractions at the complex, according to reporting by the Jax Daily Record. Local leaders and property owners have discussed future uses for the Hall of Fame area, but there is still no public plan for the now-vacant restaurant space. Community reaction online has largely reflected disappointment at losing a longtime hangout, according to local coverage.
Next steps and the brand
Murray Bros. has not said whether the St. Augustine closure will affect its other locations or whether the company plans to help line up a replacement tenant for the World Golf Village spot. For now, the owners’ statement and local reporting leave the timing and the future of the space in limbo.
