Woods’ New ‘Hood is Jupiter Island, Fla.

Golfing icon Tiger Woods is relocating to South Florida, according to the Sun-Sentinel and several other local publications.

Woods, who turns 30 today, purchased a pricey waterfront compound (pictured) on exclusive Jupiter Island in Hobe Sound, near the homes of fellow golfers Greg Norman and Jesper Parnevik. The eight-time major championship winner has lived at Windermere’s Isleworth Country Club (outside Orlando) since his 1996, his first year on the PGA Tour. Now an avid scuba diver and owner of a $22 million yacht, Woods has been actively shopping for new Florida real estate — of the exclusive, waterfront variety.

It includes three adjoining lots, four buildings that have an estimated 16,000 square feet of living space and totals approximately 10 acres, according to local real estate agents. The home features 200 feet of oceanfront, plus 350 feet of frontage on the Intracoastal Waterway, where it has a deep-water boat dock. Woods reportedly is set to make the $40 million purchase late this week.

Woods’ wife, Elin Nordegren, worked for Parnevik before she met her husband, and the pair reportedly have spent plenty of time visiting the area. If the deal goes through, it remains in question whether Woods intends to leave Isleworth permanently. The native Californian also has property in his home state, as well as Sweden and Jackson, Wyo., but has made Isleworth his primary home for the past decade. Residents have always given him privacy, and the club’s course was toughened (and lengthed) years ago for his benefit.

“There’s been a lot of talk about this [Woods relocating], but if it’s true, I don’t know if he’s leaving or if this is just another house in his collection. I don’t know anything, to tell you the truth,” said Doug McMahon, a director at Isleworth.

Woods’ home in Isleworth is relatively modest, at least when compared with the Miami real estate owned by Shaquille O’Neal and other athletic superstars. His lakefront home has only 6,692 square feet and eight bedrooms. The Hobe Sound area is about 30 miles north of Palm Beach. According to the Wall Street Journal, the property Woods was previously owned by Stephen A. Garofalo of New York, who started Metromedia Fiber Networks.

Woods, who raked in an estimated $89 million last year ($6.5 million playing golf, the rest in endorsements) won’t be the first world-class golfer to relocate to South Florida because of the lure of the high seas. Over the course of their careers, prominent players such as Norman, Nick Price and Robert Allenby left Orlando to spend more time near the ocean. Can you blame them? Too bad they don’t issue eight-figure Florida home loans!