St. Augustine, Fla. (October 23, 2008) – The World Golf Hall of Fame is putting the final touches on its 2008 Induction Ceremony plans which include the unveiling of exhibits that honor and celebrate the new Class of Inductees. The Inductee Exhibits will open to the public Saturday, Nov. 8 and the Induction Ceremony will take place Monday, Nov. 10.

The exhibits will feature the inspiring stories from the lives and careers of the 2008 Class: Sir Bob Charles, Pete Dye, Carol Semple Thompson, Denny Shute, Herbert Warren Wind and Craig Wood. Hundreds of artifacts, personal mementos, memorabilia and photos have been gathered over the last several months in preparation for the Induction Ceremony.

“The development of these exhibits each year is a fascinating glimpse into the lives of our new Inductees,” said Jack Peter, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Hall of Fame. “The details that surface after getting to know each Inductee, their families and friends always create an abundance of stories which we are then able to convey to our guests. The Class of 2008 will bring awe and inspiration to the guests visiting the museum this year and for years to come.”

The Claret Jug from Charles’ 1963 Open Championship victory at Royal Lytham & St. Annes will be included in his display, as will trophies representative of his more than 75 worldwide victories. The Bulls Eye Putter he used from 1990 to 2000 to earn 10 Champions Tour titles will be on display, along with his copies of books that have inspired him throughout the years, including Ben Hogan’s “Power Golf” and “This Game of Golf” by Henry Cotton. On a personal side, Charles, who has earned knight status in New Zealand, received Commander of the British Empire honor from the Queen of England in 1992 and that citation will be on display.

Representing a golf course design prowess that includes more than 100 courses around the world, Dye’s Inductee exhibit will showcase his 1995 Donald Ross award, 2003 Old Tom Morris award, and 2004 PGA Distinguished Service award, as well as his Past President’s Jacket and gavel from the American Society of Golf Course Architects. Dye’s personal, marked-up copy of Alister Mackenzie’s “Golf Architecture” book will be included, as well as his Honorary Doctorate from Purdue University and his Honorary Doctorate and Honorary golf letterman’s jacket from the University of South Carolina. Additionally, his Passport from 1986 to 1996 can be seen, showing scores of trips to the Dominican Republic, where he has designed five courses. Dye’s exhibit also will feature such personal keepsakes as a wedding photo of him and Alice, his wife of 58 years. Andy Griffith and Matlock DVDs and Mills Brothers cassettes showcase Pete’s longtime favorite TV shows and music.

Memorializing Semple Thompson’s participation in more than 100 individual USGA championships—the first golfer to do so—will be 63 contestant badges spanning various events over several decades, plus the seven gold medals from her seven USGA championships. There will be several items on display to mark Semple Thompson’s close and successful association with the Curtis Cup, including the ball she used in 2002 to make a 27-foot birdie putt to earn the Curtis Cup-retaining point for the U.S. Team. Her 2005 PGA First Lady of Golf Award will be on view, alongside letters of congratulations from First Lady Laura Bush, Hall of Fame member Judy Bell and Alice Dye. On a personal note, a black riding hat with stock will be included, recognizing her lifetime fondness of horseback riding.

In what may be the most comprehensive collection of Shute artifacts ever assembled, the exhibit will include his winner’s trophy from the 1925 West Virginia Amateur Championship, the second of his two titles there, a Gorham silver trophy from his 1927 Ohio Amateur victory and medals from additional Ohio Open wins. From his professional career, Shute’s display will feature contestant badges from 1921 through the 1940s, including major championships and U.S. Amateurs; his Ryder Cup plaque noting participation on the 1931, 1933 and 1937 U.S. teams and his personal 1937 Ryder Cup program autographed by the U.S. Team. Also on display will be Shute’s plaque from the PGA of America representing his back-to-back PGA Championship wins in 1936 and 1937.

Among the many personal items on display in Wind’s exhibit will be original pencil sketches by Anthony Ravielli for the cover of the book Wind wrote with Ben Hogan, “Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf,” a 1956 publisher’s leather-bound presentation copy of “The Story of American Golf” and a brass paperweight holding his personal business cards. Also included will be a letter from Bobby Jones discussing details of the 1968 and 1970 Open Championships, personally inscribed books from Arnold Palmer and Gene Sarazen and a copy of the April 21, 1958 Sports Illustrated where Wind coined the term “Amen Corner”. Two clubs of Wind’s also will be exhibited: a vintage hickory shafted Laurie Auchterlonie putter and a Walter Hagen 2-wood.

Wood’s exhibition will include several clubs he used in winning the 1941 U.S. Open, as well as his Masters Tournament cigarette box commemorating his 1941 Masters and U.S. Open victories, as well as his 1935 second-place finish to Gene Sarazen. A selection of rare Wood photographs and some of his medals also will be showcased.

The 2008 Inductee Exhibits will be on display in the World Golf Hall of Fame’s Shell Hall through October 2009. Artifacts from each of the inductees also will be on view in their respective lockers in the Hall’s Member Locker Room. Please note the Hall of Fame will be closed to the general public Induction Day, Monday, Nov. 10. The museum will resume normal business hours Tuesday, Nov. 11.

For more information on the 2008 World Golf Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony or the 2008 Inductees and exhibits, call 904-940-4123 or visit www.wgv.com.