Sea Island: Seaside
Saint Simons Island, GA • Private
Stephen Szurlej
Photo by Stephen Szurlej
Courtesy of the club
Courtesy of the club
Courtesy of the club
courtesy of Sea Island
courtesy of Sea Island
courtesy of Sea Island
courtesy of Sea Island
courtesy of Sea Island
courtesy of Sea Island
courtesy of Sea Island
courtesy of Sea Island
Overview
The Sea Island resort continues to credit famed British golf architect H.S. Colt for its Seaside design, but in truth it was never purely Colt's design. It was the work of Colt's partner, Charles Alison, who traveled to the U.S. and beyond in the 1920s and 30s while Colt remained in England. But the Seaside Course isn't even Alison's anymore--it is purely Tom Fazio, who incorporated Alison's original Seaside nine (today's 10-18) along with a nine (the Marshland Nine) designed in 1974 by Joe Lee, to create a totally new 18- hole course. But in keeping with the resort’s heritage, Fazio styled his new course in the design fashion of Alison, with big clamshell bunkers, smallish putting surfaces and exposed sand dunes off most of the windswept fairways. The Seaside Course has hosted numerous USGA championships and has been a mainstay of the PGA Tour’s early season roster.
About
Awards
Second 100 Greatest: Ranked since 2013. Highest ranking: No. 155, 2013-'14. 2021-'22 ranking: No. 176.
100 Greatest Public: Ranked since the inaugural edition in 2003. Highest ranking: No. 22, 2005-'06. 2023-'24 ranking: No. 36.
Best in State: Ranked sixth, 2011-'12, 2017-'20. Ranked seventh, 2015-'16, 2021-'24. Ranked eighth, 2013-'14.
Current ranking: Seventh.
Panelists
Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“Sea Island sits on a unique and beautiful piece of property in the sea marshlands of coastal Georgia. The routing takes full advantage of this unique land utilizing the marshes to create interesting playing angles and risk/reward decisions while also maintaining ample width on the holes. Elevated greens with runoffs to chipping areas create a formidable challenge and also contribute to shot options."
Read More2024
Review
“Sea Island sits on a unique and beautiful piece of property in the sea marshlands of coastal Georgia. The routing takes full advantage of this unique land utilizing the marshes to create interesting playing angles and risk/reward decisions while also maintaining ample width on the holes. Elevated greens with runoffs to chipping areas create a formidable challenge and also contribute to shot options."
Read More2024
Review
“Seaside requires precise drives but offers more generous greens for approach shots. While the greens are mostly crowned, they are also larger and generally able to be reached with mid-short irons with well-struck drives. The course is very fun but can play dramatically different depending on the wind on that particular day. There are several shot options off the tee depending on how aggressively one chooses to play it, and players are rewarded with birdie opportunities or left with disaster if unsuccessful."
Read More2024
Review
“Sea Island is venerable and the Seaside course draws plenty of attention, but redundant looks on par four approaches (featuring flashed greenside bunkers, almost always on the right half of the green) make the layout less distinctive than expected. The site is terrific and playing conditions are excellent but the routing is, at times, disjointed with no real climax at any point."
Read More2024
Review
“Beautiful course with lots of water views and great conditions. Great clubhouse and old school locker room facilities where you can have lunch in the mens locker room and have a cigar in the lounge. Feels like an old school private club. Great experience,"
Read More2023
Review
“A nice course where the pros play. Has been updated. Good holes/good condition. Public access."
Read More2023
Review
“Enjoyable round. Very pretty; challenging but not brutally difficult"
Read More2022
Review
“Must place course if visiting St. Simons Island in Georgia. Tom Fazio renovation / re-design of 2 previously existing 9's that provides a good flow while still having strong variety. Obviously very little elevation change but the marshland, clamshell bunkers, and trees frame the doglegs to give depth perception and aiming points. The exposed sand dunes serve as reminders you are on a seaside course even when playing the inland holes closer to the clubhouse and prepare you for views of Sound on 4-5 and 13-14."
Read More2022
Review
“Located on St. Simons island, 1.5 hours north of Jacksonville, Florida The RSM Classic is played here mid-November, hosted by Davis Love III Very good greens for the amount of play it gets Originally designed my Harry S. Colt and redone by Tom Fazio to mimic the style of the original design. A fun course that plays thru marshlands, ponds, wild grass and near the Saint Simons Sound. Great, high end, pro shop and accommodations."
Read More2022
Review
“Coastal winds and smallish sloped greens are the primary defense of this classic course that got a modern makeover from Fazio. Clamshell bunkering and exposed sandy areas add to the visual aesthetics of this golf course. But some of the best land on the property belongs to the driving range......"
Read More2022
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