Sea Island Retreat Course
The third course at Sea Island Golf Club, the Retreat was redesigned by Davis Love III and his brother Mark in 2001 into a broad, low profile par 72 of about 7,110 yards. Home to the resort's renowned golf performance center, it is the relaxed, playable counterpoint to the Seaside links and the Plantation.
Photo via Google, contributed by Retreat Golf Course.
The verdict
If the Seaside Course is Sea Island's star and the Plantation is its thinking course, the Retreat is the one a group actually scores on. Davis Love III and Mark Love took the older Retreat layout and reworked it in 2001, adding roughly 300 yards of length but, more importantly, widening the fairways and lowering the profile so the course breathes. It shares its corner of St Simons with the Sea Island golf performance center, one of the best teaching and fitting facilities in American golf.
Our verdict: the Retreat is the soft landing of the Sea Island trio, an open, generous test where a mid handicapper can swing freely and a low handicapper can still find teeth on the longer holes. On a coast trip it earns its place as the warm up or the wind down round between the firmer challenges of the Seaside and the Plantation. For the wider region, see our guide to golf in Georgia.
Sea Island Retreat Course at a glance
- Redesigned
- 2001
- Designers
- Davis Love III, Mark Love
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- About 7,110 yds
- Type
- Resort, parkland
- Setting
- St Simons Island
Designer, redesign year, par and yardage verified June 2026 from Sea Island Golf Club and course records: the Retreat was redesigned in 2001 by Davis Love III and Mark Love into a par 72 stretching to about 7,110 yards, with the fairways widened and roughly 300 yards added. As a resort course it 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 Retreat's defining quality is space. The Love brothers gave it generous landing areas framed by live oaks and Spanish moss, so the tee shot rarely intimidates, and the challenge shifts to a set of long par 4s and reachable par 5s where the extra length they added in 2001 makes itself felt. It is a course you can play aggressively, which is exactly why a group enjoys it.
Lower and more open than the Plantation, the Retreat keeps water and bunkering in view without strangling the round, and the greens are large and receptive enough to chase scores. The presence of the golf performance center on site means many groups pair a round here with a lesson or a fitting, turning the Retreat into the working half of a Sea Island golf trip.
On the Georgia coast the Retreat is the easy companion to its two siblings, the championship Plantation Course and the Seaside links, and a full state itinerary stretches inland to the historic Atlanta test at East Lake and the Masters dream of 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; book through the resort with a stay at The Cloister or The Lodge |
| Green fee | Seasonal resort rate, often the most accessible of the three Sea Island courses and bundled into stay and play packages; indicative for 2026 high season, always confirm directly before booking |
| Golf performance center | On site, with teaching and club fitting many groups add to a round here |
| 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 offer the best turf and 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
As with the rest of the Sea Island golf, the natural base is the resort itself, where The Cloister and The Lodge offer the lodging, the dining and the cleanest path to tee times across all three courses. Staying on property also puts the golf performance center on your doorstep for the lesson or fitting that so often pairs with a Retreat round.
For a more flexible coast trip, St Simons Island and Brunswick provide hotels and rentals at gentler prices within minutes of the course, with the Plantation Course and the Seaside links close by and Savannah an easy drive north.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts around Sea Island and St Simons Island.
Build a Georgia golf trip
The Retreat is the relaxed, score friendly leg of the Sea Island trio we love to build a Georgia coast trip around, with the Seaside links, the Plantation 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 Retreat Course questions
Who designed the Sea Island Retreat Course?
The Retreat was redesigned in 2001 by Davis Love III and his brother Mark, who widened the fairways and added roughly 300 yards of length to the older layout.
What is the par and length of the Retreat Course?
The Retreat plays as a par 72 stretching to about 7,110 yards, an open, generous design that is the most playable of the three Sea Island courses.
Can the public play the Sea Island Retreat Course?
Yes, in effect. It is a resort course open to Sea Island guests and members; the easiest route is a stay and play booking through the resort at The Cloister or The Lodge.
What makes the Retreat Course different from the other Sea Island courses?
The Retreat is wider, lower and more forgiving than the Seaside links or the Plantation, and it sits beside the Sea Island golf performance center, so many groups pair a round with a lesson or a club fitting.
Related
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, redesign year, 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.