The destination
Sea Island does not advertise. It does not need to. The resort has held four simultaneous Forbes Five-Star awards for more than twelve consecutive years, a distinction no other property in the United States can claim. The PGA Tour's RSM Classic arrives each November and departs without spectacle. The members of Frederica Golf Club, the private Tom Fazio course on the north end of St. Simons Island, include a concentration of professional athletes, Fortune 500 executives, and former presidents who chose this barrier island precisely because it does not seek attention.
The geography is compact. Sea Island is a private barrier island accessible only through the resort's gatehouse, connected by a short causeway to St. Simons Island, which is itself connected to the mainland town of Brunswick. Jekyll Island sits 30 minutes south. The Golden Isles region occupies a stretch of Georgia coast between Savannah and Jacksonville, both roughly 75 to 85 miles distant. The landscape is defined by tidal marshes, live oaks draped in Spanish moss, and flat coastal terrain.
The courses
Three courses operate under the Sea Island Golf Club banner, and two additional St. Simons courses provide public-access alternatives that broaden the destination's range.
The Seaside Course is the headliner. Originally designed by Harry S. Colt and Charles Alison in 1929, redesigned by Tom Fazio in 1999, and scheduled for a restoration by Love Golf Design beginning in May 2026, the Seaside combines the original Seaside and Marshside nines into one 18-hole routing along tidal marshes and the Georgia coast. It hosts the RSM Classic annually, and its par-70, 7,055-yard layout provides a championship test that rewards precision over power. Note: the course is closed from May through October 2026 for restoration.
The Plantation Course, rebuilt in 2019 by Davis Love III and Mark Love as a Golden Age homage, routes through live oaks and marsh on St. Simons Island with wide strategic corridors. At 7,058 yards and par 72, it plays longer than the Seaside on the scorecard but feels more generous from the tee. The Love brothers grew up on these islands, and their design rewards thinking and penalizes only the genuinely poor shot. It is the most architecturally interesting of the three resort courses.
The Retreat Course, a Joe Lee design renovated by Davis Love III in 2001, is the shortest at 6,490 yards. Mature live oaks frame most holes, and the marsh views provide atmosphere without the strategic intensity of the other two.
Beyond the resort gates, Sea Palms Resort Course and The King and Prince Golf Club offer mid-range golf open to the public. Sea Palms, a George Cobb design renovated in 2019 and managed by Troon, charges $100 to $160. The King and Prince, a Joe Lee layout associated with the beachfront King and Prince Resort, runs $95 to $135. Both are available without a resort stay.
Where to stay
The accommodation choice at Sea Island is, in practical terms, a decision about access. The three Sea Island courses are available only to guests of The Cloister, The Lodge, The Inn, or Sea Island Cottages. The Cloister, with 265 rooms and a 65,000-square-foot spa, is the flagship. The Lodge, with 43 rooms and 7 cottages, operates with butler service and a clubhouse atmosphere. For lower price points, The King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort provides an oceanfront alternative.
Beyond golf
Horseback riding along Sea Island's south beach, kayaking through the tidal marshes of the Hampton River, and the resort's nature programs provide active alternatives. The St. Simons Lighthouse and Village offer a low-key afternoon. Jekyll Island's Gilded Age historic district, a restored collection of cottages built by the Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, and Morgans as a winter retreat, provides genuine historical interest 30 minutes south. Savannah sits 75 minutes north and justifies a full-day excursion.
Getting there
Brunswick Golden Isles Airport (BQK) handles regional service, but most visitors fly into Jacksonville International (JAX) 75 miles south or Savannah/Hilton Head International (SAV) 85 miles north and drive in. A rental car is essential. Three to four nights is the natural shape, with one round each on the Seaside and Plantation, optionally adding the Retreat or one of the public layouts.
Sea Island is not the destination for golfers who measure a trip by rounds played or variety of courses sampled. What it provides, and what it has provided for nearly a century, is a particular quality of experience: quiet, refined, unhurried, and maintained to a standard that does not fluctuate.
