Sea Island Plantation Course
One of the two championship courses at Sea Island Golf Club on St Simons Island, the Plantation Course was stripped and rebuilt in 2019 by Davis Love III, his brother Mark and architect Scot Sherman as a homage to early Golden Age design. A par 72 of about 6,671 yards of coffin bunkers and squared plateau greens.
Photo via Google, contributed by Sea Island Resort.
The verdict
Sea Island is the rare American resort where the golf, the lodging and the teaching legacy all reach the top tier, and the Plantation is its quiet thoroughbred. The original front nine dates to a 1928 Walter Travis routing, the back nine to a 1960 Dick Wilson design, and Rees Jones first brought the two together under the Plantation name in 1998. The version played today, though, is the 2019 ground up rebuild led by Davis Love III and Mark Love with lead architect Scot Sherman, the home team whose roots on St Simons run back to the 1970s.
Our verdict: where the resort's Seaside Course gets the cameras and the wind, the Plantation is the more cerebral, parkland counterpoint, full of deep coffin bunkers, tilted plateau greens and Golden Age angles that reward the player who thinks. With the Seaside Course it shares hosting duty for the PGA Tour's RSM Classic, and it sits at the heart of any trip built around the Georgia coast. For the wider region, see our guide to golf in Georgia.
Sea Island Plantation Course at a glance
- Originated
- 1928 / 1960
- Rebuilt
- Love Golf Design 2019
- Designers
- Travis, Wilson, Love
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- About 6,671 yds
- Type
- Resort, parkland
Design history, par and yardage verified June 2026 from Sea Island Golf Club, Love Golf Design and course records: a Walter Travis nine from 1928 and a Dick Wilson nine from 1960, unified under the Plantation name by Rees Jones in 1998, then rebuilt in 2019 by Davis Love III, Mark Love and Scot Sherman to a par 72 of about 6,671 yards. As a resort course, the Plantation is played by Sea Island guests and members; green fees are seasonal and bundled into resort and stay and play rates, so they are indicative for 2026 high season and you should always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
The 2019 rebuild gave the Plantation a clear identity. Scot Sherman and the Love brothers lowered the profile, opened the corridors and reshaped the bunkering into the deep, sharp edged coffin style of early American design, while the greens were rebuilt as squared off plateaus that fall away at the edges. The result is a course that looks calmer than the Seaside but punishes a lazy approach just as firmly, because the miss is rarely a simple chip.
Width off the tee is generous, which makes the Plantation a friendly walk for a mixed group, but the second shot is where the design bites. The plateau greens shed anything short or wide into collection areas and bunkers, so position and trajectory matter more than raw length on a layout that tops out under 6,700 yards. The closing stretch, returning toward the clubhouse and the salt marsh light, gives a buddies group a real match to settle.
On a Georgia coast trip the Plantation pairs naturally with its sibling, the windswept Retreat Course, and with the resort's Seaside links, while a complete state itinerary adds the historic Atlanta anchor at East Lake and a Masters week pilgrimage to Augusta National.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | A resort course at Sea Island Golf Club, open to resort guests and members; the simplest route is to stay at The Cloister or The Lodge and book through the resort |
| Green fee | Seasonal resort rate, typically bundled into stay and play packages; indicative for 2026 high season, always confirm directly before booking |
| Booking window | Reserve tee times with your room booking, especially around the RSM Classic in November when access is limited |
| Handicap and dress | No formal handicap requirement for resort play; standard country club dress code applies |
| Getting there | On St Simons Island, about 75 minutes north of Jacksonville and 90 minutes south of Savannah |
| Best months | Spring and fall bring the firmest turf and the kindest weather on the Georgia coast |
Access and fee details verified June 2026 from Sea Island Golf Club and resort information. Resort green fees are seasonal and change with packages and demand; treat all figures as indicative for 2026 high season and always confirm directly before booking.
Where to stay nearby
The natural base for the Plantation is Sea Island itself, where The Cloister and The Lodge sit among the most decorated resort hotels in the country, with the Beach Club, the spa and the golf performance center all part of the draw. Staying on property is also the cleanest way to secure tee times on both championship courses and the shorter Retreat layout.
For a wider Georgia coast trip, St Simons Island and nearby Brunswick add a range of hotels and rentals at gentler prices, with the Plantation, the Retreat Course and the Seaside links all within easy reach, and Savannah a short drive north for a city night.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts around Sea Island and St Simons Island.
Build a Georgia golf trip
The Plantation Course is the parkland half of the Sea Island double act we love to build a Georgia coast trip around, paired with the Seaside links, the Retreat Course and a stay at The Cloister. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Sea Island Plantation Course questions
Who designed the Sea Island Plantation Course?
The Plantation combines a 1928 nine by Walter Travis and a 1960 nine by Dick Wilson, unified under one name by Rees Jones in 1998, then rebuilt in 2019 by Davis Love III, Mark Love and lead architect Scot Sherman of Love Golf Design.
What is the par and length of the Plantation Course?
The rebuilt Plantation plays as a par 72 of about 6,671 yards, a strategic resort layout where width off the tee meets demanding plateau greens.
Can the public play the Sea Island Plantation Course?
Yes, in effect. It is a resort course at Sea Island Golf Club, open to resort guests staying at The Cloister or The Lodge and to members; the easiest route is a stay and play booking through the resort.
What tournament does the Plantation Course host?
The Plantation shares hosting of the PGA Tour's RSM Classic with the Seaside Course at Sea Island each November.
Related
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Design history, par and yardage verified June 2026; resort green fees are seasonal and bundled into packages, so confirm with the resort before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.